Productivity · head to head
Mimestream vs WPS Office
Mimestream
Productivity
Native Mac email client built specifically for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts, and nothing else
- From
- $4.99/month
- Rated
- -
WPS Office
Productivity
Office suite from Kingsoft with Microsoft file compatibility, including maintained Linux builds
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only WPS Office has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mimestream it only works with Gmail and Google Workspace, so it is entirely useless for anyone with an iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo or other IMAP account.; WPS Office the free tier is funded by advertising, and the adverts and upgrade prompts appear inside the editing window rather than on a website, so the cost of not paying is charged in interruptions while you work.
- They diverge on capability: Mimestream covers Native Gmail labels, WPS Office covers One application.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mimestream and WPS Office actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mimestream | WPS Office |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4.99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Per user per month | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Mac | Web |
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 Mimestream
- Native Gmail labels
- Gmail filters
- Fast local search
- Conversation threading
- Multiple account support
- Native macOS integration
Only in WPS Office
- One application
- Microsoft format handling
- PDF tools
- Linux builds
- WPS AI
- Cloud storage
- Mobile apps
- Templates
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mimestream
- A Mac user whose email is entirely Gmail or Google Workspace and wants a faster native alternative to the Gmail web appnot WPS Office
- Someone who finds Apple Mail handling of Gmail labels and search unreliable or confusingnot WPS Office
- A Google Workspace user managing multiple accounts who wants them combined in one native menu bar appnot WPS Office
- A user who wants Gmail-specific filters and search operators without opening a browser tabnot WPS Office
WPS Office
- A Linux desktop where the free alternatives keep breaking the layout of colleagues' DOCX and PPTX files.not Mimestream
- A small business that edits and converts PDFs regularly and does not want an Acrobat subscription for each person.not Mimestream
- Students and home users who need Microsoft-compatible documents without a Microsoft 365 subscription.not Mimestream
- Older or low-specification Windows machines where the full Microsoft suite is slow to install and slow to run.not Mimestream
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mimestream
- It only works with Gmail and Google Workspace, so it is entirely useless for anyone with an iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo or other IMAP account.
- It is a subscription with no permanent free tier or lifetime purchase option, so the cost is ongoing for as long as it is used.
- It is Mac only, so it does nothing for a Windows machine or for mobile email, which still relies on the standard Gmail app or another client.
- Because it depends entirely on Gmail API access, any change Google makes to that API could affect Mimestream functionality outside the developer control.
- A user who wants one email client for multiple different providers has to run Mimestream alongside a second app for non-Gmail accounts, rather than consolidating everything in one place.
WPS Office
- The free tier is funded by advertising, and the adverts and upgrade prompts appear inside the editing window rather than on a website, so the cost of not paying is charged in interruptions while you work.
- Kingsoft is a Chinese company and cloud sync stores documents on its infrastructure by default, which is a procurement blocker for government, defence and many regulated buyers no matter how well the software performs.
- Complex Microsoft files still drift, so heavily formatted documents with tracked changes, PowerPoint animations and workbooks using recent functions or VBA macros can open with differences that only become visible when the file goes back to a Microsoft user.
- There is no tenant administration, so an organisation has no central console for licences, policy, retention or offboarding, and every installation has to be managed on the individual machine.
- Cloud storage stops at 1 GB free and 20 GB per user when paid, so it works as sync for documents and stops being viable for anyone handling media, scans or large PDF archives.
Pricing, plan by plan
Mimestream
$4.99/month- Mimestream$4.99/month
- 49.99 USD per year if billed annually
- Free trial before purchase
- Covers multiple Gmail or Google Workspace accounts
WPS Office
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the WPS Office review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Mimestream if
- You need native gmail labels.
- You work on Mac.
- You also want gmail filters.
Choose WPS Office if
- You need one application.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want microsoft format handling.
Questions people ask
- Is Mimestream or WPS Office better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mimestream starts at $4.99/month and WPS Office at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mimestream or WPS Office?
- WPS Office has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4.99/month for Mimestream and Free for WPS Office.
- Does Mimestream or WPS Office run on more platforms?
