Leaving the Gmail app on Android came with major wins, but I had to accept a few trade-offs

I try to spend as little time in my email account as possible. I take a brutal approach to filtering emails; 90% of what I receive goes to the trash.

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However, I started wondering whether my reluctance to open my inbox had more to do with the Gmail app.

I've used a few email services over the years, but I've stuck with Gmail as it's the simplest way to filter out important emails.

But when I tried to leave, I realized that while an alternative email app felt like a breath of fresh air, I was missing out on core features.

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By  Rahul Naskar

Choosing an alternative to Gmail is straightforward

Look for the app with minimal AI features

The biggest reason I switched from Gmail was the Gemini integration. While I didn't mind the Gemini button in Gmail's search bar, I couldn't stand how it automatically summarized my emails.

These summaries are at best useless and at worst incorrect. I can't rely on them, so why am I looking at them?

Then there were the suggested replies. I hate the idea of people sending me AI-generated emails, so why would I subject them to the same?

These features can be handy for those juggling hundreds of incoming emails a day, but I don't handle that many. I just want to check my inbox, send off a few replies, and consign everything else to the trash.

So choosing an alternative was simple. An email client with no AI.

I settled on two alternatives: Thunderbird and Proton Mail.

I've started using Firefox more because it's better than the Chrome app, so returning to the email client felt like the natural next step.

Proton has consistently impressed me with its ecosystem, and I've used its tools alongside Google's for months. But I don't enjoy juggling multiple apps, so I haven't switched to Proton Mail.

Both services are brilliant, but they come with their own unfortunate trade-offs.

Thunderbird is free of AI bloat, but I hate its desktop app

I have to use it on my phone

The Thunderbird app is my favorite email app. It feels like what Gmail should be. No bloat, no AI tools, just a clean interface for my emails.

Beyond the cleaner UI, I also noticed the app loaded my emails faster. I suspect this is because Thunderbird downloads and indexes emails locally by default. There's less back-and-forth with servers, so emails load faster.

Then there are the features, or lack thereof. No AI tools means no slow loading circles.

Overall, Thunderbird is faster and cleaner than Gmail. So what's the catch?

I miss Gmail's Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, and Forums inboxes. I love being able to purge all promotions or updates with a tap without worrying about deleting crucial information.

Thunderbird throws everything into one folder; I have to spend more time sorting through individual messages.

The other catch is the desktop app. Thunderbird isn't available in browsers, so I can't access it that way.

Instead, I have to download the email client, which feels dated. Unlike the Android app, which is minimalist in the best way, the desktop app is cluttered with tabs, extra windows, and a font so small I have to squint.

Yes, Thunderbird beats Gmail on Android, but on desktop it doesn't compare.

Proton Mail is the closest experience to Gmail

A full ecosystem, but it locks useful features behind a subscription

Proton has made a colossal effort in recent years to deliver an app ecosystem on par with Google's. For anyone looking to quit Google's apps, it's the obvious alternative.

Unlike Thunderbird, Proton Mail is accessible in a browser. Unlike Thunderbird's desktop app, Proton Mail is clutter-free.

Proton Mail feels like a streamlined Gmail client. The UI looks similar and has a similar set of inbox categories.

It has a Gemini-like AI assistant called Lumo, but it's locked behind Proton's premium subscription; free users don't get AI.

I often say I would pay to never interact with AI assistants, so I find Proton's approach heartwarmingly ironic.

But therein lies the catch. Proton constantly exhausts me with its attempts to make me subscribe. Google locks some features behind a Google One subscription, but Proton takes a more aggressive approach.

The biggest trade-off is convenience

Thunderbird's poor desktop client and Proton's aggressive pricing are frustrating, but one overshadows them both.

Abandoning Gmail feels like abandoning the entire ecosystem. It's integrated so tightly into other Google apps that I've had to rethink my calendar, notes, and storage apps.

But overall, it's worth it to be free from Gemini and to use an email client that doesn't annoy me at every click.