# Gmail vs Polymail

The clearest difference is rating: Gmail at 4.7 against Polymail's 3.9. Gmail also leads on ratings volume (2.5M vs 86) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). Polymail's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Gmail sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Polymail asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gmail holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gmail has 2.5M ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Gmail's written reviews are positive against 63% of Polymail's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Gmail ships an update weekly, Polymail fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gmail | Polymail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480/reviews)** | [3.9 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polymail-email-inbox/id1082058386/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5M** | 86 |
| Positive reviews | 29.6% of reviews | **62.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 721 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Polymail, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082058385) |

## What reviewers say

### Gmail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Productivity, #5 Top Free · Productivity, #26 Top Grossing, #33 Top Free (US App Store)

This application provides a secure and efficient email experience with advanced features like spam blocking, smart replies, and multi-account support. It integrates with other Google services for enhanced productivity and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Robust security & spam blocking, Real-time notifications, Multiple account support, Smart Reply & Compose, Undo send, Google Chat & Meet integration, Threaded conversations

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $1.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 200 GB | $2.99 | per month |
| 2 TB | $9.99 | per month |
| Google AI Plus (2 TB) | $9.99 | per month |
| 100 GB | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient email management
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 😊 Positive user experience overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💡 Lacking advanced features
- 🔒 Security concerns
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working properly
- Emails disappearing from inbox
- Inability to remove accounts
- Conversation view issues

**Requested features**

- Swipe to delete/snooze emails
- Ability to mark all emails as read
- Customizable notification settings
- Improved file attachment functionality


### Polymail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polymail-email-inbox/id1082058386)

This app acts as an email command center for professionals, offering features like real-time open tracking, scheduled sends, and message snoozing. It helps users manage their inbox efficiently for sales, fundraising, and deal-making.

**Highlights:** Real-time open tracking, Scheduled email sends, Snooze messages, Swipe actions for organization, Contact data and social context, Templates and reminders, Attachment and click tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 📨 Reliable email tracking and notifications
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 👍 Helpful features like send later and read later
- 💻 Seamless sync between mobile and desktop apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable sync between devices
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and email loading issues
- 💰 Expensive paid plans compared to alternatives
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Unread email count not syncing properly
- Deleted emails reappearing in inbox
- Issues with email attachments and formatting

**Requested features**

- Customizable email templates
- Advanced email organization tools (e.g. flags, categories)
- Support for more email providers (IMAP, Exchange, etc.)
- Improved mobile app stability and performance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gmail free?

Gmail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Polymail free?

Polymail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gmail or Polymail?

Gmail is rated higher. Gmail averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5M ratings, while Polymail averages 3.9 from 86 ratings.

### Do Gmail or Polymail have ads?

Gmail shows ads; Polymail does not.

### Which is updated more often, Gmail or Polymail?

Gmail ships an update weekly, and Polymail fortnightly. Most recently, Gmail was updated on November 1, 2026 and Polymail on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*