# Gmail vs Mail Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mail Notes at 75% against Gmail's 29%. Mail Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Gmail's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, in-app purchases, 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 and Mail Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Gmail holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gmail has 2.4M ratings behind it against 106, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Gmail's written reviews are positive against 75% of Mail Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Gmail ships an update weekly, Mail Notes every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gmail | Mail Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.4M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gmail-email-by-google/id422689480/reviews)** | [4.3 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mail-notes/id1098293355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4M** | 106 |
| Positive reviews | 29.3% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 719 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [Tech Positive](https://appshunter.io/developer/580207852) |

## 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, #17 Top Grossing, #19 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


### Mail Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mail-notes/id1098293355)

Quickly send emails to yourself for reminders and notes. This app streamlines the process to under a second, allowing for easy email address switching, direct sharing from browsers, and even sending notes via an Apple Watch app. It offers features like labeling, history, and subject prefixes for efficient organization.

**Highlights:** Email under 1 second, Share widget for browser links, Apple Watch app for on-the-go emails, Label emails with icons, Sent email history, Optional subject prefix, Paste clipboard contents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $2.99 | per month |
| All Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlock Pro Version | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gmail free?

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

### Is Mail Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gmail or Mail Notes?

Gmail is rated higher. Gmail averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4M ratings, while Mail Notes averages 4.3 from 106 ratings.

### Do Gmail or Mail Notes have ads?

Gmail shows ads; Mail Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Gmail or Mail Notes?

Gmail ships an update weekly, and Mail Notes every 4 months. Most recently, Gmail was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mail Notes on September 2, 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.*