Clean Email alternative
A Clean Email alternative that runs on your machine
Clean Email is a hosted service that connects to your mailbox to clean, group, and unsubscribe. Premail does the same job locally with no cloud component in the middle, lets you bring your own AI key or run a model offline with Ollama, and is free for personal inboxes.
Free for personal inboxes. No account required.
Why people switch to Premail
What you get that Clean Email doesn't offer
No third-party servers in the middle
Clean Email connects to your mailbox from its infrastructure and stores rules and group data on its side. Premail runs entirely on your computer. With Ollama, no message ever touches a third-party server.
Free for personal inboxes
Clean Email is paid from the start, with pricing that scales by mailbox. Premail is free for up to two personal inboxes (gmail.com, icloud.com, outlook.com) with built-in filters, custom rules, and bulk unsubscribe included.
Reads the body, not just the envelope
Clean Email publicly states it only analyzes metadata, not message body content, because its servers see your mail. Premail has no servers, so it can use the full body as a classification signal. That is how a rule like "AI-generated cold pitch" actually works instead of guessing from sender and subject alone.
Side by side
Premail vs Clean Email
Premail
Local desktop app · BYOK AI
Clean Email
Cloud service · Web + mobile
Pricing for personal inboxes
Email metadata stored on a third-party server
Clean Email stores group data and rules in the cloud so they can run on its servers.
Uses email body content as a classification signal
Clean Email publicly states it does not analyze message bodies. Premail can, because nothing leaves your machine (or, with BYOK, only goes to the model you chose).
AI runs on your computer (optional Ollama)
Bring-your-own AI key (Anthropic, OpenAI)
Bulk unsubscribe
Smart folders / auto-groups
Premail groups subscriptions by sender and offers organizers for Commerce, Shipping, Travel, Security, Finance.
Auto-clean rules for incoming mail
Plain-English custom rules
Drag-and-drop ".eml" rule debugger
Premail Dropzone shows exactly what would happen to any saved email and why.
Open audit log of every action
Works across phone and desktop automatically
Clean Email runs in the cloud so changes apply on phone. Premail acts on the inbox, so actions show up on phone too, but require your desktop to be running.
Works with any desktop email client
No account, no signup required
One-time Lifetime license available
Pick Clean Email if
You need a polished mobile app, want cleaning to happen even while your laptop is off, and you are comfortable with a cloud service holding metadata about your inbox.
Pick Premail if
You want local processing with no cloud middleman, you like the idea of bringing your own AI (or running it offline with Ollama), and you prefer a free tier for personal mail with a flat upgrade price instead of per-inbox billing.
FAQ
Clean Email vs Premail, answered
How is Premail different from Clean Email?
Clean Email is a cloud service. It connects to your mailbox, processes mail on its servers, and lets you manage everything from the web and mobile apps. Premail is a desktop app that runs on your own computer, uses an AI model you choose, and never stores mailbox data on a third-party server.
Does Premail unsubscribe in bulk like Clean Email?
Yes. The Subscriptions tab scans your inbox, groups messages by sender, and unsubscribes in bulk for you. You can also choose what happens to old messages after unsubscribe (archive, trash, or leave alone).
Can Premail clean my existing inbox backlog?
Yes. The Inbox Cleaner scans existing mail in bulk and applies your rules to whatever is already in your inbox. You can review the run before committing actions, and large runs can be paused and resumed.
What does Clean Email do better than Premail today?
Clean Email has mature mobile apps and runs in the cloud, so its rules execute regardless of whether your computer is on. If you need cleaning to happen 24/7 with no desktop dependency, Clean Email is the more obvious fit.
Is there a Premail mobile app?
Not yet. Premail is a desktop companion for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Because it acts on the inbox itself, the results are visible on whatever phone client you use. You just need your desktop running for filters to fire on new mail in real time.
Does Premail charge per mailbox?
No. The free plan covers up to two personal inboxes. Pro is a flat price (monthly, annual, or one-time Lifetime) that includes professional inboxes, unlimited custom rules, and Reputation Shield.
Why can Premail use email body content when Clean Email cannot?
Architecture. Clean Email runs on its own servers, so reading the body would mean a third party processing your content; it explicitly avoids that. Premail runs on your machine and has no servers, so the body can be used as a classification signal without anyone but you (and, optionally, your own LLM provider) ever seeing it. With Ollama, even that provider is your own computer.
Also considering
Other email tool comparisons
Try Premail free
Free for personal inboxes. No Premail account, no servers touching your email. Works alongside the email client you already use on Mac, Windows, and Linux.