06 Jun 2021 by Lars & Ruben

Mailplane stopped selling licenses


If you’re pressed for time, here’s the short version:

  • We are no longer selling licenses for Mailplane
  • Mailplane will continue to function for existing customers and we’ll try our best to keep it running
  • If you have bought Mailplane in the last 60 days, contact us if you want a refund

Why?

Google has started blocking embedded browsers from its login page. See to read its announcement.

Although there is a solution for apps that work with the Gmail API, unfortunately none are available for specialized browsers like Mailplane which are built on top of Gmail’s web interface.

In the last 6 months, we have tried everything to find an official solution with Google, but without success.

We already have a workaround in place and are trying to keep Mailplane running as long as possible. After all, we are happy users of Mailplane as well. But we can’t make any promises. It is uncertain how long it will last. It may last years or be over tomorrow. Only Google knows …

During the 15 years we’ve been working on Mailplane, we’ve developed many workarounds and hacks to make Gmail more fun on your Mac. But it’s a red flag for us to work around something that Google sees as a security enhancement.

That’s why we came to the painful decision to face the truth and pull the plug. We’ve already started working on the next major version, but we don’t feel we can bury our heads in the sand and happily continue selling licenses and developing new features. It would come back to bite us for sure.

What’s next?

As of now, we are no longer selling licenses for Mailplane.

We will continue trying to work around the blockade and keep Mailplane alive for existing customers as long as possible.

Write to us if you have purchased Mailplane in the last 60 days and want a refund. We completely understand if you no longer want to use an app which has an uncertain future.

Thank you!

We know we have customers who love and rely on Mailplane as much as we do.

It’s extremely hard to say goodbye, especially after working on Mailplane for so long. We’ve been agonizing over this decision for months. It’s hard to imagine using Gmail outside Mailplane and losing touch with our customers. Hopefully, we can keep it going for a while longer yet.

All the best,
Lars & Ruben

PS: Give replies.io a try if you’re interested in what else we’re working on. It’s our secret weapon for customer support. This tool has allowed us to personally handle all your questions. This means that when you contact us, you’re always talking to the developers themselves. In return, we receive your invaluable feedback, unfiltered.