Comparison
Best email tracker for Gmail: apps and software by use case
There is no single best email tracking app for Gmail. “Email tracking software Gmail” search results mix Chrome extensions, Google Workspace Marketplace add-ons, and full sales suites. The right email tracking tool depends on the job: one important send, a CRM pipeline, or a campaign to many addresses. This page groups six products by that job so you can skip the ones built for someone else.
Disclosure: SentCue makes one of the tools on this list. Descriptions of the others come from each product’s own site, checked between 13 September and 9 October 2026. We do not invent prices, open rates, or ratings. Plans change — verify on their pages.
Quick answer
- One important email, then a follow-up: SentCue Email Tracking (Chrome extension; local tracking history).
- Gmail plus mobile apps and a mail suite: Mailtrack by Mailsuite (also listed on Google Workspace Marketplace).
- A CRM inside Gmail: Streak.
- Sales team sequences and CRM logging: Yesware.
- Campaigns or cold email from Gmail: GMass.
- Gmail plus other email clients (Outlook, Apple Mail): Mailbutler.
What “tracking features” usually means
Most Gmail trackers share the same core: when you send an email with tracking on, a tiny image is included. If a recipient’s client fetches it, the tool records activity. Suites then layer on link clicks, team dashboards, real-time notifications, and cloud tracking history. Some advertise unlimited email tracking on a free tier; others cap history or move depth behind paid plans. None of that turns a pixel fetch into proof that a person finished reading.
Side by side
| Tool | Built for | Email apps | Account and access |
|---|---|---|---|
| SentCue Email Tracking | One-thread follow-ups with reminders | Gmail on the web in Chrome and other Chromium browsers | No account, no Gmail sign-in; history stays on your computer |
| Mailtrack | Email tracking suite with campaigns and link tracking | Gmail; their free plan lists iOS and Android | Google Workspace Marketplace listing requests Gmail access; cloud history |
| Streak | CRM pipelines inside Gmail | Gmail | Account / Google scopes — see their site |
| Yesware | Sales engagement: templates, campaigns, CRM logging | Gmail and Outlook | See their site |
| GMass | Mass email and mail merge from Gmail | Gmail | See their site |
| Mailbutler | Tracking and productivity across several mail apps | Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail | Requires an account |
SentCue Email Tracking: for one important email at a time
A Chrome extension — email tracking software that stays on this browser. When you send an email from Gmail on the web with tracking on, Sent shows a circle: gray while waiting, blue when there is activity. Optional reminders and local tracking history stay on your computer. There is no account and no Gmail OAuth screen for SentCue. It does not promise unlimited email tracking across devices, link click maps, or mobile apps. How it works in Gmail.
Mailtrack: tracking suite with mobile apps
Mailtrack by Mailsuite is email tracking software for Gmail with suite tracking features: campaigns, mail merge, and link activity on their public pages. Their free plan lists iOS and Android and a promotional signature. Distribution includes Google Workspace Marketplace. Cloud tracking history and real-time notifications are part of that suite model. Detail: SentCue vs Mailtrack · Mailtrack alternative.
Streak: a CRM inside Gmail
Streak adds pipelines, deal stages, team email sharing and mail merge to Gmail, with email tracking as part of the package. A fit if you manage deals or hiring from your inbox and want everything in one view — not if you only need a cue after one send.
Yesware: for sales teams
Yesware is sales engagement software for Gmail and Outlook: open and click tracking, templates, multi-step campaigns and CRM logging. Built for teams that report when someone may have opened your emails to a manager — still with the same pixel limits as every other tool.
GMass: campaigns from Gmail
GMass sends mass email from Gmail using Google Sheets, with tracking and automatic follow-up stages. A fit for newsletters, outreach and cold email to many email addresses, not for a single client thread.
Mailbutler: more than one mail app
Mailbutler works across Gmail and other email clients (Outlook, Apple Mail), with tracking, mail merge and shared-inbox tools. It requires an account. A fit if you switch clients and want one tracking tool for all of them.
How to choose in four questions
- Do you send to lists? Campaign tools: GMass, Yesware or Mailtrack.
- Do you need a CRM? Streak or Yesware.
- Do you track from your phone or from Outlook? Mailtrack for Gmail mobile apps; Mailbutler or Yesware for Outlook.
- Do you only want a follow-up cue on a few emails, without mailbox OAuth? SentCue.
What every tracker has in common
Almost all of these tools detect activity the same way: a tiny image loads when the message is displayed. Image proxies, security scanners and Apple Mail can fetch it without a person; blocked images hide real opens. Marketing copy that says “know when they opened your emails” overclaims that mechanism.
Keep in mind. An activity signal means the image loaded. It does not guarantee that the recipient opens or finishes the message.
More detail: how email tracking works.