Superhuman

Superhuman was founded in 2014 by Rahul Vohra, the same mind behind Rapportive (which was famously acquired by LinkedIn). Rahul’s obsession with the psychology of productivity and "game design" is what gave Superhuman its unique feel. He didn't want to build a utility; he wanted to build an experience that people actually enjoyed using. In 2025, the company made headlines when it was announced that Grammarly would acquire Superhuman to further accelerate the future of AI-driven work.

Despite the acquisition, the core team remains focused on their mission of "unlocking human potential." They are headquartered in San Francisco and backed by elite venture firms like Andreessen Horowitz. The company has maintained its premium brand by focusing on "Product-Market Fit" through a legendary onboarding process—every new user used to get a 1-on-1 coaching session to ensure they mastered the shortcuts, a level of service practically unheard of in consumer software.

Superhuman is for the Executive, Founder, and High-Performing Professional who receives over 100 emails a day. If your inbox feels like a "to-do list that other people write for you," Superhuman is the antidote. It is for the person who values their time above all else and understands that saving 3-4 hours a week is worth a $30 monthly investment.

It is also a favorite for Sales Teams and Customer Success Managers. Features like "Read Receipts" and "Recent Opens" allow them to time their follow-ups perfectly, while "Snippets" (templated responses) allow them to answer common questions in seconds. In 2026, it has become the tool of choice for AI-First Startups who need their email client to act as an assistant, summarizing long project threads and drafting meeting agendas automatically.

Superhuman is a masterclass in Speed and Automation. Its primary function is to help you reach "Inbox Zero" every day. The Split Inbox feature is its secret weapon; it uses AI to triage incoming mail so your "Important" tab is truly only for the people who matter. When you open a message, Superhuman gives you a 1-line summary at the top, allowing you to skip reading the fluff and get straight to the action items.

The Command Center (Cmd+K) is where the real power lies. You can snooze an email for "Friday at 9am," move a lead to a specific folder, or add a person to your calendar—all without your hands ever leaving the home row of your keyboard. In 2026, the Ask AI feature allows you to query your own inbox like a database. You can ask "What was the final price we agreed on with the designer?" and the AI will scan your history and give you the answer instantly.

• • Instant Reply: AI-generated drafts appear the moment you open an email, tailored to the context of the conversation.
• • Scheduling: Instantly turn an email into a calendar event with one tap, including location and attendee detection.
• • Undo Send: A lifesaver for that split second when you realize you forgot an attachment or made a typo.

Superhuman's pricing is unapologetically premium. In 2026, they have simplified their model into three tiers: Starter, Business, and Enterprise. The Starter Plan costs $30 per month (or $25 per month if billed annually). This is the standard choice for individuals and small teams, giving you full access to the AI and speed architecture.

For teams larger than five, the Business Plan at $40 per month adds "Team Collaboration" features like shared snippets and auto-labeling for specific clients. The Enterprise Plan is a custom quote for large deployments and includes advanced security like Single Sign-On (SSO) and a dedicated Customer Success Manager. While there is no "Free" version, they do offer a highly discounted rate of $10 per month for students and teachers, maintaining their commitment to the next generation of professionals.

The most important thing to pay attention to is the Keyboard-First Philosophy. If you aren't willing to spend the first 3-4 days learning the shortcuts, Superhuman will just feel like a very expensive version of Gmail. It is a tool that rewards the "power user." You should also be aware of the Privacy Implications of read receipts; while you can see when others open your mail, many people find this invasive, and modern security tools are increasingly blocking these tracking pixels.

Lastly, remember that Superhuman is NOT its own email provider. It is a "skin" that sits on top of your existing Google or Microsoft account. If your company uses a different provider (like Zoho or a custom IMAP server), you currently cannot use Superhuman. Make sure your ecosystem is compatible before committing to the subscription.

If $30 a month feels like too much for an email client, there are great alternatives in 2026. Shortwave is the most direct rival—founded by former Google engineers, it offers a very similar "bundle and search" experience with AI features starting at a much lower price point (~$7/mo). Spark Mail is another fantastic choice, especially for teams who want to comment on emails privately before replying.

• • Canary Mail: The best alternative for security-conscious users who want PGP encryption and AI drafts for a one-time fee or low monthly cost.
• • Notion Mail: A newer entrant in 2026 that integrates your inbox directly with your Notion workspace—perfect for those who live in docs.
• • Missive: The gold standard for teams that need to chat about emails and assign threads like support tickets.

• Does Superhuman use my data to train AI? No. In 2026, Superhuman has a strict "Zero Day Data Retention" policy. Your emails are not used to train global AI models, and your data ownership remains completely with you.

• Can I use it on my Android phone? Yes! While Superhuman was iOS-only for a long time, they launched a native Android app that provides the same lightning-fast experience as the desktop version.

• How much time does it actually save? On average, active users report saving over 4 hours per week. This is achieved through a combination of faster loading, keyboard shortcuts, and AI drafting.

• What is "Command-K"? Command-K (or Ctrl-K on Windows) is the universal shortcut that opens the 'Command Center.' From here, you can do anything in the app without using your mouse.