MXDeck vs Mimestream
This one is short, because the two apps barely overlap. Mimestream is a native Mac email client for Gmail and Google Workspace, and only for them. MXDeck is a native Mac client for IMAP and SMTP mailboxes on your own domains and servers. Which one you want depends on where your mail lives.
Facts about Mimestream are as of November 2026 and link to Mimestream’s own pages in the sources. MXDeck is in development; nothing below says it is out.
Pick Mimestream if
- All your domains are on Google Workspace. Mimestream talks to the Gmail API directly, so Gmail features such as server-side filters work natively. That is something an IMAP client, MXDeck included, cannot fully match.
- You want a native Mac app today. Mimestream ships now, with a 14-day trial, and has an iPhone and iPad version in beta. MXDeck is still in development and has no iPhone app.
- You want Gmail filters on the Mac. Mimestream lets you manage Gmail’s server-side filters from the app. MXDeck has no rules.
- You like its privacy model. Mimestream says it stores your data and tokens only on your device and connects to the Gmail API with no sync service in between. On this point the two apps think alike.
Pick MXDeck if
- Your mailboxes are not on Google. If your contact@ boxes sit on cPanel, Plesk, ISPmanager, Fastmail or your own server, Mimestream cannot add them. MXDeck is built for exactly that: any IMAP and SMTP server.
- You have 10 to 30 mailboxes. Import them from one YAML or JSON file; each mailbox is verified as it is added.
- You reply from many domains. Every message has a coloured tag for its mailbox, and a reply always goes out from the mailbox the mail arrived in.
- You want to know when a domain’s mail breaks. MXDeck grades every domain A to F on MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS, blacklists and reverse DNS, shows how to fix it, and notifies you when a grade drops. That works for Google Workspace domains too.
- You want a quiet client. Passwords live only in the macOS Keychain. No analytics; network only to your mail servers and api.mxdeck.com for DNS checks. The code will be published under the FSL licence.
MXDeck is still being built. Threads, undo send, macOS notifications and a menu bar icon are in. Send later, Remind me and drafts synced to the server’s Drafts folder are coming. Gmail works only with an app password; there is no Google sign-in yet, and no Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com.
Feature by feature
| Feature | MXDeck | Mimestream |
|---|---|---|
| Status | In development, beta for the waitlist first | Shipping on Mac; iPhone and iPad in beta |
| Price | Free up to 3 domains; paid plans from $6/month (planned) | $4.99/month or $49.99/year, 14-day free trial |
| Gmail and Google Workspace | Partial with an app password, no Google sign-in yet | Yes via the Gmail API |
| IMAP / SMTP mailboxes (cPanel, Plesk, own server) | Yes | No |
| Microsoft 365 / Outlook.com | No needs OAuth sign-in, not built yet | No |
| Native Mac app | Yes | Yes macOS 12 or newer |
| Several accounts in one app | Yes | Yes Google accounts only |
| Bulk import of mailboxes from a file | Yes YAML/JSON, each mailbox verified | No |
| Domain mail-health grade (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, TLS, blacklists) | Yes A–F grade, alert when it drops | No |
| Undo send | Yes | Yes |
| Snooze / remind me | Coming | Yes Snooze |
| Filters | No left to your server | Yes manages Gmail’s server-side filters |
| Where your mail goes | Direct to your mail servers; only DNS checks via api.mxdeck.com | Direct to the Gmail API; data and tokens stored on your device |
“No” means we did not find the feature in the vendor’s official documentation as of November 2026. “Coming” means it is being built for MXDeck and is not in the app yet.
A split that works
Many people with lots of domains have both kinds: a few on Google Workspace for clients who wanted it, and a long tail on a cheap server with a control panel. Mimestream for the first group and MXDeck for the second is a fine setup. If your Workspace domains need checking, our Google Workspace SPF, DKIM and DMARC guide lists the exact records, and the free mail health checker grades any domain today.
See also how to manage email for many domains and the other comparisons.
Questions
Does Mimestream work with IMAP or my own mail server?
No. Mimestream’s help page says it currently supports only Google (Gmail) accounts, personal and Google Workspace. It asks users who want IMAP, Outlook or JMAP to vote on its roadmap.
Is Mimestream better than MXDeck for Gmail?
Yes. It uses the Gmail API, so Gmail features such as server-side filters work natively. MXDeck reaches Gmail only over IMAP with an app password.
Can I use Mimestream and MXDeck together?
Yes, and it is a sensible split: Mimestream for your Google Workspace domains, MXDeck for the mailboxes on your own servers.
Is MXDeck available now?
Not yet. The Mac app is in development and the waitlist gets the beta first.
Sources
Checked in November 2026.
- Mimestream: Supported accounts (Google accounts only)
- Mimestream: home page (Gmail API, macOS 12 or newer, on-device storage, filters, Snooze, Undo Send, iPhone and iPad beta)
- Mimestream: Pricing ($4.99/month or $49.99/year, 14-day trial)
One Mac inbox for all your domains. MXDeck is in development. Join the waitlist and get the beta first.
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