How To Choose the Best Email Clean-Up Tool for Gmail & 14 Picks To Try
Is your email inbox overflowing? Do you need help locating important emails amid the clutter? You’re not alone. An untidy inbox can be stressful, especially if you’re pressured to find something meaningful. Fortunately, an email clean-up tool can help you regain control of your inbox. This post will identify the best gmail clean-up tool to simplify organizing your Gmail inbox. With the right tool, you can declutter your inbox, stay productive, and save time.
One of the best options is InboxZapper’s Gmail clean-up tool. This practical solution quickly finds and removes unnecessary emails, allowing you to organize what’s left, locate important messages, and get back to work easily.
What is an Email Clean-Up Tool?
Email cleaner apps include various features and functions that all share a common purpose: making sure your inbox is:
- Neat
- Clean
- Organized
Automating is one of the features you’ll generally find in email cleaners. Automatically sorting new emails into different folders and categories or deleting messages that meet specific criteria:
- Deleting/Archiving: Email cleaner apps usually have a feature to help you delete or archive emails faster or in bulk.
- Organizing: A good email cleaning app can help you stay more organized (and do it more conveniently). For more help, see our guide on Gmail organization!
- Unsubscribing: Most of us have a handful of email newsletters we like subscribing to – and dozens that we don’t even remember signing up for. Email cleaner apps usually automate and simplify the unsubscribe process. Some email cleaner apps are specialists doing one thing extraordinarily well. Others are more comprehensive, with every tool you can imagine (and then some).
Related Reading
- How To Mass Unsubscribe From Emails
- Mass Delete Gmail
- How To Clean Gmail Inbox
- How To Clear Gmail Storage
- How To Delete Large Amounts Of Emails In Gmail
- How to Clean Up Emails in Gmail
How To Choose the Best Email Clean-up Tool for Gmail
UX/UI - Because You Shouldn't Have to Learn How to Use a Tool to Clean Up Your Inbox
When picking an email cleaning tool, you'll want to consider the user interface and overall design. An email cleanup tool should simplify organizing your mailbox, not complicate it. Look for a clean design that makes it easy to navigate between features and get started. Most of the tools on my list support significant email providers like:
- Gmail
- Outlook
- iCloud
They allow you to connect your mailbox by simply signing up using your email address on their website; there is no need to download any extensions to your desktop. Some tools in my article also offer apps for iOS and Android, allowing you to clean up your mailbox conveniently via your smartphone or tablet. This is a bonus for the initial setup, as you have to let the tool scan your emails, and if you have a lot like me, this can take a while (but worth it overall).
Security, Because You Don't Want to Get Hacked While Cleaning Up Your Inbox
When searching for the best email cleanup tool, I was highly concerned about the security of my email data. I wanted to ensure that the content of my emails, attachments, and personal data wasn't shared outside the server when using an email clean-up tool. I was impressed that privacy and security were listed at the top of most of the tool's features on my list, and it reassured me that most of the time, the only person reading my emails would be me.
Instead, most tools scan information such as the following:
- Subject line
- Sender
- Date
- Time
- Analyze patterns in your email behavior
Although some tools might need your email password or OAuth token, these are encrypted for maximum security. However, one tool in my list sells data for statistical purposes to keep it free. This was disappointing, but as there were plenty more tools to choose from, this was good.
Mailbox Cleanse, Because You Want to Get Rid of All the Unwanted Emails
This was the first point of call when incorporating an email cleaning tool into my mailbox. Getting rid of emails from over three years ago, out-of-date newsletters that were sat unopened, and any leftover spam or junk mail was not only highly satisfying but helped clear my workspace, only leaving relevant communication that I needed to refer to or action in the future.
As a marketer, this has made me mindful when targeting my audience with email campaigns to ensure that the subject lines are intriguing and don’t trigger spam filters (or get manually marked as spam emails). The ability to cleanse your mailbox is also great if you're reaching your storage limit, especially when you receive emails with large file attachments like I do. Ultimately, having this detox motivates you to keep your mailbox clean and organized.
