The useful difference is your workflow.
Start with Apple’s built-in tools if they meet your needs. Consider LittleDraft when you want to choose the sent emails that inform each account’s style, reuse reference material, or prepare replies ahead of time.
At a glance
On smaller screens, scroll the comparison horizontally.
| What matters to you | Apple Intelligence in Mail | LittleDraft |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Built-in features on supported Macs; availability and usage limits vary. [1] | 20 trial credits, no card. Basic €9.90/month; Pro €24.90/month. |
| Where it works | Inside Apple Mail. [2] | A separate Mac app working alongside Apple Mail. |
| Drafting and personalisation | Smart Reply; Apple now also lists personalized Smart Reply in Mail. [1] | Short instructions and quick actions; learned styles from selected sent emails, with a separate profile for each account. |
| Inbox assistance | Email summaries and Priority Messages, subject to feature availability. [1] | Focused on drafting and context; it does not replace Apple’s inbox features. |
| Reference material | The cited Mail guides describe message-based replies; broader Siri and extension capabilities vary. [2] | A managed Reference Library: up to 30 items on Basic and 300 on Pro. Pro also includes Capture Context. |
| Research | Apple offers web-capable features outside Mail’s Smart Reply workflow; check the current feature and region. [4] | Little Engine online research: 10 credits per billing period on Basic, 50 on Pro Monthly. |
| Replies prepared ahead | The cited Smart Reply guide starts when you open a reply. [2] | Pro Pre-Drafts can prepare suggestions for selected eligible unread emails while LittleDraft is running. |
| AI processing | Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and, for some requests, Private Cloud Compute. [3] | Choose Cloud AI or Pro Private Mode. Supported private drafting runs locally without cloud reply credits or automatic cloud fallback. |
| Sending your reply | Review the suggested reply and click Send. [2] | Review and send in Apple Mail. LittleDraft does not send automatically. |
Scope: this comparison covers the documented Mail reply workflow. Siri, extensions, Shortcuts and other Apple features have their own capabilities. Absence from a cited guide is not proof that a task is impossible.
When Apple’s built-in tools fit
You want suggestions inside Mail with no additional helper app. Summaries and Priority Messages can also help you work through your inbox. Try the features available on your Mac before paying for another workflow.
When LittleDraft adds value
You regularly answer from guides, policies or product information. You want explicit control over account-specific writing examples, reusable context and Pro Pre-Drafts. The free trial lets you test these choices with your own workflow.
Check your Mac first
Apple Intelligence requires a supported Mac and an eligible macOS, language and region combination. Features differ across OS versions; newer personalized replies should not be assumed available on every older supported release. [1]
LittleDraft’s cloud workflow supports macOS 15 or later. Pro Private Mode needs a compatible Apple silicon Mac, macOS 26 or later, Apple Intelligence enabled with its model downloaded, eligible Pro access and online activation. Local drafting currently supports English and German.
Privacy: local drafting and online services
Apple describes a combination of on-device AI and Private Cloud Compute for requests needing more capacity. It says data processed by Private Cloud Compute is used to fulfil the request and is not retained or accessible to Apple. This does not mean every Smart Reply is sent to the cloud. [3]
LittleDraft Pro Private Mode keeps email and drafting context on your Mac for AI processing. After online activation, ordinary drafting can work offline while the local license is valid. Monthly activation must refresh for a renewed paid period. Account services, billing and email delivery still need internet.
What the 0.20.56 test build adds
The test build adds clearer mode and activation indicators, stronger English/German instruction handling, a bounded German polishing pass and checks that help catch language errors, missing identifiers or copied instructions. It also refines the composer and limits background work under resource pressure. Review every reply; these checks do not guarantee accuracy.
Little Engine remains online. In the 0.20.56 test build, invoking it from Private AI shows what information may leave the Mac and requires approval for that request. Ordinary drafting stays local. The stable 0.20.52 release predates this research exception.
Read the 0.20.56 test-build notesYou can keep using both.
LittleDraft works alongside Apple Mail. Keep using Apple’s available inbox features and use LittleDraft when its drafting controls and saved context help with the reply in front of you.
A few practical questions
Do I need to switch email apps?
No. LittleDraft works alongside Apple Mail. You review recipients and send from Mail.
Does Apple Intelligence also personalise replies?
Yes. Apple’s current feature list includes personalized Smart Reply in Mail. LittleDraft’s specific workflow lets you select sent-email examples and manage a separate learned profile for each account.
Do I need an OpenAI account or API key?
No. LittleDraft includes managed AI usage within your trial or plan allowances. Pro Private Mode uses the supported local model after activation.
What happens when cloud credits run out?
New requests using the exhausted allowance pause until it renews, with no automatic overage charges. Trial credits are one-time and do not renew. Eligible activated Private Mode drafting does not use cloud reply credits.
Can I use LittleDraft without internet?
Eligible Pro users can draft locally after online activation while the local license remains valid. Model setup, activation, renewal, online research and email delivery need internet. Private Mode never silently falls back to Cloud AI.
Try it in your own inbox.
20 free trial credits. No card, no expiry and no automatic charge. Paid monthly plans renew until cancelled; applicable tax and the final total appear at checkout.
Sources and review notes
Apple claims were checked against the official sources below on 31 October 2026. LittleDraft details follow the verified public catalog and current documentation. Prices, OS support and features can change; check the provider’s current information. Apple and LittleDraft are separate products; no Apple endorsement is implied.