Superhuman, the clubby email app favored by Silicon Valley insiders, was clobbered by The Verge this week.
And while I disagree with the author's tepid review of the service (having tried it myself a few years back), I absolutely agree with the view that it's overpriced.
Because, as awesome as Superhuman's features are, you can get every single one of them for free!
Here's how...
Quick Links to Social Profiles
Superhuman offers a nice sidebar for your email correspondents, including links to their various social profiles ($30/month):
But so does Discoverly ($0/month):
Undo Emails
Superhuman makes it easy to undo an email right after you've sent it ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
Email Prioritization
Superhuman's AI highlights the most important messages — separating them from ads and newsletters ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
Read Statuses
Superhuman controversially still provides the ability to track whether your recipients have read your messages ($30/month):
But, if you really must have this feature, so does Streak ($0/month):
Follow-Up Reminders
Superhuman reminds you to follow-up if you don't hear back from your recipients ($30/month):
But so does Boomerang ($0/month):
Send Later
Superhuman allows you to time your messages to arrive at the perfect moment ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
Snooze
Superhuman lets you snooze emails to deal with at a later point ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
Offline Access
Superhuman allows you to access your email, even when you're offline ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
Email Shortcuts
Superhuman lets you use your keyboard to quickly move through your inbox:
But so does Gmail ($0/month):
But What About Exclusivity?
OK, you get the picture — combining free Gmail + a few free Gmail extensions gives you all the key Superhuman features... without dropping a few hundred bucks a year.
But, as The Verge notes, maybe that's all besides the point. Maybe the real point of Superhuman is that it just feels good to be part of the VIP Club:
Well good news. Superhuman may allow you to show off your club membership ($30/month):
But so does Gmail ($0/month)... ;)
PS: If this article ends up saving you a few bucks, consider donating some of them to a nonprofit that can put those to work for the world. Because you don't need to be Superhuman to be a superhero!