Every email client we tried was either slow, cloud-dependent, or both. The web apps are sluggish. The native alternatives are either locked behind a subscription to someone else's server or missing the features that make daily use feel natural.
So we built ZenMail.
The problem with existing clients
Gmail's web interface is fast at what it does, but it's a browser tab. It can't integrate with the OS, it can't work offline, and every byte of your email passes through Google's servers twice — once to store it, once to show it to you.
Native clients like Mimestream and Airmail solved some of these problems, but they're built on top of OAuth flows and cloud sync layers that add latency and attack surface. We wanted something different.
What we decided to build
ZenMail talks directly to Gmail's API using your credentials, stores everything in an encrypted local SQLite database, and never sends your email through any ZenMail-controlled infrastructure. There's nothing to breach because there's nothing to store.
The app is written in Rust and Tauri — a native Mac app, not a browser in a box. The difference shows in startup time, memory usage, and how it feels to type.
We're still early, but this is the foundation we believe email deserves.