eM Client
Focusmate
| Feature | eM Client | Focusmate |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49.95/mo | Free / from $6.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | professionals, windows-users, outlook-alternatives, small-businesses | remote-workers, freelancers, students, adhd-professionals |
| Founded | 2007 | 2016 |
| ✓ | ✗ | |
| Calendar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contacts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tasks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pgp Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Coworking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session Booking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Accountability Partner | ✗ | ✓ |
| Calendar Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session History | ✗ | ✓ |
| Community | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Focusmate Pros
- Powerful accountability through social presence
- Free plan includes 3 sessions/week
- Global community available 24/7
- Proven to reduce procrastination
✗ Focusmate Cons
- Requires camera on (can feel awkward)
- Limited to 25/50/75 min sessions
- Depends on partner availability
The Verdict
eM Client is built for professionals and windows users, with a focus on email and calendar. Focusmate targets remote workers and freelancers and leads with video-coworking and session-booking.
On pricing, Focusmate is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $6.99/mo compared to $49.95/mo for eM Client. That $42.96/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.
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.