eM Client
Fantastical
| Feature | eM Client | Fantastical |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49.95/mo | Free / from $6.75/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | professionals, windows-users, outlook-alternatives, small-businesses | apple-users, professionals, freelancers, busy-professionals |
| Founded | 2007 | 2011 |
| ✓ | ✗ | |
| Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contacts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tasks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pgp Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Natural Language | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar Sets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weather | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Zones | ✗ | ✓ |
| Proposals | ✗ | ✓ |
| Widgets | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ eM Client Pros
- One-time purchase
- Feature-rich
- Good Exchange support
- Modern UI
✗ eM Client Cons
- Desktop only
- Free limited to 2 accounts
- Occasional sync issues
✓ Fantastical Pros
- Natural language input
- Beautiful design
- Weather integration
- Multiple calendars
✗ Fantastical Cons
- Apple only
- Expensive
- Free version limited
The Verdict
eM Client is built for professionals and windows users, with a focus on email and calendar. Fantastical targets apple users and professionals and leads with natural-language and calendar-sets.
On pricing, Fantastical is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $6.75/mo compared to $49.95/mo for eM Client. That $43.2/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for professionals — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.