Inbox Organization - Because It’s Time to Say Goodbye to the Clutter
The game changer! Sorting the spam from the genuine and filtering your emails into specific folders is what we’re here for when connecting an email cleaner tool to our mailboxes. Most of the tools on my list have presets or predefined filters relating to typical emails a user like you, or I might receive, for example:
- Newsletters
- Cc’d emails
- Spam from accounts with a sketchy sender reputation
I found that most of these are customizable so that you can manage your mailbox. Streamlining the emails into organized, logical folders saves time and maximizes your workflow, allowing you to concentrate on what’s important or relevant to your current projects. I find this particularly proactive and rewarding as I prioritize my time for my creative work rather than constantly admin.
Pricing - Because You Don't Want to Break the Bank, Cleaning Up Your Inbox
Like various business, marketing, and organizational programs, most email cleaner tools have a pricing system—especially when they offer more than mailbox cleaning! They’re usually tiered with a basic, standard, and pro approach, offering different features and several account connections.
How much you pay depends on how organized you want to be and how many of the features you benefit from using, and if used for business, will be involved. I’d suggest starting with the free trial, seeing how many features you benefit from using and basing your price plan on that.
Related Reading
- How To Auto Delete Emails In Gmail
- How To Mass Unsubscribe From Emails Gmail
- How To Clean Up Email
- How To Safely Unsubscribe From Spam Emails
- Trimbox
14 Best Email Clean-Up Tools for 2024
1. Inbox Zapper: Your Fast Track to a Cleaner Gmail Inbox
Inbox Zapper is the Gmail cleanup tool that works. With one click, Inbox Zapper allows you to mass unsubscribe from emails and newsletters and mass delete emails. Inbox Zapper scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails. None of your email data ever leaves your device, preserving complete privacy.
Inbox Zapper key features:
- From day one, it was designed with privacy in mind.
- Other tools resell your data; we just help you clean your inbox.
- Join 15,687 people who have used Inbox Zapper to clean 28,384,924 emails.
For now, Inbox Zero only supports Gmail, but we will expand to other email services soon. Inbox Zapper is the easiest way to clean your Gmail inbox. Try Inbox Zapper's Gmail cleanup tool for free today to clean up your Gmail inbox with one click.
2. AgainstData, A Sustainable Way to Unsubscribe
AgainstData is a tool that helps you unsubscribe from emails with one click, without any hassle. It also allows you to delete unwanted emails, helping to reduce the CO2 emissions generated by emails in your inbox.
Another great feature is that it shows all the companies storing your data and lets you request the deletion of your data from those companies.
3. SaneBox, The Email Cleaning Tool That Keeps on Working
SaneBox offers more than just an email cleaning service. It helps manage your inbox daily, which is highly beneficial for business communication and workflow management. This email cleaning and management system encourages an initial deep clean. Then, it offers a range of predefined folders for less essential emails to refer back to during downtime or automatically deleted after a specific period.
You can change the algorithm of most of these folders to determine what kind of emails end up in there. These handle the important stuff that needs to be on your radar. These handles are set in place such as:
- Reminders
- Attachments
- SaneNoReplies
Their ‘do not disturb’ feature works as an ‘out of office’ to discourage you from checking emails while on holiday or concentrating on a big project. Like with your phone, certain people can access you, which you pre-set with a keyword that triggers the algorithm to get through. I like this feature because it’s too easy to peek at your emails when notifications are constantly coming through. You can enter any email address to use the service, but SaneBox is supported by:
- Office365
- iCloud
4. Clean Email: Your Email Cleaning Companion
Clean Email is self-explanatory. It cleanses your overloaded mailbox by allowing you to delete or archive thousands of unwanted emails at once and then helping you manage everything else coming in automatically. The tool offers predefined filters to group similar emails, such as ‘emails larger than 1MB’ or ‘emails from dead ends.’ This is suited to those who would instead scan over the content before getting rid of it or deciding which way to take action.
