Compare · AI Gmail filters
An AI Gmail filter that reads, judges, and never acts
An AI Gmail filter reads each new message and decides from its content whether you want it, instead of matching a sender or a subject word the way Gmail's own filters do. QuietMail is one. It judges every new message against rules you write in plain language, marks the noise as read or moves it to a Noise label, spam or trash, and is built so the AI can never touch your account.
This page explains what an AI filter adds over Gmail's built-in rules, what to check before you hand one your inbox, and how QuietMail compares with the other AI filters for Gmail we reviewed.
What an AI filter adds over Gmail's filters
Gmail's filters are conditions. From this address, subject contains this word, larger than this size: then archive, label, delete or mark read. They are free, fast and reliable, and for a known sender they are all you need.
They fail on meaning. "Promotions I did not sign up for" is not a condition. A new store you bought from once sends from an address no filter knows. A shipping update and a marketing blast from the same sender look the same to a rule on the From line. Each miss means another rule, and the list grows until nobody maintains it.
An AI filter reads the message and applies the rule as you meant it. One sentence covers every sender that fits, including the ones that do not exist yet. The trade is that a program outside Gmail now reads your mail, which is why the next section matters more than the feature list.
Five things to check before you connect one
- What can the AI do? Reading and judging is one thing. An AI with tools that can delete, reply or forward is another, and a crafted email can try to talk it into doing so. Ask whether the model can act at all.
- Which actions are possible on your mail? Fewer is safer. Mark read, Noise, Spam and Trash are recoverable. Forward is not.
- Can you state a rule in your own words? Otherwise you are back to conditions, or to a system you cannot steer.
- Can you see and undo each decision? A log with the rule that matched, and an undo per message.
- Who checked it? Apps that read Gmail through restricted scopes must pass Google's CASA security assessment by an independent lab. Look for the tier and the date, and read what the assessment does and does not mean.
How QuietMail answers them
The AI in QuietMail has no tools. It reads a copy of a message and returns one thing: whether the message is noise under your rules. Plain, auditable code then performs the single action you chose, mark read, Noise, Spam or Trash, and nothing else can happen. Rules are presets, a whitelist that always wins, a blacklist, and sentences you write. Every decision lands in an activity log with the rule that matched and an Undo. Mailbox tokens are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, QuietMail never asks for a mailbox password, and the app passed a CASA Tier 2 assessment validated by TAC Security in September 2026. The Security page has the details.
On Gmail it runs the moment a message arrives. On connect it also cleans the unread mail from your last 35 days. Paid plans check your Spam folder too and bring back mail you would want.
AI Gmail filters compared
| Feature | QuietMail | Inbox Zero | SpamGenius | Gmail's own filters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99/mo for 1 inbox, $7.99/mo for 3, $14.99/mo for up to 20. Annual plans are two months free ($49.90/yr for 1 inbox). | $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr in the iOS app; web plans from $20 per user a month. | Starter $5/mo. A Pro tier exists without a published price. | Free, part of Gmail. |
| Mail providers | Gmail and Google Workspace, Outlook.com, Hotmail and Live, Zoho Mail, and JMAP mail servers. Not Yahoo, AOL, iCloud or Proton. | Gmail and Outlook. | Gmail only. | Gmail only. |
| How filtering works | An AI model reads a copy of each new message and answers one yes/no question: is this noise under your rules? Rules are presets, a whitelist, a blacklist and sentences in plain language. | AI rules written in plain English, plus AI features beyond filtering: drafting replies and bulk unsubscribe. | Background AI filtering about every 10 minutes that learns your preferences, with an advanced prompt and rules editor. | Conditions you set: from, to, subject, words the message has or lacks, size, attachments. No AI; a message either meets the condition or not. |
| What it does to a message | Marks the message as read, or moves it to a Noise folder, spam or trash, whichever you chose. Paid plans also check your Spam folder and bring back mail you want. Everything else stays where it was. | Label, archive, delete, mark read, mark spam or forward, with a history. | Filters spam-like mail out and can apply labels. Fewer action choices than QuietMail. | Skip the inbox, mark read, label, star, delete, forward, never send to Spam. |
| Safety model | The AI has no tools and no access to your account. Plain code performs the one action you configured. Tokens are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, every decision is logged with an undo, and the app passed a CASA Tier 2 assessment validated by TAC Security. | Open source, so the code can be read. We found no published description of how the AI is kept from acting on the account. | Advertises a CASA Tier 2 verification. No further public description found in our review. | Runs inside Gmail. Nothing outside Google reads your mail. |
| Free tier | One inbox, no card, no end date. Whitelist and blacklist on every message plus 80 AI calls a month. | Not listed in our review. Self-hosting the open-source code is possible. | Not listed in our review. | Everything is free. |
Inbox Zero and SpamGenius figures are from the vendor's public pages as reviewed in August 2026 · check the vendor for current pricing · QuietMail figures come from Pricing
Inbox Zero does more than filter: it drafts replies and unsubscribes in bulk, and being open source you can read or host the code. If you want an assistant rather than a filter, it is the broader product at a higher price. SpamGenius is the closest in shape to QuietMail and is Gmail only. If your mail also lives on Outlook or Zoho, or you want to choose the action per kind of noise, QuietMail covers that. For a behaviour-trained filter that files mail into folders instead, read the SaneBox comparison; for a rules-based cleaner with bulk tools, the Clean Email comparison.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI Gmail filter?
A tool that reads each new message and decides, from its content rather than from fixed conditions, whether it is something you want. Gmail's built-in filters match conditions such as a sender or a subject word. An AI filter can apply a rule stated as a meaning, such as "newsletters I never open" or "order updates, but keep anything about a refund", and it applies it to senders it has never seen.
Does the AI in QuietMail have access to my Gmail account?
No. The model only reads a copy of each message and returns its judgment of whether the message matches your rules. It has no tools and no connection to your account. Plain, auditable code performs the single action you configured. Email content is untrusted input, and QuietMail is wired so a message cannot instruct the AI to do anything.
What does QuietMail do with mail it judges as noise?
The one action you chose for that kind of noise: mark it as read, move it to a Noise label, move it to Spam, or move it to Trash. Paid plans also check your Spam folder and bring back mail you would want. Every action is logged with the rule that matched and an Undo.
How fast does it run on Gmail?
The moment a message arrives. Gmail notifies QuietMail of new mail, and the message is judged and handled before you would have read it. Other providers are checked about every five minutes.
Does it work with Google Workspace?
Yes, including custom domains. Your organization's admin may need to allow QuietMail first. It also works with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, Zoho Mail and JMAP mail servers, but not with iCloud, Yahoo, AOL or Proton.
Has anyone checked QuietMail's security?
Yes. QuietMail passed a CASA Tier 2 assessment, validated by TAC Security in September 2026. CASA is the security review Google requires of apps that access Gmail through restricted scopes. It is not an endorsement by Google. Mailbox tokens are encrypted with AES-256-GCM and QuietMail never asks for a mailbox password.
How much does an AI Gmail filter cost?
QuietMail's Free plan covers one inbox with no card and no end date, with 80 AI calls a month; whitelist and blacklist run on every message and do not use a call. Paid plans are $4.99 a month for one inbox, $7.99 for 3 and $14.99 for up to 20, with no monthly cap; annual billing is two months free. Other AI filters we reviewed in August 2026 ran from $5 to $20 a month.
Try it on one inbox, free
Keep reading
- SaneBox alternative · how QuietMail compares
- Clean Email alternative · how QuietMail compares
- Security · what the AI can and cannot do to your mailbox
- Pricing · every plan, and what the free one includes