Top Speaking Email Alternatives for On-the-Go Email Management

Speaking Email is a unique iPhone app designed to read your emails aloud while you're on the go, prioritizing driving safety and efficient inbox triage. It allows users to quickly process emails through voice and simple gestures, supporting HTML emails and offering features like archiving, starring, and instant replies. However, for users seeking different functionalities, broader platform support, or alternative approaches to email management, exploring a Speaking Email alternative is a logical next step. This article dives into the best alternatives that offer diverse solutions for keeping up with your inbox.

Best Speaking Email Alternatives

Whether you're looking for a more traditional email client with integrated voice features, a comprehensive personal assistant, or a productivity suite, these alternatives provide excellent options to manage your emails effectively.

Gmail

Gmail is a ubiquitous free web-mail service from Google, available across Web, Android, iPhone, Chrome OS, and more. While not specifically designed for reading emails aloud like Speaking Email, its powerful search capabilities, robust spam protection, and integration with Google Assistant (which can read emails) make it a strong Speaking Email alternative for those within the Google ecosystem. It features include mail filtering, multiple account support, and threaded conversations, offering a comprehensive email management experience.

Microsoft Office Outlook

Microsoft Office Outlook, part of the Microsoft Office Suite, is a powerful personal information manager for managing email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. Available on Windows, Mac, Web, Android, iPhone, and more, Outlook offers deep integration with Exchange and Office 365, making it an excellent Speaking Email alternative for business users. Its features like shared calendars, custom rules, and intelligent attachments provide a holistic approach to productivity, and its mobile apps offer voice commands for certain functions.

Apple Mail

Apple Mail is a free email client bundled with macOS, iPhone, and iPad devices. While it doesn't offer the dedicated 'read aloud' focus of Speaking Email, its tight integration with the Apple ecosystem, including Siri (which can read emails), makes it a native and seamless Speaking Email alternative for Apple users. It supports Exchange, offers rich text editing, and provides a clean, user-friendly interface for managing multiple accounts.

OpenProject

OpenProject is an open-source project management software with a wide range of features including Gantt charts, issue tracking, and a wiki. While primarily a project management tool, its email tracking feature can be relevant for teams needing to log email communications related to projects. As an open-source, self-hosted solution, it offers a different approach to managing project-related emails compared to a dedicated email reader like Speaking Email, fitting specific business needs for detailed tracking and collaboration.

Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail is a secure webmail service built for modern businesses, available on Web, Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows, and Linux. It emphasizes privacy and offers features like custom domains, ad-free experience, integrated spam protection, and two-factor authentication. While not focused on voice-reading emails, its robust email management tools and business-centric features make it a strong Speaking Email alternative for organizations prioritizing security and comprehensive email services.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant is a free virtual personal assistant developed by Google, available on Android, iPhone, and various smart devices. While not an email client itself, it can seamlessly integrate with your Gmail account to read out emails, summarize messages, and even compose replies using voice commands. This makes Google Assistant an excellent and widely accessible Speaking Email alternative for hands-free email interaction, especially for users who are already heavily invested in the Google ecosystem.

Spike

Spike is a conversational email app that unifies your workspace into one simplified inbox, available on Mac, Windows, Web, Android, and iPhone. It transforms emails into chat-like conversations, making communication feel more natural. While it doesn't specifically emphasize voice reading like Speaking Email, its conversational approach, unified inbox, and features like built-in file management and real-time collaboration make it a powerful productivity tool and a fresh Speaking Email alternative for those seeking a different email interaction paradigm.

Cortana

Cortana is a free personal assistant from Microsoft, available on Windows, Android, and iPhone. Similar to Google Assistant, Cortana can help manage your schedule, set reminders, and interact with your email. While its primary function isn't email reading, its voice recognition and integration with Microsoft services allow users to interact with their inbox hands-free. This positions Cortana as a viable Speaking Email alternative for users within the Microsoft ecosystem who desire voice-activated assistance for their emails.

Vivaldi Mail

Vivaldi Mail is a free email service offered as part of the Vivaldi browser, providing an ad-free experience with integrated contacts and calendar features. Available on the Web, it emphasizes user control and customization. While it lacks the dedicated voice-reading features of Speaking Email, its robust mail filtering, PGP encryption, and support for IMAP/POP3 make it a strong Speaking Email alternative for users who prioritize privacy, advanced mail management within a browser environment, and a customizable interface.

Siri

Siri is Apple's free personal assistant, deeply integrated across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod. Like other virtual assistants, Siri can read out your emails, compose messages, and manage your inbox through voice commands. For Apple users, Siri offers a seamless and intuitive hands-free experience for email interaction, making it a powerful native Speaking Email alternative, especially when on the go and needing to keep eyes on the road.

Ultimately, the best Speaking Email alternative depends on your specific needs, whether that's deeper integration with your existing ecosystem, broader platform support, or a different approach to email management. Explore these options to find the perfect fit for your on-the-go communication.