When comparing Aqua Mail vs Gmail, the Slant community recommends Aqua Mail for most people. In the question“What are the best e-mail clients for Android? ” Aqua Mail is ranked 5th while Gmail is ranked 11th. The most important reason people chose Aqua Mail is:
Has been rated well on [AndroidForums](http://androidforums.com/threads/email-which-apps-keep-it-private.935578).
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Top rated for keeping your info private
Has been rated well on AndroidForums.
Pro Ultra fast and intuitive
The app refreshes emails in seconds and has an intuitive menu. You can do a lot with one or two swipes.
Pro Integrates with cloud storage services for backup and restore
It's possible to backup the app along with account settings via services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Box.com, Google Drive.
Pro Integrates with Tasker
Tasker is an automation app. Aqua Mail's Tasker integration allows changing settings, triggering message based events and running mail checks based on criteria like time of day, location, timer, connection type, etc.
Pro Pro version often goes on sale
The developer usually gives a 25%-50% discount every few months or so on Google Play.
Pro Best support for Gmail features
Since both the Gmail Android app and Gmail itself is made by Google, the app supports all features Gmail offers (like labeling/starring) and gets new features implemented early - usually as soon as they are announced.
Pro Incredibly fast, advanced & predictive search
Gmail brings much of the functionality and power of Google's search engine to the app's search. You can use operators such as label:, is:, OR, has: among others, define date ranges, limit search to specific groups and so on. And, you can do it all amazingly fast. The search will also try to predict what you're trying to search for before you've even finished your query and offer up those results.
Pro Google Drive integration
The app allows inserting files from Drive straight to email or uploading attachments to Drive before sending them out. It will also notify if the person you're sending the file can open the file or if you should change the sharing settings for that file beforehand. Finally, you can choose which one of your Google accounts you want visible in the app.
Pro Google Calendar integration
Pro Comes bundled with Android for free
Not only is the application free, it comes bundled with the Android OS by default so you don't even have to bother downloading it.
Pro Threaded conversations
Pro Safely automatically displays images
The app does not require a confirmation to show images as Google now hosts the images on their own servers making it safe. You can still disable the automatic displaying of images in the settings if you wish.
Pro Tabs to automatically organize your e-mail
Gmail offers the ability to automatically organize your mail into specific categories:
- Primary
- Social
- Promotions
- Updates
- Priority
Each of the categories can be disabled and you can move your mail around from category to category or set your own rules which sender should be put in which category.
Cons
Con Floating ads in free version
It shows floating ads in the email list and they can not be deleted.
Con Limited signature capabilities
Signatures can't have images or HTML.
Con Does not support pgp or metacert
Con Free version supports only 2 accounts and adds promotional email signature
The base, free application supports up to two accounts and adds a promo signature to all outgoing messages.
Con No support for Exchange Activesync protocol
This is the de facto, secure Exchange over the web protocol used and is enforced by most businesses for enterprise email. Aqua only supports EWS for Exchange, which most enterprise administrators block or disable.
Con Sorting mail by Unread is unintuitive
Nearly every other mail app has a clear way to sort mail by Unread. In Gmail app you can do that only by typing “label:unread” in the search field.
Con Very limited HTML composing
Composing of HTML formatted mails is very limited. No inline images and only some basic text formatting options.
Con Focused mailbox
There should be a way to disable focus mailbox completely.
Con Too bright, no dark theme
Con Advertising has been added to the client
Con Too heavy
It should be lightweight.
Con Limited notification buttons
Con Changed theme and can't change it back!
Did it without permission and it looks terrible! Washed out look, solid white background with black lame fonts.