14 of the best messaging apps to help you get to inbox zero

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(Pocket-lint) -Email. Ugh. Just seeing this word can bring us a wave of stress like nothing else.

It wastes time, clutters professional and personal life, and is impossible to organize. Well almost. Over the past few years, several new messaging apps have popped up, hoping to help you find some inner zen.

That zen comes in the form of inbox zero, a theory of email management aimed at keeping your inbox empty at all times. That's a lofty goal of course, but if that's something you're interested in, check out the apps below. We've rounded up the best Android and iOS messaging solutions worth trying.

Keep in mind that all of these apps are not just about inbox zero, but they have features suitable for deleting emails, and they are all well-designed, efficient, and make the drudgery of email processing a breeze. -mails a little more tolerable. But only a little.

Best messaging apps without inbox

Sending

Dispatch is considered one of the best messaging apps for iPhone mainly because it supports third-party apps. You can, for example, archive important emails in Evernote or save links to read them later with Pocket. The app also supports email aliases. Cons include no support for POP/Exchange based email or native push.

Boxer

Boxer is an email, calendar, and contacts app built around gestures, with the aim of letting you swipe through emails until you hit the box zero reception. It also features to-do lists, push notifications, and a dashboard for important items, among many other awesome things. It even supports all major email providers, including Gmail and iCloud (except POP3-based email on iOS).

TypeApp Mail

TypeApp Mail, like some of the other apps on this list, supports all major email providers and, most notably, POP3 accounts. It offers a unified accounts experience, threaded conversations, smart push notifications, and landscape and portrait view.

Spike

Spike is not a traditional email client. It turns your emails into messages or conversations, much like you would see in a messaging app. It supports Google, Yahoo, AOL, and iCloud accounts, and it offers native push notifications, groups, and calls. It also offers a dark mode.

Triage

Triage - similar to Spike - is not a traditional email client. There are no folders, for example.

It just displays your emails as a stack of cards and you swipe a postcard to archive or keep. If you need to reply or forward a message, just tap the card to show more options. Triage supports Gmail, iCloud, and other IMAP-based email.

Newton Mail

Newton Mail is a unified messaging application that supports Gmail, Exchange, Outlook, iCloud, Google Apps and any IMAP account. It also integrates with third-party apps, such as Evernote and Trello, and it supports those services through something it calls "cards." It just lets you drop an email into another app, like Todoist. It is an excellent solution for powerful email users. However, it requires a subscription of $49.99 per year.

Gmail

Gmail is perfect for those of you tied to Google services. It lets you switch between accounts or see them all at once, view profile pictures as part of threaded conversations, respond to Google Calendar invites right from the app, and organize via archiving, tagging, starring and more.

The Android version also supports competing email providers such as Yahoo and Outlook.

Outlook

Outlook for Android and iOS is a next-generation application. It supports Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Outlook.com, iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and IMAP accounts, covering all popular email services. It offers customizable quick swipe options for email archiving and scheduling, splits your inbox into two sections (“Targeting” and “Other”), and lets you filter things like emails marked or unread.

It also integrates your calendars and files from services like Google Calendar, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.

Spark

If you like the zero inbox concept, as well as customizable and fast entries, consider Spark by Readdle. It offers short and long swipes (left and right) and they are fully customizable. You can swipe right briefly to archive a message, for example, or swipe right long to delete it. Spark also offers badges, allowing you to view a count for your entire inbox, rather than just unread messages.

Spark also has a dedicated Apple Watch app.

My Email

The MyMail is well designed and is known for its ability to automatically extract photos and logos for emails. So on the iPhone you'll never see a circle with a white "M" for Maggie or whatever. MyMail also makes it easy to switch between accounts. We just wish there was a swipe to the archive.

Oh, and the Android app doesn't look that simple. MyMail supports Gmail, Hotmail, Live, Outlook, Yahoo, MSN, iCloud and AOL, and more.

AquaMail

Aqua Mail simplifies inbox and folder navigation, with color-coded labels and the ability to consolidate all folders into one email account. The app also supports swipe gestures and features easy-to-spot action buttons, simplifying tasks like replying to, forwarding, and deleting emails. We also like that it supports formatted text, so you can underline, bold, italicize, and color text.

Aqua Mail supports Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, FastMail, iCloud, GMX, AOL, etc.

ProtonMail

ProtonMail is perfect for users who want a completely safe and secure email application. Developed by CERN students, ProtonMail offers end-to-end encryption, so it's impossible for anyone but you and the other person you're emailing with to access your emails. You can even set a timer for the emails you send to self-destruct at a certain time after they are sent.

The downside to this security is that the app requires a new ProtonMail-specific email address, but if you're concerned about security and don't mind setting up forwarding on your existing accounts, ProtonMail is the best option for you.

Blue Mail

Blue Mail is a universal email app that works with Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, iCloud and Office 365, plus setup support automatic IMAP and POP3 + Exchange. It allows users to connect an unlimited number of accounts, making it perfect for those who juggle personal, school, and work emails in different accounts.

It also comes with some nifty features, like a dark mode option, a toggle switch that lets you easily delete emails from your inbox, and the ability to easily find any email of a contact by simply clicking on their avatar.