Softwr

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs Supernormal

HEY logo

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Supernormal logo

Supernormal

Productivity

AI meeting notes captured from the desktop app without sending a bot into the call

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Supernormal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; Supernormal credit consumption varies by task complexity and no rate card is published, so a team cannot forecast whether fifty credits covers a month of work until it has spent one, which makes the paid tiers hard to size.
  • They diverge on capability: HEY covers The Screener, Supernormal covers Bot-free desktop capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and Supernormal actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and Supernormal differ
AttributeHEYSupernormal
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthPer month by credits
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMac, Windows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, Chrome

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HEY

  • The Screener
  • Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
  • Reply Later stack
  • Focus and Reply mode
  • Screen sharing style clips
  • No tracking pixels

Only in Supernormal

  • Bot-free desktop capture
  • Structured notes
  • Custom templates
  • Generated work output
  • Credit rollover
  • Admin governance
  • Sharing and search
  • Multi-platform capture

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HEY

  • Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Supernormal
  • A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Supernormal
  • A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Supernormal
  • A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Supernormal

Supernormal

  • Client-facing consultants whose customers refuse to admit a recording bot but who still need an accurate record of what was agreednot HEY
  • A recruiter running back-to-back interviews who wants structured notes per candidate without an extra participant appearing to the candidatenot HEY
  • A small team that wants meeting output turned directly into a document or deck rather than into a transcript someone must rewritenot HEY
  • A regulated organisation needing SSO, audit logs and retention controls over meeting records without deploying an enterprise suitenot HEY

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HEY

  • There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
  • Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
  • The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
  • Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
  • It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Supernormal

  • Credit consumption varies by task complexity and no rate card is published, so a team cannot forecast whether fifty credits covers a month of work until it has spent one, which makes the paid tiers hard to size.
  • Team and Business include the same fifty credits, so the higher tier buys governance rather than capacity, and a heavy user hitting the ceiling gains nothing by upgrading.
  • Capturing without a visible bot removes the prompt that reminds participants they are being recorded, but not the legal consent obligation in two-party consent jurisdictions, and the product makes that omission easy.
  • Desktop capture depends on the application running on the meeting host's machine, so a participant joining from a phone, a locked-down corporate laptop or a browser without the extension gets nothing.
  • The category is crowded with better-funded competitors bundled into Zoom, Microsoft and Google subscriptions customers already pay for, which puts sustained pressure on a small independent vendor and on the value of standardising a team on it.

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year
  • HEY for You$99/year
    • One hey.com email address
    • Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
    • Billed annually only, no monthly option
  • HEY for Families$179/year
    • Covers up to five family members
    • Same features as HEY for You per member
  • HEY for Work$12/month
    • Per user, for organisations on a company domain
    • Admin controls for a team

Supernormal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 15 credits a month
    • Maximum 5 credits a day
    • Desktop meeting capture without bots
  • Team$20/month
    • 50 credits a month
    • No daily credit cap
    • Credit rollover
  • Business$40/month
    • 50 credits a month, the same allowance as Team
    • SSO
    • Audit logs

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

  • You need the screener.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.
HEY review

Choose Supernormal if

  • You need bot-free desktop capture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome.
  • You also want structured notes.
Supernormal review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or Supernormal better?
Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Supernormal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or Supernormal?
Supernormal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Supernormal.
Does HEY or Supernormal run on more platforms?
HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Supernormal runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome.
Can I use Supernormal for free?
Yes. Supernormal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is HEY best used for?
HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Supernormal is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that Supernormal cannot?
HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode. Supernormal covers Bot-free desktop capture, Structured notes, Custom templates, Generated work output.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Supernormal: Does Supernormal join my meeting as a bot?

No. It captures from the desktop application, so no additional participant appears in the call. That is its main differentiator.

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Supernormal: How much does it cost?

Free gives 15 credits a month capped at 5 a day. Team is $20 a month and Business is $40 a month, both with 50 credits.

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Supernormal: What does a credit buy?

Credits are consumed by tasks and usage varies with complexity. The vendor does not publish per-task rates, which is the weak point of the pricing model.

Supernormal: Do I still need consent to record?

Yes. Removing the visible bot does not remove the legal requirement in jurisdictions that require all parties to consent. Treat the absence of a prompt as a compliance risk, not a feature.

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