Comparison
How Email Spam Tester compares
Five tools people use to check an email before it goes out, next to ours. What each one costs, what it checks, whether it shows the folder, and where it is the better pick.
All of these start the same way: you send a real email to an address the service gives you. They differ in what they do with it. Some score the message and stop there. GMass only tells you which Gmail folder it reached. GlockApps and MailGenius do both, for a price or after a sign-up, and Unspam.email does both on a monthly allowance.
Email Spam Tester does both in one send, without an account. That does not make it the right choice for everyone, and each comparison below has a section on when the other tool is.
The short version
| Email Spam Tester | Mail-Tester | Unspam.email | GlockApps | MailGenius | GMass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free to use without an account | Yes | 3 tests a day | 3 tests a month | Checker: 3 a day; full test: 2 after sign-up | Yes, with CAPTCHA | Free; addresses shown without a login |
| Spam score and technical checks | 42 checks, 2 scores | Yes, out of 10 | Yes, out of 100 | Yes, per filter | Yes | No (separate analyzer) |
| Which folder it lands in | Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and others | No | 10 inboxes, 7 providers | 115+ inboxes | Described as a simulation | Gmail and Google Workspace |
| Gmail and Yahoo bulk-sender rules | Yes, 4 checks | Not stated | List-Unsubscribe | Not stated | One-click unsubscribe | Not stated |
| API | Free, no key for a test | Paid plans | Paid plans | All plans, uses credits | Via RapidAPI | Premium plan, no tester |
| Interface languages | 31 | 24 | 4 | English site | English | English site |
| Cheapest paid option | None needed | $5 for 10 tests (pack) | From $5/month | $16.99 for 3 tests | $23/month billed yearly ($29 monthly) | Free tester |
One page per tool
What people who tried it said
I took a closer look at it, and it convinced me. […] Every warning names the RFC section behind it. You don't have to believe the tool, you can check it.
Translated from GermanIch habe ihn mir genauer angesehen, und er hat mich überzeugt. […] Jede Warnung nennt die zugrunde liegende RFC-Stelle. Man muss dem Tool nicht glauben, man kann es nachprüfen.
Philipp ZöldEmail deliverability consultantlinkedin.com If you send emails and you don't know where they land, it's a simple first check. And it costs nothing.
Vincent RobinCo-founder, My Deliverability Expertlinkedin.com I just tried your tool and I really like it - good job!
Georg LauterbachMaintainer, docker-mailservergithub.com How we compared
Every fact about another service on these pages comes from that service's own website, read on the date shown under each table. Where their pages contradict each other we say so instead of picking the number that suits us. Where something is not stated, the table says "not stated" rather than "no".
Prices change. If you find one that has, write to us and we will correct it.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Mail-Tester?
If you want the same kind of score without the daily limit, and the folder at Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo in the same send, Email Spam Tester is built for exactly that. Unspam.email also has a placement test, on a monthly allowance.
Which tool shows inbox placement for free?
Email Spam Tester includes it in the free test. GMass shows the Gmail folder for free. GlockApps' no-account checker shows Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and Outlook, three times a day. Unspam.email gives two placement tests a month without an account and three with a free one. MailGenius gives new users three, then charges.
Why is my score different on each tool?
Each one weighs things differently. A score out of 10 subtracts penalties from SpamAssassin and a handful of rules; a score out of 100 usually adds authentication, reputation and the bulk-sender rules. Compare what each report says is wrong, not the numbers.
Is Email Spam Tester really free?
Yes. The first 100,000 reports are free for everyone, with no account and no cap per person. After that, five tests per IP address per day stay free for as long as the service runs.
Run both tests on the same email
The fairest comparison is your own message. Get an address, send the email you were going to test anyway, and put the two reports next to each other.