HEY

hey.com
Email Marketing
Weekend Project

A delightfully fresh take on email + calendar, from 37signals

How to Replace HEY

Overview

HEY is a reimagined email and calendar service that prioritizes privacy and user control. It replaces traditional inbox management with innovative features like The Screener, Imbox, Paper Trail, and Feed, along with a modern calendar application. The service is available across Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android platforms.

Features

47 features across 17 categories

Account Management(1)

Account Linking

Link multiple HEY accounts to view all emails in one place without logging in and out.

Also in: Keeper, 1Password, Bitwarden

Calendar(2)

HEY Calendar

Modern, full-featured calendar application with original twists on calendar conventions.

Journal

Dedicated daily notes section in HEY Calendar for reminders, meeting notes, and personal reflections.

Also in: Whereby, Planhat, Notion

Collaboration(4)

CollectionsPremium

Combine multiple email threads on a single page, group them, and optionally share with team members.

Email ExtensionsPremium

Create group email addresses like sales@, support@, or info@ that multiple team members can access.

Private Thread CommentsPremium

Add private comments to shared threads that only team members can see.

Thread SharingPremium

Share any email thread with team members. They see the full conversation plus future replies and private comments.

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Obsidian

Contact Management(1)

Contact Notes

Add searchable notes to contacts to store details like where you met, phone numbers, and follow-up reminders.

Email Account(3)

@hey.com Email Address

Exclusive @hey.com email address of your choosing included with your account.

Custom Domain EmailPremium

Send and receive emails using your own custom domain name.

Email AliasesPremium

Set up aliases like support@ that go to multiple people on your team.

Email Management(13)

Autoresponder

Set automatic replies for when you're away, on vacation, or unavailable.

Bubble Up

Set emails to reappear at the top of your Imbox at a later time.

Focus & Reply

Show only emails marked as 'Reply Later' and reply to them one after another without distraction.

Power Through

Easy way to power through unread messages without interrupting workflow.

Reply Later

Move emails you need to reply to but don't have time for into a dedicated 'Reply Later' pile.

Reply to Everyone

Send the same reply to multiple emails at once.

SMTP Support

Send emails from @hey.com address plus external email addresses and domains hosted elsewhere.

Snippets

Save and quickly insert frequently used message templates and responses.

Speakeasy Code

Give special codes to contacts that bypass The Screener and ensure their emails get special treatment.

The Imbox

Focused inbox for important emails from people and services you care about. Default destination for approved senders.

The Screener

Screen emails like you screen calls. First-time senders land in The Screener where you decide if you want to hear from them or not.

Thread Unfollowing

Unfollow email threads to remove future replies from appearing as new emails.

Workflows

Track email progress through defined stages in a multi-step process with visual representation.

Email Organization(11)

Clips Library

Clip and save text snippets from emails for quick reference without digging through threads.

Cover Art

Add visual cover art styles or custom images to slide over previously seen emails for visual organization.

Email Sticky Notes

Add personal sticky notes to emails for phone numbers, dates, addresses, links, and private thoughts.

Email Thread Merging

Merge separate emails about the same topic into one thread to keep conversations together.

New vs Previously Seen Inbox

Automatically group new messages at the top and previously seen emails at the bottom for orderly organization.

Paper Trail

Dedicated space for transactional emails like receipts, order confirmations, and service notifications, kept separate from main email flow.

Private Email Notes

Add personal, private notes and files to email threads to keep all conversation-related information in one place.

Sender Bundling

Bundle emails from prolific senders into a single row regardless of volume.

Set Aside

Keep emails you need to reference later in a neat, organized pile for easy access.

Subject Line Editing

Rename email subject lines for clarity without changing them for other recipients.

The Feed

Browsable newsfeed-style interface for newsletters and long-reads. All emails are pre-opened for easy scrolling.

Email Reading(1)

Multi-Email Reading

Open multiple emails at once and scroll through them like a newsfeed instead of opening and closing individually.

Email Sharing(1)

Email Link Sharing

Share a direct link to any email thread with anyone, even non-HEY users.

Family Sharing(1)

HEY for Families

Family plan supporting up to 5 family members with individual @hey.com addresses, calendars, and accounts.

File Management(2)

Attachment Library

Organized library of all received attachments in one place without digging through email threads.

File Sharing

Send large files via email. Recipients get a direct download link instead of file attachments.

Notifications(1)

Smart Notifications

Push notifications are off by default. Selectively enable them for specific contacts or threads.

Privacy & Security(2)

Spy Pixel Blocking

Blocks email tracking pixels and spy ware. Shows you who is spying on your activity 24/7/365.

Two-Factor Authentication

Mandatory 2FA for all paying customers with support for hardware security keys and fingerprint readers.

Publishing(1)

HEY World

Personal publishing feature. Send an email to world@hey.com to publish content on a webpage. Supports email subscriptions and RSS.

Spam Management(1)

HEY Spam Corps

Community spam filtering. Mark emails as spam in The Screener to help improve spam filters.

Storage(1)

100GB Storage

Storage space for all emails and attachments.

Team Management(1)

Multi-User ManagementPremium

Centralized billing and account management for team members.

Pricing

HEY for You

$99/year
  • @HEY.com email address
  • HEY Calendar
  • Built-in workflows
  • Apps for every platform
  • Spy pixel blocking
  • 100GB storage space
  • HEY World personal blog
  • Privacy guaranteed

HEY for Domains

$12/user/month ($10/month first user)
  • All HEY for You features
  • Custom domain email
  • Multi-user management
  • Thread sharing
  • Private team comments
  • Email aliases
  • Centralized billing

HEY for Families

$179/year
  • Up to 5 family members
  • Individual @hey.com addresses
  • Individual calendars
  • Individual accounts
  • All HEY for You features

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying HEY

Monthly$12/mo
Yearly$144/yr
5-Year Total$720

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~4 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 Year
SaaS
$144
DIY
$240
3 Years
SaaS
$432
DIY
$720
5 Years
SaaS
$720
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 47 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a HEY alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 47 features.

Buy HEY

Better Value
Monthly cost$120/mo
3-year total$4,320
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$24,000
Maintenance$360/mo
3-year total$36,960
Dev time~2 months

Buying HEY saves ~$32,640 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 47 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.