HEY

The team behind HEY is 37signals, the Chicago-based powerhouse that essentially wrote the book on modern remote work. They are the same minds who created Basecamp, the project management tool used by millions of teams worldwide. The leadership is spearheaded by CEO Jason Fried and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH). These aren't just businessmen; they are philosophers of the tech world. DHH is famously the creator of Ruby on Rails, the programming framework that powered the early versions of Twitter, GitHub, and Shopify.

37signals is known for its "Anti-Silicon Valley" stance. They have remained bootstrapped and profitable for over twenty years, meaning they answer to their customers rather than venture capital investors. This independence is what allowed them to charge $99 for email—a service that Google convinced the world should be free in exchange for your privacy. When you use HEY, you are supporting a company that values sustainable growth, human-centric design, and the "right to be left alone" in a hyper-connected world.

HEY is for the Privacy Advocate who is tired of being tracked. If the thought of a "spy pixel" in your inbox makes you uncomfortable, HEY is your digital bunker. It is for the person who feels "inbox overwhelm"—the executive, the freelancer, or the creator who receives 200 emails a day and needs a tool that acts as a bodyguard for their focus.

It is also a favorite for Remote Professionals. In 2026, where the lines between "home" and "work" are permanently blurred, HEY’s ability to "bundle" notifications and move newsletters into a casual "Feed" helps maintain a clear mental boundary. It’s for the person who wants an email address that they are proud of—something that says "I care about privacy and focus" every time they hit send.

• • Inbox Zero Aspirants: People who want the system to do the sorting so they can reach the finish line faster.
• • Founders & CEOs: Who need to delegate and organize their communication without the noise of Gmail.

HEY completely redesigns the email interface. Its standout feature is The Screener. Every time someone new emails you, they sit in a queue. You see their name and email, and you click "Yes" to let them in or "No" to never hear from them again. It is a firewall for your attention.

Then there is The Feed. Newsletters shouldn't be read like messages; they should be read like news. The Feed turns your newsletters into a scrollable, expanded view where the emails are already "open." You just scroll through to read, like a social media feed, without clicking into each individual thread. For receipts and order confirmations, The Paper Trail quietly files them away so they don't clog your main view but stay searchable for when you need to return a package.

In 2026, HEY’s **Attachment Library** is a life-saver. Instead of searching through years of emails for a specific PDF, you can click a single button to see every file ever sent to you in an organized gallery. You can also use **Bubble Up** to tell an email to "vanish" and reappear at the top of your inbox tomorrow at 9 AM, or **Set Aside** to keep a specific flight confirmation or contract visible on your screen while you work.

HEY’s pricing is famously flat. HEY for You costs $99 per year. This covers everything: your @hey.com address, 100GB of storage, and all privacy features. There are no "Gold" or "Platinum" tiers—everyone gets the full power of the app for a single annual fee. If you want a "short" address (2 or 3 characters), there is a significant premium: $999/year for 2-character addresses and $349/year for 3-character ones.

For teams, HEY for Work is $12 per user per month. This tier allows you to bring your own custom domain (e.g., hello@yourbusiness.com) while keeping the HEY workflow. It also adds team-specific collaboration tools like Shared Threads, where you can share an email with a colleague without forwarding it, and Private Comments, which let you "chat" with your team right on top of an email thread.

The biggest "gotcha" with HEY is the No IMAP/SMTP Support. This is a dealbreaker for many. You cannot use HEY with Outlook, Apple Mail, or any third-party email app. You must use the HEY app or the web version. While their apps are beautifully designed, this "walled garden" approach can be frustrating if you have a specific workflow tied to a particular desktop email client.

You should also pay attention to the Vendor Lock-in. When you move to @hey.com, you are starting a new digital identity. If you stop paying your $99/year, you can no longer reply from that address. While HEY does provide permanent forwarding for life (as long as you were a customer for a year), you’ll eventually have to move your "replying" life somewhere else. It is a marriage, not a casual fling.

If HEY's $99 price tag or "no-third-party-apps" rule is a problem, the best alternative in 2026 is Proton Mail. Based in Switzerland, Proton offers a similar "privacy-first" mission with end-to-end encryption but allows for more traditional folder organization and has a solid free tier. For those who want the "fastest" email experience, Superhuman is the luxury choice, offering incredible keyboard shortcuts for a $30/mo premium.

• • Fastmail: The reliable, paid alternative that supports every email app and offers incredible search and privacy without the 'walled garden' feel.
• • Spark: A productivity-focused email client that works on top of your existing Gmail/Outlook accounts, offering smart sorting and team chat for free.
• • Shortwave: The "AI-native" alternative that turns your inbox into a Slack-like experience with deep threading and summaries.

• Can I import my old emails into HEY? No. HEY is designed for a "fresh start." While you can import your contacts, you cannot import your old archive of 50,000 Gmail messages. Most users keep their old account open for reference and start their "new life" on HEY.

• What happens if I stop paying? As long as you were a paying customer for at least one year, HEY will forward any mail sent to your @hey.com address to a new provider of your choice—permanently. You just won't be able to log in or reply from HEY.

• Does HEY have a calendar? Yes! In 2026, HEY features a fully integrated calendar that focuses on "protecting your time" rather than just filling it up. It is included in the $99/year fee.

• Is there a student discount? Currently, HEY does not offer a standard student discount. They believe the $99/year price is a fair, flat rate for everyone, though they occasionally offer promotional trials for education-heavy regions.

• Can I use multiple email addresses in one HEY account? Yes, you can connect multiple @hey.com addresses or business domains to one login, though you will be billed for each "seat" or personal account separately.