To connect an AI agent to Gmail, Outlook, and IMAP mailboxes you already have, use Fluxmail. It's one MCP server for all three, hosted or self-hosted, and you choose which mailboxes and permissions each agent gets. If you only use Gmail inside Claude or ChatGPT, their built-in Gmail connectors take a minute to turn on. Microsoft 365 organizations that also want calendar, Teams, and files can use Microsoft's Work IQ MCP or Claude's Microsoft 365 connector. Agents that need an address of their own should look at AgentMail, and for free open-source servers you run yourself, start with google_workspace_mcp for Gmail or ms-365-mcp-server for Outlook.
We checked prices and features against each product's docs and pricing pages on October 23, 2026. We make Fluxmail, so it's listed first.
What should I look for in an email MCP server?
Start with whose mail the agent works in, because each case calls for a different product. Most people want an assistant that reads and answers their own Gmail or Outlook inbox. Some want an agent with its own address, and some are building a product that connects customers' mailboxes.
Then compare what each server supports:
- Some servers, including Google's official one, can only create drafts, which is safer but stops short of automation.
- Some servers return attachment metadata but not the file, so the agent can't read an invoice or a PDF.
- A Gmail-only server won't help when half your mail is in Outlook.
- An agent that summarizes your inbox should get read-only access, and one that sends follow-ups still needs something narrower than full control of every mailbox.
- A built-in connector only works in the app that ships it, while a standalone MCP server works in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and anything else that speaks MCP.
What are the best email MCP servers?
1. Fluxmail
Fluxmail connects Gmail, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Exchange, and IMAP mailboxes such as iCloud, Yahoo, and Fastmail to AI agents through one set of email tools. Fluxmail Cloud hosts the MCP server at https://cloud.fluxmail.ai/mcp. Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other clients sign in with OAuth, and on the consent screen you pick the mailboxes and the permission level: Read only, Read and write, or Full mail access with sending. Cloud is also in Claude's connector directory, and it has a REST API for scripts.
The tools cover search, threads, drafts, send, reply, forward, attachment downloads, labels, folders, archive, and trash, and attachments come back as files the agent can read. Cloud doesn't store your messages; it fetches them from the provider when the agent asks. Fluxmail covers email only, with no calendar or contacts, and it has no inbound webhooks.
Self-hosted Fluxmail runs the same tools on your computer or in Docker. Provider credentials stay on your machine, and you also get a CLI and scheduled sending.
Self-hosted is free for one member and three mailboxes. Pro is $15 a month for ten mailboxes, and Business is $25 per member a month, in Cloud or self-hosted. Cloud starts with a seven-day trial.
2. Claude's and ChatGPT's Gmail connectors
If your mail is in Gmail and you only use one assistant, try its built-in connector first.
Claude's Gmail connector is available on every Claude plan. It searches and reads mail, creates drafts, sends, replies, forwards, and manages labels, and it asks before each send by default. It returns attachment names and sizes but not their contents. See Fluxmail vs Claude Gmail.
ChatGPT's Gmail app searches mail, summarizes threads, and prepares replies. On paid plans, web users can confirm a draft and send it from the chat. OpenAI says a connected Google app may keep an indexed copy of your mail, which it deletes within 30 days of disconnecting. See Fluxmail vs ChatGPT Gmail.
Neither works outside its own app, and neither connects Outlook or IMAP mail.
3. Google's Gmail MCP Server
Google runs an official Gmail MCP server as part of its Workspace Developer Preview Program. Its ten tools search and read threads and messages, create and list drafts, and add or remove labels. It has no send tool and no attachment download.
To use it you need preview program membership, which asks for a Google Workspace account and a Google Cloud project, so a free personal Gmail account doesn't qualify. Google doesn't list a separate price. See Fluxmail vs Gmail MCP Server.
4. Microsoft Work IQ MCP
Work IQ MCP is Microsoft's hosted server for Microsoft 365. It has no email-specific tools. Its 12 generic tools act on Microsoft Graph paths, so to send, the agent calls do_action on /me/sendMail. The same tools reach calendar, files, Teams, and people, and it can call Microsoft 365 Copilot.
A Global Administrator enables Work IQ for the tenant, and writes such as sending are blocked until an administrator allows them in tenant policy. Billing is usage-based in Copilot Credits through an Azure subscription. Microsoft doesn't document support for personal Outlook.com accounts. See Fluxmail vs Work IQ MCP.
Claude users on Microsoft 365 can also use Claude's Microsoft 365 connector, available on every Claude plan. It searches Outlook mail, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams, and it can send mail once an administrator turns on write actions. It needs a work or school account and Global Administrator consent. The best Outlook MCP servers compares the Microsoft options in more detail.
5. Composio
Composio is a hosted integration platform with a large catalog of app toolkits, including Gmail (63 tools) and Outlook (328 tools, including calendar and contacts). It manages OAuth for you and gives each user a hosted MCP URL. It fits best when email is one of many apps your agent uses, or when you're building a product whose users connect their own accounts. Gmail and Outlook are separate toolkits with different tools, so an agent working across both has to handle two sets of tools.
