Hey

Hey Email Review: A Radical Rethink for the Inbox Weary

In a world of cluttered, ad-driven inboxes, Hey from Basecamp emerges not as another email client, but as a bold re-imagining of email itself. It’s a premium service that trades features for philosophy, prioritizing calm and control over everything else.

Key Features & Benefits:

Hey’s core innovation is its triage system. New senders are intercepted at The Screener, allowing you to approve, block, or funnel them into specific bundles. This eliminates spam and creates a trusted contact list. Once screened, emails are sorted into three intuitive feeds:

• The Imbox: For important, human-generated emails (yes, it’s "Im" for important).
• The Feed: For automated updates (newsletters, receipts), read like a social media feed.
• The Paper Trail: For all your "paperwork" emails (confirmations, tickets).

Features like Reply Later and Focus & Reply combat the pressure of immediate response, while the Now Page acts as a personal dashboard. Notably, Hey respects your privacy—it doesn’t track opens or scan emails for ads.

Pricing:

Hey is a paid service, costing $99 per year. This subscription model is fundamental to its ethos: your privacy and experience are the product, not your data. There is no free tier, but a robust 14-day free trial allows full access to test its paradigm-shifting approach.

Customer Support:

Support is handled exclusively via email. The team is responsive, knowledgeable, and famously human. You won’t find chatbots or labyrinthine help centers; just direct, helpful communication that aligns with Hey’s focus on reducing digital noise.

Verdict:

Hey is not for everyone. Its rigid, opinionated workflow requires abandoning traditional email habits. However, for those drowning in notification fatigue and seeking a calmer, more intentional digital life, it is a transformative tool. It’s a defiant statement that email should work for you, not the other way around.

Best for: Individuals seeking a private, focused, and clutter-free email experience and who are willing to adopt a new workflow.

Not for: Those who need deep integration with other Google/Microsoft ecosystems or prefer a traditional, feature-packed email client.