Hey gives you a better cockpit.
alfred_ flies the plane.
Hey gives you better tools to process email. alfred_ processes email for you. Both think email is broken. They just disagree about whose job it is to fix it.
Should I use alfred_ or Hey?
- Hey is an opinionated email client from Basecamp that redesigns how you read and organize email: The Imbox, The Feed, The Paper Trail, and manual sender screening at $99/year
- alfred_ is an AI executive assistant that handles your email, drafts replies, extracts tasks, and tracks follow-ups automatically at $24.99/month
- Hey has zero AI features; everything is manual but intentionally designed
- Hey requires a @hey.com email address. alfred_ works with your existing Gmail or Outlook.
- Hey makes you a better email manager. alfred_ replaces the need for an email manager entirely.
Hey is for people who love email and want a beautifully designed system to manage it themselves. alfred_ is for people who want AI to handle it so they never have to.
The Fundamental Difference: Better Tools vs. No Tools Needed
Hey and alfred_ both start from the same premise: email is broken. But they disagree on the fix.
Hey gives you a better cockpit. alfred_ flies the plane. For more context on how AI assistants compare, see our best AI executive assistants guide.
What Hey Does
The Imbox, The Feed, The Paper Trail
- •The Imbox: Only emails that actually matter land here. No newsletters, no receipts.
- •The Feed: Newsletters and non-urgent subscriptions. Scroll when you want.
- •The Paper Trail: Receipts, confirmations, shipping notices. Archived automatically.
The Screener
- •Every new sender is held at the gate until you manually approve or reject them
- •Once screened, their emails go to The Imbox, The Feed, or are blocked entirely
- •You decide who gets your attention, but you have to screen every single sender yourself
The Catch
- •Requires a @hey.com email address. Your own domain costs extra (Hey for Work)
- •Does not work with your existing Gmail or Outlook address
- •No AI features at all; everything is manual
- •No draft assistance, no task extraction, no calendar integration
- •You still read, reply to, and organize every email yourself
What alfred_ Does
alfred_ does not redesign your inbox. It handles your inbox so you rarely need to open it:
- •AI-powered email triage: Every email classified by urgency and context automatically. No manual screening.
- •Draft replies: Full responses in your voice. Review, edit if needed, tap to send.
- •Task extraction: Action items pulled from emails into your task list automatically
- •Follow-up tracking: Escalations when follow-ups are slipping so you never drop the ball
- •Calendar management: Conflict detection, meeting prep, and schedule optimization
- •Works with your existing email: Gmail and Outlook supported. No new email address, no migration.
Price: $24.99/month or $249.99/year with a 30-day free trial.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | alfred_ | Hey |
|---|---|---|
| Email triage | AI auto-classifies by urgency | Manual screening per sender |
| Draft replies | Yes: tap to send | No |
| Tasks | ||
| Task extraction | ||
| Calendar | ||
| Calendar management | Conflicts, prep, scheduling | No calendar features |
| AI | ||
| AI features | AI-native throughout | None |
| Compatibility | ||
| Works with existing email | Gmail and Outlook | No: requires @hey.com |
| Pricing | ||
| Price | $24.99/mo ($249.99/yr) | $99/year |
| Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy | You shouldn't process email | You need better email tools |
The Screening Problem
Hey's Screener is its signature feature and its biggest bottleneck. Every new sender who emails you is held in a queue until you manually decide: approve them to The Imbox, route them to The Feed, or block them entirely.
In theory, this is empowering. In practice, it means every new client, vendor, or contact waits in limbo until you screen them, and high-volume professionals spend significant time just gatekeeping their inbox.
