FocusHQ vs Superhuman
Superhuman is a fast, keyboard-first email client for people drowning in Gmail or Outlook. FocusHQ is broader: email is one of sixteen inboxes we triage in one place, plus an AI planner and real focus sessions — at a lower price than Superhuman Pro.
Quick comparison
- Gmail triageYesAI triage, drafts, rulesYesTheir specialty
- Outlook supportYesYes
- Slack, GitHub, Linear, Notion in one inboxYes16 integrationsNoEmail-only
- Keyboard-first shortcutsPartialCommand palette, not full modalYesCore differentiator
- AI drafts tuned to your voiceYesYes
- Daily AI plannerYesNo
- Focus sessions (shield + debrief)YesNo
- Team delegationYesFrom the inboxPartialTeam plan, email-scoped
- Price (monthly, individual)$24 / mo (Pro)$30 / mo (Pro)
- Price (annual, individual)$19 / mo, billed yearly$12 / mo, billed yearly
- Team/Business price (annual)From $39 / seat / mo$33 / seat / mo (Business)
- macOS native appYesYes
Pricing and feature data verified April 2026 from superhuman.com. Features change; please confirm before making a purchase decision.
When FocusHQ wins
- Your noise isn’t just email. If Slack pings, GitHub reviews and Linear issues all compete for attention, Superhuman can’t see them — FocusHQ triages all sixteen sources in one calm inbox.
- You actually want a daily plan, not just a cleaner inbox. The FocusHQ planner turns what’s left after triage into a realistic day of work.
- You want focus sessions with a notification shield and debrief — built in, not a separate app.
- You’re paying monthly. $24/mo beats $30/mo, and Pro includes the planner and team features.
When Superhuman wins
- If you only need email and keyboard speed is religious for you, Superhuman’s shortcuts and latency are still the best in the category. FocusHQ is fast, but not single-handed-typing fast.
- Annual Superhuman Pro ($12/mo) is meaningfully cheaper than FocusHQ Pro annual ($19/mo) — if you don’t value the other 15 integrations, Superhuman wins on price.
- Superhuman’s AI reply tone-matching has more training on pure email style; FocusHQ’s drafts are cross-channel (email, Slack, GitHub), which is broader but sometimes less polished for long email threads.
We try to keep this section honest. If a tool is clearly better for your scenario, we would rather you use it than switch, churn, and write a bad review.
Coming from Superhuman?
Superhuman users often keep Gmail as the backbone — FocusHQ does the same, so the switch is mostly additive:
- Connect Gmail with one click (same OAuth scopes Superhuman uses).
- Let FocusHQ learn from 7 days of your triage decisions — it picks up your “important vs. noise” pattern quickly.
- Add Slack, Calendar and whatever else is stealing attention today. This is where the unified inbox pays off.
- Cancel Superhuman when you’re ready, or keep both for a month.
14 days free, no credit card. If your whole workflow is email, we actually encourage you to A/B both tools for a week — Superhuman is a great product, we just do a different job.
FAQ
Does FocusHQ have keyboard shortcuts?
Yes — there’s a command palette (Cmd-K) and the usual inbox shortcuts (archive, snooze, done). They aren’t as exhaustive as Superhuman’s — if J/K navigation and single-key actions are why you love Superhuman, you may still prefer it for pure email.
Can I use FocusHQ alongside Superhuman for a while?
Yes. FocusHQ reads Gmail via the standard Gmail API — nothing Superhuman does conflicts. You can run both for a week and delete whichever you don’t open.
Why is annual FocusHQ more expensive than annual Superhuman?
Superhuman prices aggressively at $12/mo annually. FocusHQ Pro annual is $19/mo, which includes the unified inbox for 15 non-email tools, a daily planner, and focus mode. If you value those, the $84/yr difference is worth it; if you only need email, Superhuman is the better deal.
Try FocusHQ, free.
14-day free trial. No credit card. Connect Gmail, Slack and your calendar in under 5 minutes, keep what works, cancel if it doesn’t earn its keep.