SaneBox moves mail out of the inbox before you read it. CMDK leaves every message where Gmail put it, and makes you faster at the ones you open.
There is no existing CMDK comparison for SaneBox. This is it. If you want a filter in front of the inbox, SaneBox is the maintained version of that idea. Mailman is the one that stopped shipping. If you want to stay in Gmail and move faster yourself, CMDK is the one.
What SaneBox does
SaneBox is not a browser extension and not a new mail app. It connects to the account and files incoming mail into folders. Nothing to install. It works with Gmail, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo, Fastmail, and other IMAP accounts, in whatever client you already use.
On its own site it says it:
- Filters mail it thinks is unimportant
- Unsubscribes from a sender in one click
- Sends a reminder if someone does not reply
- Drops a sender in BlackHole so they stop reaching the inbox
- Sends a daily digest of what you have not opened
- Snoozes a message until a time you pick
It also says it looks at the sender, the subject, and the date. It says it does not store the full email or the attachments. That is a narrower read than an AI that drafts from your sent mail. It is still a second company deciding what you see.
The plans are Snack, Lunch, and Dinner. The small plan is one account and a short list of features. Reminders, the digest, and snooze are not all on the cheapest plan. SaneBox’s public pricing page does not show a number until you are in an account. Reports of the live page in August 2026 put Snack at $9.49 a month, Lunch at $15.99, and Dinner at $42.99, with a lower price if you pay for a year or two years up front. The trial is 7 days.
What CMDK does instead
CMDK does not file your mail. You see the inbox Gmail built. Shortcuts, the command bar, snippets, split inbox, snooze, reminders, and read receipts are a layer on that page. Making Gmail work like a fast client is the longer version of that setup.
Nuking one sender is free. It deletes what is already there and blocks the next messages from that person. You do not need a paid plan, and you can undo it. SaneBox’s BlackHole and digest are features you turn on inside a paid allowance.
CMDK is Gmail only. SaneBox wins immediately if the mail is in Outlook, iCloud, or Yahoo. CMDK is $9 a month or $69 a year, with 15 days free and no card. One price covers the tools. You do not pick two features and leave the rest locked.
| CMDK | SaneBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside Gmail | On the account, in any client |
| What it does to new mail | Nothing. You see it | Files some of it into other folders |
| Who it works for | Gmail and Google Workspace | Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP |
| Block a sender | Free | A feature on a paid plan |
| Reads the body | No. It does not sort mail | Says it uses sender, subject, and date, not the full message |
| Price | $9 a month, or $69 a year | Smallest reported plan about $9.49 a month, and only some features |
| Trial | 15 days, no card | 7 days |
Where SaneBox is the better tool
Pick SaneBox if the problem is noise and the inbox is not only Gmail. A folder that catches newsletters, a digest once a day, and the same setup in Apple Mail and Outlook is the job it is still shipping. CMDK will not do that, and it will not follow you off Gmail.
Take the trade. Mail it files away is mail you did not see. You check the other folder, or you trust the sort. SaneBox has been at this for years and it is still maintained. That part is real.
Where CMDK is the better tool
Pick CMDK if the problem is speed inside Gmail. You keep the inbox, you add shortcuts, and you do not pay a second company to hide messages. One price. No feature menu. The mail stays in Gmail, which already had it.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a CMDK vs SaneBox page?
This is it.
Does SaneBox read my email?
SaneBox says it uses the sender, subject, and date, and that it does not store the full message or attachments. It still chooses what stays in the inbox.
Does SaneBox work outside Gmail?
Yes. That is the main reason to pick it over CMDK.
Is SaneBox the same as Mailman?
No. Both file or hold mail before you see it. Mailman’s last product post was January 2024. SaneBox is still a live product.
Does CMDK replace SaneBox?
Only if you want to stop the automatic filing and work in Gmail directly. CMDK does not create SaneLater-style folders.
Install CMDK and keep the inbox in Gmail. The trial does not ask for a card.
