HEY vs Inbox3: A New Email Philosophy or AI That Learns Yours?
A detailed comparison of two different approaches to email management — updated for 2026.
What is HEY?
Email reimagined by the creators of Basecamp
HEY is a complete email service from 37signals (makers of Basecamp) that reimagines how email should work. It replaces Gmail entirely with its own email address (@hey.com) and introduces concepts like The Imbox, The Feed, and The Paper Trail.
HEY's philosophy is opinionated: senders need your permission before they can email you, attachments are browseable separately, and there's no built-in calendar. It's a ground-up rethink of what email could be.
At $99/year, HEY is a commitment to a completely different way of handling email — including a new email address.
What is Inbox3?
AI-curated email digest
Inbox3 is an AI-powered email digest that connects to your Gmail (read-only) and scans your inbox each morning. Instead of showing you everything, it surfaces just the 3–10 emails that genuinely need your attention — ranked by urgency, sender importance, and your personal patterns.
It's not a new email client. Your Gmail stays untouched. Inbox3 is an additive layer: a morning briefing that tells you what matters so you can skip the scroll and start your day with clarity.
Feature Comparison
Pricing
Inbox3
Free / $8/mo
Free plan with 3 items. Pro unlocks up to 10 items, unlimited drafts, sender intelligence.
HEY
$99/yr (~$8.25/mo)
30-day free trial
Who Should Choose HEY?
HEY is ideal for people who want a complete email reset — a new address, a new philosophy, a new way of thinking about communication. If you're willing to migrate and embrace an opinionated system, HEY is refreshing.
Who Should Choose Inbox3?
Inbox3 is ideal if you want to keep your existing Gmail but make it smarter. No migration, no new email address, no philosophical commitment — just an AI layer that tells you what matters each morning.
The Bottom Line
HEY reinvents email from scratch. Inbox3 makes your existing email work better. HEY requires you to change everything — your address, your habits, your workflow. Inbox3 changes nothing except how you start your morning.
If you're ready for a complete email overhaul and love opinionated software, HEY is excellent. If you want your Gmail to be smarter without touching anything, Inbox3 is the lighter, AI-first approach.
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