I 
Inbox Zero
An open-source AI email assistant that automates and unsubscribes.
NOT REALLY
why this verdict
Keep paying — Microsoft has not replaced it
Microsoft's version overlaps, but does not finish the email job, so this one still earns its $15/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Native AI in Gmail handles summarising and drafting. Microsoft, April 1, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 1 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Shortwave.
- What the call is worth $180/yr
- $15/mo at the entry paid tier — $180 a year per seat.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- Microsoft
- Since
- April 1, 2025
- List price
- $15/mo
- Per year
- $180
The backstory
Inbox Zero's differentiator is that you can read it and host it: rules that run on your mail, bulk unsubscribing, and an assistant that acts rather than just summarises. For people uneasy about a startup reading every email, self-hosting is the answer Gmail's AI cannot offer.
Escape hatches
F 
Fyxer More polished, hosted only.
fyxer.com open_in_new S 
Shortwave Strong AI search and summaries.
shortwave.com open_in_new1 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.