Lowtide vs Boomerang: a reminder you set, or one that finds you
Updated
Short answer: Lowtide is the better choice if you don’t want to set reminders by hand: it notices which of your questions went unanswered, by email or Slack, drafts the follow-up, and keeps it in one list with the replies you owe and your meeting promises. Boomerang is the better fit if you mainly want to schedule emails to send later, or an inexpensive reminder on a few emails you pick.
At a glance
| Lowtide | Boomerang | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac menu bar app that keeps one list of what you owe people across your tools | A Gmail add-on for sending later and follow-up reminders |
| Works with | Gmail and Google Calendar (several accounts), Slack, Granola, GitHub, Linear, Claude Code and Codex | Gmail and Google Workspace (Boomerang for Outlook is a separate product) |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 26 or later) | Inside Gmail, plus iPhone and Android apps |
| Price | Free during early access | Free for 10 messages a month; Personal $4.98, Pro $14.98, Premium $49.98 a month, billed annually |
| Emails that need a reply | Yes: emails and Slack messages that need you, ranked, each with the reason it’s there | Brings back the emails you choose, when you choose |
| Emails nobody answered | Yes: questions you asked by email or Slack that nobody answered come back with a nudge drafted | Yes, on each email you set it on: it comes back only if nobody replies |
| Promises from meetings | Yes: what you promised, read from Granola notes or the recap Zoom, Google Meet, Fathom, Fireflies or Otter emails you | No |
| Slack | Yes: messages that need your reply, and questions you asked that nobody answered | No |
| Drafts in your voice | Yes: learns from your sent mail and from the changes you make | No; Respondable helps as you write |
| Sends on its own | Never on its own; every send has an 8-second Undo | Sends emails you wrote and scheduled to send later |
What’s the difference between Lowtide and Boomerang?
Boomerang is a precise tool you point at one email at a time: as you send, you choose when it should come back, and whether only if nobody answered. It works well for the emails you remember to set it on. Lowtide works from the other end: it reads what you sent, notices the questions that went unanswered after a couple of days, and lists them for you, so the follow-ups you’d have forgotten to set up don’t slip either.
Which is better for following up?
For an email you know you’ll want to chase, Boomerang’s reminder is quick and reliable. Lowtide goes further on everything else: it drafts the follow-up in your voice in the same thread, does the same for questions you asked in Slack, and when you asked for something by a date, waits until the day after it.
What about sending later?
Boomerang schedules an email to send at a time you choose. Lowtide doesn’t schedule sends: it sends when you press Send, with an 8-second Undo.
How much do they cost?
Boomerang is free for 10 messages a month; paid plans are $4.98, $14.98 and $49.98 a month, billed annually, with a 30-day trial. Lowtide is free while it’s in early access.
Can you use both?
Yes. Boomerang works inside Gmail and Lowtide reads Gmail, so you can keep Boomerang for scheduled sends and let Lowtide catch the rest.
Choose Lowtide if
- You forget to set reminders in the first place.
- Questions you ask in Slack slip as often as email.
- You want the follow-up written for you.
- You also lose track of what you promised in meetings.
Choose Boomerang if
- You want to schedule emails to send later.
- You only need a reminder on a few emails you pick yourself.
- You want it inside Gmail on your phone too.
Questions people ask
Is Lowtide a Boomerang alternative?
For follow-up reminders, yes, and it finds them without being set up email by email. For scheduling emails to send later, no: Lowtide doesn’t do that.
Can Lowtide schedule an email?
No. Lowtide drafts replies and follow-ups and sends when you press Send, with an 8-second Undo.
Sources
What this page says about Boomerang comes from its own site, checked on October 20, 2026. Products change; if something here is out of date, tell us through the form on our home page and we’ll fix it.