Spike

Spike is an email app for people who want a more conversational inbox, plus a separate team workspace for shared work. It suits people bringing existing accounts together or teams that need shared inboxes and collaboration tools. Its breadth is useful, but the product choice and plan limits deserve close attention.

Overview

Spike connects accounts from Gmail, Office 365 or Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, Yahoo and other IMAP providers, then presents email threads as chat-like conversations. A unified inbox and scheduled sending make it a capable option for managing everyday email across accounts. Calendar tools connect with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar, while Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive support cloud attachments.

Spike AI can draft messages and replies, summarize conversations and act as an assistant. That may reduce routine inbox work, though free tiers include only 10 queries for several AI features. Spike says messages use AES-256 encryption with a private key for each message and that it undergoes periodic external security audits; it identifies Bishop Fox as the firm behind an independent audit. It is ad-free and says it does not rent, sell, distribute or monetize user data, although non-personal data may be used to improve the service.

Key features

Email App

The Email App is built around existing accounts and is the more natural fit for individuals managing multiple inboxes. Its unified inbox and chat-like threads offer a different way to handle email without requiring a new address. The free plan is limited to one address, 60 days of search history, 1 GB of storage and 30 MB uploads, so it is better for lighter use than for a long-running archive or large attachments.

Teamspace

Teamspace is the team-oriented product, with channels, shared inboxes, groups, collaborative docs and tasks, plus audio and video meetings. Its free Starter plan supports up to three members and one teamspace, which makes it a practical starting point for a small group. The free plan's 15 GB storage per member is comparatively generous, but search history still stops at 60 days and uploads are capped at 15 MB.

AI, integrations and privacy

Drafting, reply suggestions and conversation summaries are useful additions for people who spend much of the day in email, but the free query allowance may be restrictive for frequent AI use. The combination of major cloud attachment services and calendar integrations reduces the need to switch tools for common tasks. Spike's stated encryption and privacy practices are reassuring, while the published audit claim is not a substitute for a reader's own security requirements.

Pricing

Spike is freemium, with no free trial. Its pricing page separates Email App plans from Teamspace plans, so choose based on whether you are improving an existing inbox or creating a collaborative workspace.

Email App plans

• Free: free. One email address, 60 days of search history, 1 GB of storage, 30 MB file uploads and 1:1 video calls. It is suitable for trying the core inbox approach, but its storage and search limits will constrain sustained use.
• Pro: $6 a month (billed annually). Per user, up to three addresses, unlimited search history, 5 GB of storage, 100 MB uploads and priority support. This is the sensible upgrade for someone with several accounts or larger attachments; storage remains modest.
• Ultimate: $12 a month (billed annually). Per user, unlimited addresses, unlimited search history, 20 GB of storage, 1 GB uploads and VIP support. It fits heavy multi-account users who need larger uploads, though the storage cap still matters for extensive archives.

Teamspace plans

• Starter: free. Up to three members, one teamspace, 60 days of search history, 15 GB storage per member and 15 MB uploads. It provides a useful no-cost team trial in practice, but the short search window and small upload cap may quickly become obstacles.
• Team: $4 a month (billed annually), per member. Unlimited search history, 100 GB storage per member, 100 MB uploads, a shared inbox and a free custom email domain for one year. This is the strongest fit for teams that need a substantial shared workspace without the top-tier storage allowance.
• Business: $8 a month (billed annually), per member. 1 TB storage per member, 500 MB uploads and VIP support. Video call recording and SAML-SSO are marked “SOON,” so they should not be treated as current capabilities. It suits teams with heavier storage and file needs, provided they do not depend on those upcoming items.

Across the two product tracks, the cheaper plans trade longer search history and larger uploads for a no-cost entry point. Paid Email App prices are per user; Teamspace Team and Business are per member, so team costs scale with headcount.

Platforms

Spike is available on Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows, giving it broad coverage across phones, desktops and browsers.

Who it's for

Choose the Email App if you want to bring existing email accounts together and prefer chat-like threads, with the paid tiers especially relevant if you need more than one address or unlimited search history. Choose Teamspace if your team wants a new collaborative environment with shared inboxes, channels, documents, tasks and meetings. It is less compelling for users who need long search history or large uploads but want to remain on a free plan.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad provider support and a unified inbox make it suitable for people juggling accounts from different services.
• Pro: Teamspace combines shared inboxes with channels, collaborative docs, tasks and meetings rather than stopping at email.
• Pro: Paid plans offer unlimited search history, and higher tiers raise upload limits substantially.
• Con: Both free product tracks limit search history to 60 days, which is a meaningful drawback for users who rely on older correspondence.
• Con: Email App Free allows just one address and 1 GB of storage; Teamspace Starter's 15 MB upload cap can also rule it out for teams exchanging larger files.
• Con: The distinct Email App and Teamspace plans require a careful choice, and the per-user or per-member charges can add up for larger groups.

Alternatives

If the priority is AI help for email, consider Mailbutler Smart Assistant, which has a free plan and a free trial, or browse AI Email Assistants. For a broader set of email clients, see Email clients. Readers seeking an AI assistant beyond email can compare Perplexity, which offers limited daily use on its free plan and a Pro plan at $20 a month, or Superhuman Go, whose free plan includes inline suggestions, chat with tabs and apps, editable shareable docs and synced conversations. Mailtwine is a paid product with free beta access and all features included during beta. OpenMailBot is a free option with AI features, ChromaDB and Ollama, unlimited users and inboxes, and community support. Spark +AI has a free plan with unlimited email accounts, Smart Inbox, Smart Notifications and Calendar. EmailOps is free and available for Linux, macOS and Windows. Kerna offers a free Starter plan and a €12 a month Standard plan. For other assistant-oriented options, browse AI Personal Assistants.

Verdict

Spike is a strong choice for people who want existing email accounts in one conversational inbox, or teams ready to combine email with shared workspace tools. Its provider coverage, collaboration features and paid search-history upgrades are the main reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if free-plan search and upload caps are unacceptable, or if you need a simpler product without separate individual and team plan tracks.