Who Should Choose Each Tool
Pros
- You enjoy the process of email and want a beautifully designed inbox experience
- Anti-tracking, manual screening, and intentional categorization matter to you
- You are okay switching to @hey.com or paying for Hey for Work
- Your email volume is manageable, making screening every sender practical
Cons
- No AI features; everything remains manual
- Requires a new @hey.com email address with no Gmail or Outlook support
- You still write every reply and screen every sender yourself
- No calendar integration or task extraction
Pros
- You want email handled, not redesigned: triage, drafts, tasks, and follow-ups done for you
- You need to keep your existing Gmail or Outlook with no new address and no migration
- Your time is worth more than your inbox: 12 minutes beats an hour in a beautiful client
- You need calendar + tasks + email in one place
Cons
- No opinionated inbox design or manual sender screening philosophy
- Costs more than Hey on a monthly basis ($24.99/mo vs $8.25/mo for Hey)
Our Verdict
Better cockpit vs. someone else flies the plane.
Hey is a beautifully opinionated email client that redesigns how you read email. The Imbox, The Feed, The Paper Trail, and The Screener give you a more intentional inbox experience. It strips tracking pixels and blocks read receipts. But everything is still manual: you still read every email, write every reply, and screen every sender. You just do it in a nicer environment. alfred_ removes you from the email loop almost entirely. It triages automatically, drafts replies, extracts tasks, tracks follow-ups, and manages your calendar. You wake up to a Daily Brief that shows what was handled and what needs your judgment.
Best for
- Hey for people who want a beautifully intentional email experience and don't mind doing everything manually
- alfred_ for people who want email handled, not redesigned: triage, drafts, tasks, and follow-ups done automatically
Not for
- Hey if you need AI features, calendar integration, or want to keep your Gmail/Outlook address
- alfred_ if you love the ritual of intentional email management and want philosophical control
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hey worth $99 a year?
Hey is worth it if you value its opinionated design philosophy: The Imbox, The Feed, The Paper Trail, anti-tracking, and manual sender screening. It's a beautifully built email client for people who want to engage with email intentionally. However, it has no AI features, no draft assistance, and no task management. If your goal is spending less time on email rather than having a better email experience, alfred_ at $24.99/month handles your inbox autonomously.
Does Hey have AI features?
No. Hey has no AI features as of 2026. Everything in Hey is manual: you screen senders, categorize emails, read messages, and write replies yourself. Hey's philosophy is about giving you better manual tools, not automating the work. alfred_ is AI-native: it triages, drafts, extracts tasks, and tracks follow-ups automatically.
Can I use Hey with my existing Gmail or Outlook address?
No. Hey requires a @hey.com email address for personal use. You can use a custom domain with Hey for Work, but that comes at a higher price. alfred_ works directly with your existing Gmail or Outlook account with no new email address, no migration, and no forwarding.
How does Hey's Screener compare to alfred_'s AI triage?
Hey's Screener requires you to manually approve or block every new sender before their emails reach your inbox. It's intentional but time-consuming, especially for high-volume professionals. alfred_'s AI triage automatically classifies every email by urgency, sender, and content with no manual screening needed. Important emails surface immediately, noise is archived, and you never have to gatekeep your inbox.
Can I use Hey and alfred_ together?
Not easily. Hey requires a @hey.com email address and does not integrate with external tools like alfred_. alfred_ works with Gmail and Outlook. If you use Hey as your primary email, you'd need to forward to a Gmail or Outlook account for alfred_ to work with it, which defeats the purpose of Hey's integrated experience.
Is alfred_ more expensive than Hey?
alfred_ is $24.99/month ($249.99/year) compared to Hey's $99/year. alfred_ costs more, but it does far more: AI email triage, draft replies, task extraction, follow-up tracking, and calendar management. Hey is email-only with no AI. The price difference reflects the difference between a redesigned email client and a full AI executive assistant.
Try alfred_
Stop Managing Email. Start Ignoring It.
alfred_ handles your email automatically, triaging your inbox, drafting replies you send with one tap, extracting tasks, and tracking follow-ups. No screening queue. No manual categorization. Just decisions. $24.99/month. Works with Gmail and Outlook.
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