The free Hobby plan includes 100,000 tool calls a month if you bring your own OAuth app. Pro costs $29 a month and includes $29 of usage, after which each tool call is $0.0003 with your own OAuth app or $0.0005 with Composio's managed apps. See Fluxmail vs Composio Gmail.
6. Zapier MCP
Zapier MCP exposes actions from Zapier's app catalog, including Gmail and Outlook, as MCP tools. If you already use Zapier, it's a quick way to let an agent search or send mail alongside everything else you've connected.
Every successful tool call uses two Zapier tasks, drawn from the same allowance as your Zaps. That makes the free plan's 100 tasks a month worth about 50 tool calls. Pro starts at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks. An agent that reads a busy inbox can use up a small plan quickly.
7. AgentMail
AgentMail is for agents that need their own email address. An API call creates an inbox on agentmail.to or, from the Developer plan up, your own domain. Incoming mail arrives by webhook or WebSocket, and it has a hosted MCP server. AgentMail doesn't document connecting existing Gmail or Outlook mailboxes, so for those you'd pair it with one of the servers above.
The free plan covers 3 inboxes and 3,000 emails a month, and Developer is $20 a month for 10 inboxes. See Fluxmail vs AgentMail.
8. Self-hosted servers
The first three are free, open-source projects that run on your own machine. You handle setup, OAuth apps, and updates.
- google_workspace_mcp (MIT, about 3,400 GitHub stars) covers Gmail and eleven other Google Workspace services. Its Gmail tools search, read, send, draft, manage labels and filters, and handle attachments. You create your own OAuth client in Google Cloud. It has a
--read-onlyflag and runs over stdio or HTTP. - ms-365-mcp-server (MIT, about 1,100 stars) covers Outlook mail, calendar, OneDrive, and more through Microsoft Graph, with over 300 tools. It works with personal Microsoft accounts by default, and org mode adds work features such as shared mailboxes. It has a read-only mode and tool filters.
- mcp-email-server (BSD-3-Clause) connects any IMAP and SMTP account, with several accounts in one server.
EmailEngine, a self-hosted email API, also has an MCP endpoint. It has been in beta since August 2026 and stays off until an administrator enables it. EmailEngine is a paid product at $1,450 a year. See Fluxmail vs EmailEngine.
How do they compare?
| Server | Mail providers | Where it runs | Sends mail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluxmail | Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, IMAP | Hosted or self-hosted | Yes | Free self-hosted plan; Pro $15 a month |
| Claude Gmail connector | Gmail | Inside Claude | Yes, with approval | Included in Claude plans |
| ChatGPT Gmail app | Gmail | Inside ChatGPT | Yes, on paid plans | ChatGPT Plus $20 a month |
| Google Gmail MCP Server | Gmail | Google-hosted | No, drafts only | Developer preview |
| Microsoft Work IQ MCP | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft-hosted | After an admin allows it | Copilot Credits |
| Composio | Gmail, Outlook, many apps | Composio-hosted | Yes | Free tier; Pro $29 a month plus usage |
| Zapier MCP | Gmail, Outlook, many apps | Zapier-hosted | Yes | 2 tasks per call; free plan 100 tasks |
| AgentMail | Its own inboxes | AgentMail-hosted | Yes | Free tier; Developer $20 a month |
| google_workspace_mcp | Gmail | Self-hosted | Yes | Free |
| ms-365-mcp-server | Outlook, Microsoft 365 | Self-hosted | Yes | Free |
| mcp-email-server | IMAP | Self-hosted | Yes | Free |
Frequently asked questions
What is an email MCP server?
It's a server that gives AI clients a set of email tools over the Model Context Protocol. Once you add it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or another MCP client, the agent can search your mail, read threads, draft replies, and, if you allow it, send. How to connect Gmail or Outlook to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor walks through the setup.
Is there a free email MCP server?
Yes. Self-hosted Fluxmail is free for one member and three mailboxes. google_workspace_mcp, ms-365-mcp-server, and mcp-email-server are open source. Claude's Gmail connector is included in every Claude plan.
Which email MCP servers work with personal Gmail?
Fluxmail, Claude's and ChatGPT's Gmail connectors, Composio, Zapier, and google_workspace_mcp all connect personal Gmail accounts. Google's own Gmail MCP Server needs Workspace preview enrollment. The best Gmail MCP servers compares them in more detail.
Which ones can read attachments?
Fluxmail returns attachment contents through its download_attachment tool, and Composio, google_workspace_mcp, and ms-365-mcp-server also handle attachments. Claude's Gmail connector returns attachment metadata only, and Google's Gmail MCP Server has no attachment tool.
Is it safe to give an AI agent access to my email?
It can be, if you limit what the agent can do. Start with read-only access, connect only the mailboxes it needs, and keep sending behind your approval until you trust the workflow. Any incoming message could contain instructions aimed at your agent, so treat mail as untrusted. How to give an AI agent access to your inbox safely goes further.