ChatInbox vs OptMsg
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChatInbox
This app reimagines your email by organizing it around people, not dates. View all conversations with a contact in a chat-style format, making it easy to find past messages and attachments. It supports multiple email accounts and devices, offering a streamlined inbox experience.
- Contact-centered inbox
- All accounts in one inbox
- Smart contact grouping
- Attachments by person
- Calendar view
- Email reminders
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In a traditional inbox, emails from the people who matter most get buried under everything else. ChatInbox puts people first — grouping every message by contact, so each person's conversation is always one tap away. Tap a contact. See everything you've ever exchanged — messages, attachments, history — all in one clean, chat-style view. No more hunting through a chronological pile of unread mail to find that one message from your client, your accountant, or your kid's school. If you've ever wished email worked like iMessage — but for every account, every provider, all in one place — ChatInbox is what you've been looking for. CONTACT-CENTERED INBOX Every email is grouped by sender. Your contact list shows the most recent conversation first, each person appearing only once. Open a contact to see your full history, displayed as a natural back-and-forth conversation. UNIFIED ACCOUNTS Connect Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, and any IMAP account. All your email, all your contacts, one inbox — synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. SMART CONTACT GROUPING ChatInbox automatically groups related contacts — airlines, hotels, online shopping, subscriptions — so you can manage entire categories of email at once. CALENDAR EMAIL FILTER Browse your inbox by date using the built-in calendar view. Find any message from any day without searching. VISUAL ORGANIZATION Tag and organize emails on a Kanban board. Track what needs attention, what's waiting for a reply, and what's done. REMINDERS & NOTIFICATIONS Set custom reminders on any email. Get notified about messages that matter and let the rest wait. MARKDOWN COMPOSER Write polished emails with built-in Markdown formatting. Style text clearly without wrestling with toolbars. PRIVACY FIRST Your emails stay on your devices. ChatInbox connects directly to your mail servers — no third-party servers, no data mining, no tracking. Previously used Unibox and miss email grouped by sender? ChatInbox carries that vision forward — rebuilt from the ground up for modern Apple platforms, with features Unibox never had. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
OptMsg
This email app offers unparalleled privacy and security with 100% inbox control. Only approved senders can reach you, and all messages are fully encrypted. Enjoy a distraction-free, password-free experience with no ads or data tracking.
- 100% inbox control with approved senders
- Password-free authentication via Passkeys
- End-to-end encryption for secure messaging
- No ads, no tracking, no data mining
- Auto-delete trash after 30 days
- Community recommendations for new senders
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OptMsg: Private, Secure, and Simple Email Messaging Take full control of your inbox with OptMsg, the only email service that ensures zero unwanted emails—only messages from senders you approve. In a world where hackers and AI-driven threats are everywhere, OptMsg provides unmatched privacy, security, and control over your communication. 100% Inbox Control • Only approved senders can reach you—no spam, ever. • Easily grant or revoke access to your inbox. • Auto-delete trash after 30 days—no clutter, no wasted space. Private Always • Fully encrypted for secure messaging between OptMsg users. • No tracking, no data mining—your emails are your business, not ours. • Absolutely zero ads—just a clean, distraction-free experience. Security First • No Passwords – protect your inbox and your other online accounts • Uses Passkeys for seamless, password-free authentication • Cutting-edge encryption protects your data from cyber threats. Simple by Design • Clean, intuitive design for effortless email management. • No complicated settings—just straightforward, secure communication. • Reliable performance to keep your inbox running smoothly. Other Key Features • A new clean, @optmsg.com email address others can trust • Send and receive emails and attachments with ease • Keep your inbox tidy and clean with tags and simple swipe-gestures • Receive important notifications • Manage your contacts • Use Community Recommendations to identify new senders of interest • Make OptMsg your default email app We’re constantly innovating to bring you new features and help you stay ahead of email security threats, ensuring you’re always protected. Join the OptMsg Revolution! Your Inbox. Your Rules. Download now & take control of your inbox!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: OptMsg at 5.0 against ChatInbox's 4.4. OptMsg also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). ChatInbox's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (29 vs 5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. ChatInbox sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OptMsg asks for nothing beyond the download.
OptMsg holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChatInbox has 29 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
ChatInbox ships an update every 5 days, OptMsg monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChatInbox | OptMsg |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (29 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 61.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 29 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Innovatism LLC | OptMsg, LLC |
Customer experience
ChatInbox
OptMsg
In-app purchases
ChatInbox
- Premium Monthly14 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly14 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium Lifetime$24.99
OptMsg
No in-app purchases