I liked this for peace of mind before hitting that delete button, as I would be able to save any emails I thought could be crucial. A beneficial feature of Clean Email is seeing if your mail is from an actual person or a mailing list, allowing you to differentiate between real people and automated systems. If you use one of those, it doesn’t need access to your inbox password. It’s authorized by the top email providers, such as:
- Yahoo
- Outlook
5. Mailstrom, Take Control of Your Inbox
Maelstrom is a simple tool that puts the user in control of managing their inbox. It identifies groups of related mail, such as by:
- Sender
- Subject
- Time
From there, you can decide whether to:
- Delete
- Archive
- Sort
However, I found its features limited and without automation, so implementing them within my mailbox was time-consuming. I liked the spam protection and unsubscribe button, which blocked unwanted senders and removed me from any old mailing lists (email list cleaning), but that’s as technical as Mailstrom.
Pros and Cons of Using Mailstrom for Email Organization
As you’d expect, all major email providers were supported, and a free trial was offered before upgrading to the paid plans. Despite lacking features, Mailstrom is quite pricey compared to other email cleaning tools, particularly with its pro plan.
Mailstrom does offer a range of articles to assist with email organization and clearouts, but there is only one information video, which I found limiting.
6. lockerMail: Pre-Filtering Incoming Emails
Another simple yet effective tool, lockerMail, pre-filters the mail in your inbox. It works by signing up with your usual email address as a destination for the mail. Still, the tool generates a ‘lockerMail’ email address for you to use when making an online purchase or signing up for newsletters, for example. You can add other email addresses to connect to the tool and direct which inbox you’d like the mail to go to.
The app blocks any senders you want to stop receiving communication from so you can filter to only mail, such as:
- Receiving order confirmations
- Discount emails
- Delivery updates
I didn’t like having a new email address created for me as I almost always forgot to use this when completing an online order, but more importantly, it felt as if the company owned my emails. There isn’t much security advertised on their website, which is another concerning element.
7. Cleanfox: The Simple Email Cleaner
Cleanfox is the simplest in terms of features and is the easiest-to-use tool out of all the ones on my list. That’s not to say it’s not practical, however. You simply connect your mailbox by entering your email address on their website and then select the mail you want to delete. You can also block these senders from receiving any future mail.
Cleanfox is a free service that benefits those on a budget or who only want to clear out their inbox and not continue with any filtering moving forward. However, because of this, they sell your data for statistical purposes compiled from the transactional emails and newsletters they scan.
8. Unroll.me: The Best Tool to Clean Up Your Email Subscribers
Unroll.me is the best tool for cleaning up your email subscribers. It’s free and straightforward to use. All you have to do to get started is connect your email addresses. You’ll then get an instant breakdown of all your subscriptions. You can then unsubscribe to any subscription that is no longer relevant.
9. Triage: A Visual Approach to Email Organization
Triage is an excellent method to organize your inbox and make it easier to manage your messages. You can eliminate months or even years’ worth of messages in minutes. The only problem is that the app is limited to iOS devices, so it is not universally usable.
10. Trimbox.io, The An Unsubscribe Button for Your Gmail
It lives directly in your Gmail inbox and tags each mailing list email with an unsubscribe button. Whenever I see the button, just click it once, and Trimbox will automatically unsubscribe me from the mailing list. If I want to clear out all of the old emails from that mailing list, just click the button again,, and Trimbox will automatically delete all the emails from that sender from my inbox.
Since Trimbox lives directly in my inbox, I don’t have to remember to navigate to a separate site to clean my email. This makes Trimbox very easy to adopt as a simple daily routine, so my inbox stays clean for good.
11. MailSweeper, The Robot Janitor for Your Inbox
Mail Sweeper is like a robot janitor for your inbox. Unimportant emails are collected into my “Dustpan” and periodically moved to the trash. This helps conserve email storage space and avoid paying for extra Gmail storage.
