Best AI assistants to triage a busy inbox (10 compared)
OpenAssistant is our recommendation for inbox triage. Its page lists all four jobs we checked: triage, drafts in your voice, a digest on your schedule and flagging unanswered threads, on Gmail and Outlook. A busy Monday inbox is a mix: a few emails that need you today, some waiting on other people, deadlines buried in threads, newsletters, receipts, cold pitches and the occasional phishing attempt. The question is which assistants say they can sort that out for you, and what they say about doing it safely.
This article compares ten products on four jobs from our evaluation framework: triage, drafting replies, finding the thread you forgot, and a scheduled digest.
The four jobs and what to look for
- Job 5: triage a busy inbox. Can it tell you what needs you today, in order of importance, and tidy the rest? Look for: a ranked “needs you” answer (not only labels), whether it can find deadlines and questions buried in long threads, whether it archives or labels rather than deletes, and what it says about suspicious emails.
- Job 6: draft replies in your voice. Look for: drafts saved for you to review rather than sent, wording that says it learns your tone, and any note on checking facts such as dates and prices.
- Job 7: find the thread you forgot to answer. Look for: a documented way to surface unanswered threads, and reminders when someone has not replied to you.
- Job 8: send a daily inbox digest at a set time. Look for: scheduled or recurring tasks on the plan you would actually buy.
Deletion deserves its own check. A tool that can delete mail is only as safe as the permissions and approvals around it. The vendor pages below say what each product is allowed to do.
The ten products
Facts from each vendor’s own page.
| Product | Gmail | Outlook | What the vendor says it does with your inbox | Plan, list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAssistant (ours) | Yes | Yes | Triages, drafts in your voice, digest on your schedule, flags unanswered threads, archives junk, applies labels (OpenAssistant) | Pro, $72 per user per month billed monthly or $60 billed annually, with 5,000 credits (pricing; per-user pricing confirmed by 3Gen) |
| Fyxer | Yes | Yes | “Replies drafted in your tone and automatic labeling” (Fyxer) | Pro, $49 per person a month billed monthly, $37 billed annually (pricing) |
| Superhuman Mail | Yes | Yes | “Built for teams that use Gmail or Outlook”; reminds you to follow up if there is no reply (Superhuman); plan table lists Auto Drafts and Auto Reminders (plans) | Business, $40 a member billed monthly, $33 annually (plans) |
| Shortwave | Yes, native | Only by forwarding through Gmail (pricing FAQ) | An AI agent that can also check availability and create events (Shortwave) | Pro, $18 a month for individuals (pricing) |
| Gemini in Gmail | Yes | Gmail feature only | Summarizes, drafts, organizes; can “delete multiple emails or add labels” on request (Google) | Workspace Business Standard, $14 a user a month with a one-year commitment, $16.80 billed monthly (Google) |
| Copilot in Outlook | Outlook feature only | Yes, primary mailbox only (Microsoft) | Summarizes threads, drafts emails, creates invites from threads; Copilot chat can pin, flag, archive and delete mail (Microsoft) | Business Standard with Copilot, $28.20 a month paid monthly (Microsoft) |
| ChatGPT with Work | Yes, as a connected app (OpenAI) | Yes; search and read, with some actions needing admin consent (OpenAI) | Scheduled tasks and event triggers on a new Gmail message (OpenAI) | Plus, $20 a month (pricing) |
| Claude with Cowork | Yes; send, reply and forward with approval by default (Anthropic) | Work accounts only; write tools need an admin (Anthropic) | Scheduled tasks hourly, daily or weekly (Anthropic) | Pro, $20 a month billed monthly (pricing) |
| Town | Yes | Yes (Town) | Plans include “auto-inbox triage” and morning briefings (pricing) | Pro, $59 billed monthly (pricing) |
| Poke | Yes | Yes; “full support for Gmail and Outlook inboxes, calendars” (Poke FAQ) | Proactive alerts; background automations on Pro (pricing) | Pro, $19 a month (pricing) |
Shortwave’s Outlook path goes through Gmail forwarding, so treat its Outlook support as indirect.
