Lowtide vs SaneBox: filtering the noise, or a list of what you owe?
Updated
Short answer: If what slips is the replies you owe and the answers you’re waiting on, Lowtide is the better choice: it lists them across Gmail, Slack and your meetings, each with a draft, free during early access. SaneBox is the better fit if your problem is volume: it filters mail on the server, for any provider and any email app.
At a glance
| Lowtide | SaneBox | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac menu bar app that keeps one list of what you owe people across your tools | A service that filters email on the server so only important mail stays in your inbox |
| Works with | Gmail and Google Calendar (several accounts), Slack, Granola, GitHub, Linear, Claude Code and Codex | Any email provider, in any email app |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 26 or later) | Your existing email app; iPhone and Android apps |
| Price | Free during early access | Snack $9.49 a month, Lunch $15.99, Dinner $42.99 (less billed yearly) |
| Emails that need a reply | Yes: emails and Slack messages that need you, ranked, each with the reason it’s there | Partly: keeps unimportant mail out of the inbox, without ranking what needs a reply |
| Emails nobody answered | Yes: questions you asked by email or Slack that nobody answered come back with a nudge drafted | Yes: the SaneNoReplies folder and reminders |
| 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 | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Sends on its own | Never on its own; every send has an 8-second Undo | No |
What’s the difference between Lowtide and SaneBox?
SaneBox works on volume. It learns which senders matter and moves the rest into folders like SaneLater, so your inbox holds less. Lowtide works on obligations. It doesn’t move your mail; it reads what’s addressed to you and lists only what needs you, from email, Slack and your meetings, with the reason it’s there and a reply drafted.
A quieter inbox makes the important email easier to see, but it doesn’t tell you which of it you still owe someone an answer on. That list is what Lowtide keeps.
Which is better for emails nobody answered?
SaneBox puts sent emails without a reply in a SaneNoReplies folder and can remind you about them. Lowtide lists unanswered questions under what you’re waiting on, with a follow-up drafted in the same thread, and does the same for questions you asked in Slack.
How much do they cost?
SaneBox’s plans are $9.49, $15.99 and $42.99 a month, with lower prices billed yearly or every two years. Lowtide is free while it’s in early access.
Can you use both?
Yes, and they fit together: SaneBox keeps the noise out of the inbox, and Lowtide keeps the list of what you owe. Lowtide reads mail addressed to you wherever SaneBox files it.
Choose Lowtide if
- Your mail is manageable, but replies and follow-ups still slip.
- Slack and meetings are where much of what you owe comes from.
- You want each reply and follow-up drafted for you.
Choose SaneBox if
- Your inbox gets too much mail, and most of it doesn’t need you.
- You use Outlook, iCloud or any other provider, or want it to work in any email app.
- You want an inexpensive, long-established service.
Questions people ask
Is Lowtide a SaneBox alternative?
Partly. If you used SaneBox mainly for SaneNoReplies, Lowtide covers that and drafts the follow-up. If you use it to keep newsletters and low-priority mail out of your inbox, Lowtide doesn’t do that; it leaves your inbox as it is.
Does Lowtide move or delete my email?
No. Lowtide never changes labels or deletes anything in Gmail.
Sources
What this page says about SaneBox 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.