Installation only takes a few minutes: Login, answer questions, and click “Install.” Unlike other products on this list, Mail Sweeper isn’t a subscription, just a tiny one-time payment, and will keep my inbox tidy forever.
12. Astro, The AI Email Assistant to Clean Up Your Inbox
Astro is an all-in-one AI email cleaner and manager. It has a built-in chatbot called Astrobot that interacts with you to help manage your inbox. Astrobot can suggest which emails you might want to unsubscribe from, identify which contacts are most important to you, and even recommend what to save.
The app is supported by Gmail and Office 365, so it’s compatible with the most commonly used email providers. Astro also integrates with Slack, allowing you to manage your emails directly from the Slack app. This is particularly useful if you already use Slack for work and want to keep all your communications in one place.
13. Sortd, A Task Management System for Your Email
Sortd is software that naturally and intuitively combines email and task management. It overlays a column-based, board-like interface onto Gmail. Imagine turning your inbox into a flexible set of lists, where you can drag and drop emails based on your projects, priorities, or the stages of task completion. It’s still Gmail, but now it’s organized in a way that helps you manage both emails and tasks in one place.
14. Hiver, A Customer Support Tool That Cleans Your Inboxes
Hiver is a Gmail and Outlook-based customer support tool. One of its standout features is Harvey, Hiver’s AI assistant, which makes cleaning up your customer support inbox simpler and more efficient. Harvey is particularly good at dealing with those little tasks that can pile up and clutter your inbox. For example, after you’ve resolved a customer query and closed the conversation, it’s not uncommon for the customer to send a quick “thank you” email.
While it’s a nice gesture, it can reopen the conversation unnecessarily, adding to the clutter and potentially skewing important metrics like my Average Resolution Time. Here’s where Harvey steps in. Harvey automatically recognizes these “thank you” emails and closes the conversation for you so it doesn’t pop back into my inbox. This keeps your inbox cleaner and ensures your performance metrics remain accurate. It’s a small task that can save you a lot of time and help you maintain a more organized workspace.
5 Benefits of Using Email Cleaning Tools
1. Cut Down on Time Wasted on Email
Using email cleaning tools can save you a ton of time. You won’t have to manually sift through hundreds or thousands of emails to find what you need. Cleaning tools automate the sorting and deleting processes to find what you need faster—no more wasting time on emails!
2. Enjoy a More Organized Inbox
Email cleaning tools help you regain control of your inbox. Instead of figuring out how to organize your disheveled email account, you can let an email cleaner organize it for you. These tools automatically categorize your emails into folders or tabs to help you find what you need quickly and reduce the stress of having an out-of-control inbox.
3. Better Security
One of the standout features of email cleaning tools is their ability to detect and filter out spam and phishing emails. By keeping unwanted and potentially harmful emails out of your inbox, these tools help protect you from scams and malware.
4. Adaptive Features
Email cleaning tools aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. They’re customizable and can learn your preferences over time. The more you use them, the better they understand what’s important to you and how you organize your emails.
5. Make Email Management Less Stressful
A cluttered email inbox creates unnecessary stress. The more messages you have, the harder it becomes to find important emails and manage your tasks. With the correct email cleaner app, you can enjoy many benefits, including:
- Less spam and unwanted messages
- Better email prioritization and organization
- Even an inbox zero
Related Reading
Clean Up Your Inbox With One-Click with Inbox Zapper's Gmail Cleanup Tool for Free Today
Inbox Zapper is the cleanup tool for Gmail that works. With one click, Inbox Zapper allows you to:
- Unsubscribe from emails and newsletters
- Mass delete emails
Inbox Zapper scans your inbox for email lists and unwanted emails. The process is simple:
- You install the Inbox Zapper Gmail app.
- You let it scan your inbox for unwanted emails.
- You use the app to remove unwanted emails.
If you’re going to clean your inbox for good, you need Inbox Zapper.