Lowtide vs Superhuman: keep your inbox, get a list of what you owe
Updated
Short answer: If you want to stop dropping replies without switching email apps, Lowtide is the better choice: you keep Gmail and get one list in your Mac’s menu bar of what you owe people across email, Slack and your meetings, each with a draft in your voice, free during early access. Superhuman is the better fit if you want to replace your email app with a faster one on every device, or you use Outlook.
At a glance
| Lowtide | Superhuman | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac menu bar app that keeps one list of what you owe people across your tools | A fast email client with built-in AI |
| Works with | Gmail and Google Calendar (several accounts), Slack, Granola, GitHub, Linear, Claude Code and Codex | Gmail or Outlook |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 26 or later) | Mac, Windows, web, iPhone and Android |
| Price | Free during early access | Starter $30 a month ($25 billed annually); Business $40 ($33 billed annually) |
| Emails that need a reply | Yes: emails and Slack messages that need you, ranked, each with the reason it’s there | Yes: Split Inbox and an automatic Respond label |
| Emails nobody answered | Yes: questions you asked by email or Slack that nobody answered come back with a nudge drafted | Yes: Auto Reminders bring them back; Auto Drafts writes the follow-up (Business) |
| Promises from meetings | Yes: what you promised, read from Granola notes or the recap Zoom, Google Meet, Fathom, Fireflies or Otter emails you | Not in Superhuman Mail |
| Slack | Yes: messages that need your reply, and questions you asked that nobody answered | Not in Superhuman Mail; Superhuman Go, a separate assistant, connects to Slack |
| Drafts in your voice | Yes: learns from your sent mail and from the changes you make | Yes |
| Sends on its own | Never on its own; every send has an 8-second Undo | Mail’s drafts wait for you |
What’s the difference between Lowtide and Superhuman?
Superhuman replaces your email app: you read, triage and answer all your mail in it, fast, with keyboard shortcuts and AI throughout. Lowtide doesn’t replace anything. You keep Gmail, and Lowtide tells you what in it needs you, alongside the Slack messages that need you and what you promised in meetings, in one list in the menu bar.
If email is most of your day and you want to get through it faster, Superhuman is built for that. If what slips is the one reply that matters, the question nobody answered, or the thing you said you’d send after a call, Lowtide is built for that.
Which is better for following up on emails nobody answered?
Both bring them back and both can draft the follow-up; in Superhuman, drafted follow-ups come with the Business plan. Lowtide also catches questions you asked in Slack, and when you asked for something by a date, it waits until the day after it before suggesting a nudge.
What about Slack and meetings?
Superhuman Mail is about email. Lowtide puts Slack messages that need your reply in the same list as email, and reads your meeting notes (Granola, or the recap Zoom, Google Meet, Fathom, Fireflies or Otter emails you) for what you promised, so “I’ll send the deck by Thursday” becomes a card with a due date and an email draft.
How much do they cost?
Superhuman Mail starts at $30 a month, or $25 a month billed annually; Business, which adds Auto Drafts, is $40, or $33 billed annually. Lowtide is free while it’s in early access.
Can you use both?
Yes, if your Superhuman account is on Gmail: Lowtide reads Gmail directly, so it sees what you do in Superhuman, and closes a card when you’ve replied there.
Choose Lowtide if
- You’d rather keep Gmail as it is.
- What slips for you is spread across email, Slack and meetings.
- You want promises from your meeting notes to become reminders with drafts.
- You want something free to try today on your Mac.
Choose Superhuman if
- You want a faster email app and you’re ready to switch.
- You use Outlook, Windows, or want the same app on your phone.
- Email is most of your work and you want to get through all of it, not just what needs you.
Questions people ask
Is Lowtide a Superhuman alternative?
It’s an alternative to switching email apps. If you’re looking at Superhuman because replies and follow-ups slip, Lowtide solves that while you keep Gmail. If you want a new email app, Superhuman, Shortwave or Spark are the ones to compare.
Does Lowtide work alongside Superhuman?
Yes, with a Gmail account: Lowtide sees replies you send from Superhuman and closes those cards.
Does Lowtide have an iPhone app?
Not yet. Lowtide is a Mac app, in the menu bar and in a window.
Sources
What this page says about Superhuman 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.