How popular isApple Mail?
In September 2026, people searched for Apple Mail by name about 135,000 times worldwide, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 9.2% of all global email client searches, placing Apple Mail second out of eight clients. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about email clients, Apple Mail appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the eight.
Apple Mail is the second most searched of 8 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.
Microsoft OutlookShare of searches 83.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
Apple MailShare of searches 9.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
SparkShare of searches 2.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
ThunderbirdShare of searches 2%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
SuperhumanShare of searches 1.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
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Top email clients in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Apple Mail appeared in all five answers. Apple Mail is the second most recommended of the eight.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Microsoft Outlook1st
- Apple Mail2nd
- Thunderbird3rd
- Spark4th
Proton Mail5th- Superhuman6th
Airmail–
Newton–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Microsoft Outlook5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Mail5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Spark4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Thunderbird4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Superhuman3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Proton Mail3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Airmail0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Newton0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about email clients
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which email client should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best email clients?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best email client for daily email management?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“email client”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best email app”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Which email clients compete with Apple Mail?
Share of searches by month for Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, Spark. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Microsoft Outlook | Apple Mail | Spark | Thunderbird | Superhuman | Airmail | Newton | Proton Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 86.7% | 7.8% | 1.3% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 84.8% | 9.3% | 1.3% | 2% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.06% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 81.6% | 11% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 0.11% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 84.1% | 9.2% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.06% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 86.4% | 7.8% | 0.85% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.06% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 85.7% | 7.7% | 1% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 0.85% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 84.4% | 7.6% | 1.3% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.11% | 0.01% |
| May 2026 | 84.9% | 7.7% | 1.3% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 0.85% | 0.05% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 85.1% | 7.7% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.25% | 0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 83.5% | 9.2% | 1.5% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1% | 0.08% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 83.8% | 9.3% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 83.1% | 9.2% | 2.8% | 2% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 83.1% | 1.2M | 0% | -0.7 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 9.2% | 135K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 3, moved from 5th to 3rd | 2.8% | 40.5K | +82.4% | +1.2 pointsmoved from 5th to 3rd | |
| 4, moved from 3rd to 4th | 2% | 29.1K | -18% | -0.5 pointsmoved from 3rd to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 1.8% | 27K | +13.1% | +0.2 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, held 6th | 1% | 14.9K | -18.2% | -0.2 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.05% | 720 | 0% | 0 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 0.02% | 320 | +23.1% | 0 points |
83.1%
Held 1st. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.
9.2%
Held 2nd. 135K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
3.
Spark2.8%
Moved from 5th to 3rd. 40.5K estimated branded searches, +82.4% vs prior month. Share +1.2 points.
2%
Moved from 3rd to 4th. 29.1K estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
1.8%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 27K estimated branded searches, +13.1% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
6.
Airmail1%
Held 6th. 14.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
7.
Newton0.05%
Held 7th. 720 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.02%
Held 8th. 320 estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Proton Mail sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “email proton mail”.
Compare popularity between Apple Mail and its closest rivals
Every comparison with Apple Mail
7 comparisons
How has branded search demand for Apple Mail changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Apple Mail worldwide fell from 165K to 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple Mail’s share of searches among email clients worldwide increased from 7.8% to 9.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple Mail’s share of searches among email clients worldwide peaked at 11% in December 2025 and was lowest at 7.6% in April 2026.
How did search popularity change for email clients worldwide in September 2026?
6 changes
In September 2026, Spark overtook Thunderbird and Superhuman to rank 3rd among email clients worldwide, with 2.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Microsoft Outlook lost share of searches among email clients worldwide, from 83.8% to 83.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Proton Mail worldwide rose 128.6% over 12 measured months, from 140 to 320 in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Superhuman worldwide rose 15.6% over 12 measured months, from 23.4K to 27K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Airmail worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 22.3K to 14.9K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Thunderbird worldwide fell 30% over 12 measured months, from 41.6K to 29.1K in September 2026.
How are Apple Mail’s branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apple Mail’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- apple mail
Who owns Apple Mail?
Apple Mail is owned by Apple. Brandwave also tracks Pixelmator, Apple AirPods, Apple AirTag, Apple Books, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple MacBook, Apple MagSafe, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Passwords, Apple Podcasts, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Apple Reminders, Apple Screen Time, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch, FaceTime, Final Cut Pro, Find My, GarageBand, 
iCloud, iMovie, iWork, Keynote, Logic Pro, Mac mini, Safari and 
Xcode Cloud, owned by the same company, worldwide.
Do you work for Apple Mail? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Is Apple Mail your brand?
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