Pigeon vs Gmail.
Pigeon does not replace your Gmail account. It replaces the browser tab you read it in.
Gmail's website is free and its search is strong, and the account behind it is not going anywhere. Pigeon is a native Mac app on top of the same account: instant local search, Microsoft 365 alongside it, your mail on your Mac, and Claude for drafting.
Side by side
| Pigeon | Gmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $69 a year or $8 a month. Free for 14 days first | Free, with 15 GB shared across Google services |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 26 or later) | Web, iPhone and Android. No official Mac app |
| Mailboxes it connects | Gmail and Microsoft 365, together in one inbox | Gmail. It can fetch some other accounts |
| Where your mail lives | On your Mac. Mail comes straight from Google or Microsoft, with no Pigeon server in between | Google's servers, since that is the mailbox itself |
| Search | Keywords and meaning together, with filters for sender, date and attachments. Answers as you type, newest first | Server-side and strong |
| Search offline | Yes. The whole index is on your Mac | Only if you set up Gmail Offline in Chrome |
| Works with Claude | Yes. Ask Claude to find mail or draft a reply, and the draft opens in Pigeon for you to send | Gemini, with some features on paid plans |
| Blocks tracking pixels | Yes, and remote images are off until you choose to load them for a message | Google loads images through its proxy by default |
We make Pigeon, so read this with that in mind. Details about Gmail were checked in September 2026; they change, so check Gmail's own site before you decide.
Where Pigeon pulls ahead
An app, not a tab
Pigeon has a real Mac window, real shortcuts, banners, a Dock badge and a reader made for long messages. Gmail is a web page that competes with forty other tabs.
One inbox for Gmail and Microsoft 365
Gmail cannot show a Microsoft 365 mailbox. Pigeon puts both in one list and one search.
A copy on your Mac
Your whole mailbox is indexed on your Mac. Search works on a plane, and does not wait on a connection.
Claude, with the draft in your hands
Ask Claude to reply, and the draft opens in Pigeon for you to check. Gemini in Gmail is Google's model reading your mail on Google's servers.
Fair is fair
What Gmail does well
- It is free and works on every device.
- Google's search and spam filtering are excellent.
- It is the full Gmail feature set with no lag behind Google's changes.
Stay with Gmail if
- You read mail on many computers you do not control.
- You want zero software installed.
- You are on Windows or Linux.
Questions
Is there a Gmail app for Mac?
Google does not make one. Pigeon is a native Mac app that works with your Gmail account.
Will my Gmail labels still work in Pigeon?
Yes. Gmail's labels appear as labels and can be applied to whole conversations.
Does Pigeon change my Gmail account?
No. Reading, labelling and moving mail in Pigeon happens in your Gmail account, so other apps see the same thing.
Try Pigeon next to Gmail
$69 a year, every feature, and your money back within 30 days.