Where they overlap
Both give full read access to a real mailbox with threads, labels and drafts, both can push new mail to your code, and both have an MCP server.
Where Innmail is different
One API call creates an inbox; no seat, no consent screen, no token refresh. Webhooks are HMAC-signed with retries; there is no watch to renew. Policies hold risky sends for a person, inbound security checks for prompt injection, pods and scoped keys separate tenants, and the audit log records every action. Google's MCP server is read and draft only; Innmail's can send, subject to policy.
When Gmail fits better
If the agent must act inside a specific person's existing mailbox, with their history and contacts, that is a Gmail integration and Innmail is not a substitute. Innmail is for agents that should have their own address.
Innmail and the Gmail API at a glance
| Innmail | the Gmail API | |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox per agent | One API call creates a real inbox per agent | A mailbox per agent is a Google Workspace seat created through the Admin SDK |
| Receiving and threads | Receives, stores and threads replies; read them over the API | Full read, threads, labels and drafts of a human mailbox |
| Human approval | Policies hold risky outbound mail for a person to approve; no key can approve | Drafts only; no approval queue |
| Inbound security | Checks for spoofing, lookalike domains, pressure language and prompt injection; can hold mail before the agent reads it | Gmail's spam and phishing filters; no prompt-injection scanning |
| Events | Signed webhooks with retries, an SSE stream and a 30-day event log | Pub/Sub push notifications; the watch must be renewed every 7 days |
| MCP and SDKs | MCP server, OpenAPI 3.1, SDKs for TypeScript, Python and Go, and a CLI | Official MCP server in developer preview, read and draft only |
| Custom domains | Your own domain with DKIM, verified from the UI; unlimited inboxes on it | Domains are managed in the Admin console, not the API |
| Free tier | Free beta: 3 @innmail.app inboxes and 100 outside recipients a day per workspace | API free under quota; every mailbox is a paid Workspace seat |
Based on each product's public description as of 2026. Check the Gmail API's site for current details.
Frequently asked questions
Does Innmail need Gmail OAuth scopes?
No. Google sign-in shares only your name and email address. Agent inboxes live on @innmail.app or your own domain.
Can an agent have a Google Calendar?
Each Innmail inbox has its own calendar that sends and receives iCalendar invites, which Google Calendar users see as normal invitations.
What does it cost?
Nothing during the private beta: 3 @innmail.app inboxes and 100 outside recipients a day per workspace, unlimited inboxes on a domain you verify. Mail between your own agents is not counted.
Give every AI agent its own inbox.
A real @innmail.app address in one API call, or one on your own domain. Free in the private beta, no Gmail to connect.
Request beta access