- Mimestream runs on Mac. WPS Office runs on Web.
- Can I use WPS Office for free?
- Yes. WPS Office has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mimestream starts at $4.99/month.
- What is Mimestream best used for?
- Mimestream is most often used for a mac user whose email is entirely gmail or google workspace and wants a faster native alternative to the gmail web app, someone who finds apple mail handling of gmail labels and search unreliable or confusing, a google workspace user managing multiple accounts who wants them combined in one native menu bar app, a user who wants gmail-specific filters and search operators without opening a browser tab. Of those, a mac user whose email is entirely gmail or google workspace and wants a faster native alternative to the gmail web app and someone who finds apple mail handling of gmail labels and search unreliable or confusing are not what WPS Office is typically brought in for.
- What can Mimestream do that WPS Office cannot?
- Mimestream covers Native Gmail labels, Gmail filters, Fast local search, Conversation threading. WPS Office covers One application, Microsoft format handling, PDF tools, Linux builds.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Mimestream: Does Mimestream work with Outlook or iCloud Mail?
No. It connects only to Gmail and Google Workspace accounts and cannot be used with any other provider.
WPS Office: Will it open and save Microsoft Office files properly?
It reads and writes DOCX, XLSX and PPTX natively and ordinary documents round-trip cleanly. Files with macros, tracked changes or complex animation can differ, so check anything going back to a Microsoft user.
Mimestream: Is Mimestream free?
No. It is a subscription at 4.99 US dollars a month or 49.99 dollars a year, with a free trial but no permanent free tier.
WPS Office: Is the free version genuinely free?
Yes, and it is not time-limited. It shows adverts, caps cloud storage at 1 GB, and holds back PDF editing and conversion, text recognition and electronic signature for the paid plan.
Mimestream: Is it available on iPhone or iPad?
No. Mimestream is a Mac-only native app with no iOS version.
WPS Office: Does it run on Linux?
Yes, with maintained desktop builds, which is unusual for a commercial office suite. The Linux version can trail Windows on newer features.
WPS Office: Is it suitable for a regulated organisation?
Usually not without a review. The vendor is Chinese, cloud sync is on by default, and there is no administrative or compliance tooling of the kind a regulated buyer will be asked to evidence.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Mimestream vs HEY
- Mimestream vs Spark Mail
- Mimestream vs Alfred
- Mimestream vs Bluemail
- Mimestream vs Canary Mail
- Mimestream vs Streaks
- Mimestream vs Things 3
- Mimestream vs Supernormal
- Mimestream vs Todoist
- Mimestream vs Brain.fm
- Mimestream vs Akiflow
- Mimestream vs Forest
- Mimestream vs Any.do
- Mimestream vs Hubstaff
- Mimestream vs Mealime
- Mimestream vs OmniFocus 3
- Mimestream vs Microsoft 365
- Mimestream vs MindMeister
- Mimestream vs Google Slides
- Mimestream vs Beautiful.ai
- Mimestream vs LibreOffice
- Mimestream vs tldraw
- Mimestream vs PDF Expert
- Mimestream vs TickTick
- Mimestream vs Pitch
- Mimestream vs Microsoft OneNote
- Mimestream vs Google Workspace
- WPS Office vs HEY
- WPS Office vs Spark Mail
- WPS Office vs Alfred
- WPS Office vs Bluemail
- WPS Office vs Canary Mail
- WPS Office vs Streaks
- WPS Office vs Things 3
- WPS Office vs Supernormal
- WPS Office vs Todoist
- WPS Office vs Brain.fm
- WPS Office vs Akiflow
- WPS Office vs Forest
- WPS Office vs Any.do
- WPS Office vs Hubstaff
- WPS Office vs Mealime
- WPS Office vs OmniFocus 3
- WPS Office vs Microsoft 365
- WPS Office vs MindMeister
- WPS Office vs Google Slides
- WPS Office vs Beautiful.ai
- WPS Office vs LibreOffice
- WPS Office vs tldraw
- WPS Office vs PDF Expert
- WPS Office vs TickTick
- WPS Office vs Pitch
- WPS Office vs Microsoft OneNote
- WPS Office vs Google Workspace