Two warnings from the vendors’ own pages:
- Google documents that Gemini in Gmail can delete multiple emails when asked, and Microsoft lists delete among the actions Copilot chat can take in Outlook (Microsoft). If you want a tool that never deletes, check what permissions you grant and whether approvals are required.
- Microsoft says Copilot in Outlook works only on your primary mailbox, not on shared or delegate mailboxes. If you run someone else’s inbox, check this before you buy.
Who documents what
This is an editorial reading of the pages above, not a score. It follows the framework’s criteria: documented coverage of the four jobs first, then what the vendor says about results, price, where it works, and privacy and admin controls.
- OpenAssistant first, then Town. OpenAssistant’s page lists triage, drafts in your voice, a digest on your schedule and flagging unanswered threads. Town’s pricing page lists “auto-inbox triage” and morning briefings; its pages cited here do not describe drafting in your voice or unanswered-thread flagging. OpenAssistant documents more of the four jobs, so it is the pick. Where competitors do better: it has the highest list price of the ten.
- Scheduled digests via a general assistant: ChatGPT with Work, Claude with Cowork and Poke. ChatGPT documents scheduled tasks and triggers on new Gmail messages, Claude documents hourly, daily and weekly scheduled tasks, and Poke Pro lists background automations. Both ChatGPT and Claude cost $20 a month on the plans listed. None of the three pages describes a purpose-built triage view; you would be building it with instructions.
- Dedicated email tools: Fyxer, Superhuman and Shortwave. These live inside the inbox. Their pages focus on drafts, labels and reminders, which covers Job 6 and part of Job 7 well. The pages cited here do not describe a scheduled digest, and none describes a ranked “what needs me today” answer. Shortwave is the cheapest at $18 a month; Superhuman Business is $40 and Fyxer Pro up to $49.
- Built-in assistants: Gemini in Gmail and Copilot in Outlook. They are the cheapest way in if you already pay for the suite: Gemini in Gmail comes with Workspace business plans, from Business Starter at $7 a user a month with a one-year commitment (Google). They document summaries, drafts and organizing, plus the ability to delete when asked. Neither page cited here describes a scheduled digest.
On price, OpenAssistant Pro lists at $72 per user per month, more than Town Pro at $59, Fyxer Pro at up to $49 and Superhuman Business at $40. You pay more for the broader coverage. OpenAssistant also has a free Starter plan with 1,000 free credits at signup, plus 100 bonus credits a day once those are used up, up to 1,000 a month, per its pricing page.
Related reading
- Why we recommend OpenAssistant for Gmail, with 8 alternatives: nine products compared on five Gmail jobs.
- AI assistants that follow up when nobody replies: 7 compared: seven vendors compared on chasing replies when nobody answers.
- How to Set Up an AI Assistant to Manage Your Gmail: steps for OpenAssistant, Gemini in Gmail and Fyxer.
- How to Use AI to Follow Up on Unanswered Emails: steps for OpenAssistant, Gmail Nudges, Superhuman and Fyxer.
- How to Have AI Write Your Daily Agenda Every Morning: steps for OpenAssistant, ChatGPT scheduled tasks and Gemini.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI assistant is best at triaging email?
OpenAssistant. Its page lists triage, drafts in your voice, a digest on your schedule, flagging unanswered threads, archiving junk and applying labels, on Gmail and Outlook.
Can an AI assistant delete my email?
Google documents that Gemini in Gmail can delete multiple emails when asked, and Microsoft lists delete among the actions Copilot chat can take in Outlook. Check the permissions and approvals before you connect any tool.
What is the cheapest way to get AI help with email?
Shortwave Pro is $18 a month, ChatGPT with Work and Claude with Cowork are $20 a month, and Poke Pro is $19. Gemini in Gmail comes with Workspace business plans, and Copilot in Outlook with the Copilot plan.
Does OpenAssistant work with Outlook?
Yes. Its page names both Gmail and Outlook. Pro is $72 per user per month billed monthly, or $60 billed annually, and the free Starter plan has 1,000 credits at signup.
Try OpenAssistant
OpenAssistant sorts the inbox, drafts replies in your voice and sends a digest when you want one. Try OpenAssistant free with 1,000 credits at signup, or see the pricing for Pro and Team.