vs Superhuman
Superhuman alternative that you actually own
Superhuman is fast and polished. It's also $360/year forever, Gmail/Outlook only, and your data lives on their servers. Here's what ownership looks like.
The real cost
Five ways Superhuman locks you in
Superhuman is a premium email client focused on speed and keyboard shortcuts. It's beautifully designed and genuinely fast. But that speed comes with strings attached.
Acquired by Grammarly in 2025
Payment lock-in
Superhuman
$360/year, forever. Stop paying, lose access.
Pontius
$99 once. Own it forever. After 4 months, you're ahead.
Email lock-in
Superhuman
Gmail and Outlook only. Use Fastmail? ProtonMail? Too bad.
Pontius
Any IMAP/SMTP provider. Gmail, Fastmail, ProtonMail, self-hosted — your choice.
AI lock-in
Superhuman
Their AI, their rules. No choice of model or provider.
Pontius
Claude Code, Gemini, Codex, local LLMs — use whatever AI you want.
Data lock-in
Superhuman
Your emails processed on their servers. Grammarly now owns that data.
Pontius
Everything runs locally. Your data never leaves your machine.
Platform lock-in
Superhuman
Web app and desktop app. Their ecosystem, their terms.
Pontius
Terminal-native. Works anywhere Go runs. Portable, scriptable, yours.
Side by side
Feature comparison
| Feature | Superhuman | Pontius |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $30/mo ($360/yr) | $99 once |
| After 1 year | -$360 | -$99 |
| After 3 years | -$1,080 | -$99 |
| Email providers | Gmail, Outlook only | Any IMAP/SMTP |
| AI choice | Their AI only | Any AI (Claude, Gemini, local) |
| Data location | Their cloud servers | Your local machine |
| Knowledge base | Stateless (no memory) | Persistent, learns over time |
| Stop paying | Lose access | Keep using forever |
The math
Cost over time
Superhuman's subscription model means you're always renting. Pontius is a one-time purchase — after a few months, you're ahead forever.
After 4 months
Superhuman: $120
Pontius: $99
Pontius becomes cheaper
After 1 year
Superhuman: $360
Pontius: $99
You've saved $261
After 3 years
Superhuman: $1,080
Pontius: $99
You've saved $981
When Superhuman makes sense
We're not going to pretend Superhuman is bad. It's excellent for certain users.
- Executives who need polish and don't care about cost
- Teams already deep in the Gmail/Outlook ecosystem
- Users who want zero setup and zero learning curve
- Companies with IT budgets that absorb SaaS sprawl
When Pontius wins
Pontius is built for people who think differently about software ownership.
- Founders and indies who hate subscription rent extraction
- Privacy-conscious users who want local-first
- Power users who want to choose their own AI
- Anyone using Fastmail, ProtonMail, or self-hosted email
- Multi-business owners who need flexibility across providers
In action
Same speed. Total freedom.
Pontius is just as fast as Superhuman — keyboard-driven, instant actions. The difference is you own it.
# Pontius: Same speed, more freedom
$ pontius list
UID FROM SUBJECT
37801 [email protected] Can't activate license
37800 [email protected] Your payout is on the way
37799 [email protected] Re: Project proposal
# Read, reply, archive — keyboard-driven, instant
$ pontius read 37801
$ pontius reply 37801 "Hi! I've fixed the activation issue..."
$ pontius archive 37800
# The difference? You own this. Forever.
# No monthly rent. No cloud dependency. No AI lock-in.“We believe you should own your software. No monthly rent extraction. No 'stop paying, lose access.' Buy it, own it, keep it forever.”
We believe you should own your software. No monthly rent extraction. No "stop paying, lose access." Buy it, own it, keep it forever.
Ready to own your email client?
$99 once. Works with any email provider. Any AI. Runs locally.
After 4 months, you're saving money. After a year, you've saved $261.