Overview

HEY was launched in 2021 by Basecamp—the team behind the popular project management tool Basecamp and the Ruby on Rails framework—and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. HEY is not an incremental improvement to existing email; it is a ground-up rethinking of what email should be. It replaces the traditional folder-based inbox with a tri-zone system: Imbox (for important people), Paper Trail (for receipts and confirmations), and The Feed (for newsletters and marketing). The signature Screener feature requires first-time senders to be "approved" before their messages reach your Imbox. At $99/year, HEY targets individuals and professionals who value efficiency, privacy, and a clean inbox.

Key Strengths

  • Imbox Tri-Zone System: Inbox is split into three distinct areas—Imbox (only emails from people you care about), Paper Trail (receipts, confirmations, and notifications, auto-archived), and The Feed (newsletters and marketing read in a Feedly-like interface). No manual sorting required.
  • Screener: Any first-time sender is held in the Screener area until you decide to "allow" or "block" them. This fundamentally eliminates cold emails, spam, and unwanted marketing from ever reaching your primary inbox.
  • Tracker Blocking: HEY automatically detects and blocks hidden tracking pixels embedded in emails. Senders cannot know when or whether you opened their message. No need to manually disable image loading.
  • Clippy: A built-in clipping tool that lets you extract key information (addresses, phone numbers, dates, links) from emails and save them to a dedicated notes area—no more searching through threads to find that one detail.

Product Ecosystem

  • Imbox / Paper Trail / Feed: Three auto-sorted zones—friend and client emails go to Imbox, receipts go to Paper Trail, newsletters go to The Feed.
  • Screener: Each new sender must pass the Screener on their first message. You can then set auto-routing rules by sender, subject, or attachment type.
  • Reply Later Auto-Follow-Up: When you send an email and don't get a reply, HEY automatically marks it for follow-up and reminds you after a configurable interval.
  • Set Aside / Reply Later / Read Later: Three one-click buttons let you temporarily set aside emails, queue them for later reply, or save them for later reading—no rules or folder creation needed.
  • HEY for Domains: Business tier ($10/user/month) with custom domain support and team mailbox management.

Limitations

  • $99/Year, No Free Tier: Compared to free Gmail and Outlook.com, HEY's paywall is significant. A 14-day free trial is available, but long-term use requires the annual subscription.
  • No IMAP/POP3: HEY is a closed ecosystem. It does not support IMAP, POP3, or SMTP protocols, so it cannot be used with Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook, or automation tools like Zapier.
  • Custom Domain Costs Extra: The personal plan uses hey.com only. Custom domains require HEY for Domains at $10/user/month.
  • Not for Technical Integrations: Lacks email API or SMTP relay capabilities. Unsuitable for transactional email, system alerts, or deliverability optimization use cases.

Use Cases

  • Efficiency-Focused Individuals (★★★★★): Imbox + Screener dramatically reduces inbox noise. Ideal for knowledge workers processing high email volumes daily.
  • Privacy-Conscious Users (★★★★☆): Tracker blocking effectively prevents third-party tracking, appealing to those who value digital privacy.
  • Personal Email Organization (★★★★☆): Receipts auto-filed to Paper Trail, newsletters to The Feed—keeps the inbox clean without manual effort.
  • Business Email System (★★☆☆☆): Lacks IMAP/SMTP, cannot integrate with existing workflows. Custom domain costs extra. Consider enterprise email comparisons for team use.

Pricing

Plan Core Features Price
HEY Personal Imbox + Paper Trail + Feed + Tracker Blocking $99/year
HEY for Domains Personal features + custom domain + team management $10/user/month

14-day free trial available with no payment method required.

FAQ

Can I import my existing emails into HEY?
Yes. HEY supports importing from Gmail, Outlook, and other providers, including folder structures and labels.

Can I send emails from my own domain?
The personal plan sends from @hey.com. To use your own domain, subscribe to HEY for Domains ($10/user/month).

Why doesn't HEY support IMAP?
HEY's design philosophy is to reinvent email from scratch. The IMAP protocol cannot support Imbox categorization, the Screener, or tracker blocking. HEY is intentionally a standalone ecosystem, not a traditional email client replacement.