By the end of this guide you will have written a professional email with AI help: a clear message with the right tone, checked for mistakes and facts, and ready to send. The job is done by an AI writing assistant that sits in your email client or browser, drafts or rewrites text from a few words, adjusts tone, and leaves the final decision to you.
If you want to write emails with AI, the decision that matters is where the assistant lives: inside your inbox as an extension, as a keyboard or app on your phone, or as an assistant that handles your whole inbox. This guide walks through each option and compares six tools from our Writing category.
Key takeaways
- Write down the point of the email in a line or two, let an AI tool draft or rewrite it in the tone you need, then edit and check every fact before you send.
- The main decision is scope: a rewriting and tone assistant, a reply-drafting tool, or an inbox assistant that sorts mail and drafts in your voice.
- Free plans exist but are capped. Grammarly's Free plan includes 100 AI prompts a month, and Jetwriter AI's Free plan allows 15 regular responses a month.
- Never send an AI draft unread. Check names, dates, figures and promises, and keep confidential information out of tools you have not vetted.
What you need before you start
- The facts. Who you are writing to, what you want from them, any dates, figures or attachments.
- The context. The earlier email thread, if you are replying.
- A tone in mind. Formal for a client or senior colleague, friendly for a teammate, firm for a late payment.
- An account or extension. Most tools here have a free tier or a free trial. Some need a Chrome extension, and others connect to Gmail or Outlook.
- Time. A few minutes per email once set up, and under an hour for first-time setup.
- Difficulty. Easy.
- Privacy. Check your employer's policy before pasting client or internal information into any AI tool.
Which kind of AI tool fits this job
Pick by how much of your email work you want to hand over.
A writing assistant inside your apps. Grammarly checks spelling, grammar and punctuation, shows the tone of a message, and on paid plans rewrites full sentences and adjusts tone in a click. It works in Gmail, Outlook, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Slack and Teams, and lists web, iOS and Android. Wordtune lets you highlight a sentence or paragraph and pick from alternative phrasings, or shift the tone between casual and formal. It runs in a Chrome or Edge extension inside Gmail, Slack and LinkedIn among others.
A reply and draft generator. Jetwriter AI runs as a Chrome extension with a web app for phones. In Gmail it studies your earlier emails to pick up your style and can draft a reply in your inbox, and you can choose a tone and response length. ParagraphAI has Create, Reply, Fix and Edit actions, with filters for formality, friendliness and length, and is available as a mobile app, an AI keyboard and a Chrome extension. Compose AI is a Chrome extension where you type // in a text field, describe what you want in a few words, and it produces a paragraph, working in Gmail and Google Docs.
An inbox assistant. Fyxer connects to Gmail or Outlook, sorts incoming messages and, from the Pro plan, labels them automatically and drafts replies in your own tone for you to review and send. It also records meetings and keeps a follow-up list.
Step 1: Decide what the email must achieve
A clear purpose makes every other step easier.
- Write one sentence: what do you want the reader to know, decide or do?
- List the facts the email must contain, such as dates, amounts and names.
- Choose the tone: formal, friendly, firm or apologetic.
- Decide the length. Most work emails are short.
Check it worked by being able to state the request in one sentence a stranger would understand.
Step 2: Choose a tool and connect it
You end this step with an assistant that works where you write.
- Pick a tool from the comparison table. If you mostly want polish, start with a rewriting assistant. If you answer many emails, look at reply drafting or an inbox assistant.
- Install the extension or connect your mailbox. Jetwriter AI and Compose AI list Gmail; Fyxer connects to Gmail or Outlook; ParagraphAI offers an AI keyboard for phones.
- Check the plan limits: ParagraphAI's Free plan is capped at 5 daily uses, and Fyxer's Free plan includes 400 credits per month.
- Test on a harmless draft first.
Check it worked by seeing the tool's button or suggestions appear in your compose window.
Step 3: Give the AI the point and the context
Good drafts come from good inputs.
- Type your one-sentence purpose and key facts into the prompt, or write a rough version yourself.
- For a reply, open the thread so the tool can see what was asked. Jetwriter AI can draft a reply in Gmail, and ParagraphAI has a Reply action.
- Set the tone and length if the tool allows it. Jetwriter AI offers tones such as Professional, Casual and Friendly, and short, medium or long responses.
- Leave out anything confidential that you do not want to share with the tool.
Check it worked by seeing a draft that addresses the request in the thread.
Step 4: Generate the draft and compare options
Treat the first result as raw material.
- Generate a draft. With Compose AI you describe the email after typing //. With Wordtune you can write a rough sentence, then ask for alternative phrasings.
- Generate a second version, or change the tone, if the first does not fit.
- Read the options against your purpose from Step 1.
- Keep the strongest sentences and discard the rest.
Check it worked by having a draft that says what you meant in the tone you chose.
Step 5: Edit for accuracy, tone and your own voice
This is where an AI draft becomes your email.
- Check every name, date, number and attachment reference. AI can invent details or pick up the wrong ones.
- Confirm that you are not promising anything you cannot deliver.
- Cut filler openings and closing lines you would never say.
- Adjust the tone. Wordtune's listing notes that suggestions can sometimes slightly change the meaning of your text, so reread rewrites carefully.
- Make the subject line specific.
Check it worked by reading the email aloud and confirming it sounds like you.
Step 6: Run a grammar and tone check
A final pass catches slips.
- Run a grammar and spelling check. Grammarly checks as you type and shows the tone of a message.
- Look for a tone that reads colder or warmer than you intended, especially in a reply to a difficult message.
- Check the greeting, sign-off and recipient list. Mistakes with Reply All and Cc cause more trouble than typos.
- Ask a colleague to read anything sensitive, legal, financial or HR-related. A person should review those emails before they go.
Check it worked by confirming that the recipient list, tone and attachments are right.
Step 7: Send, follow up and refine
Close the loop and make the next email quicker.
- Send, or schedule for a sensible time.
- Track the follow-up. Fyxer keeps a follow-up list that refreshes continuously.
- Save phrases and templates that worked. ParagraphAI lists custom templates with your own instructions.
- Review your settings after a week. Adjust tone defaults, or turn off features that created more edits than they saved.
Check it worked by noticing that your next email needs fewer edits.
Tools for this job compared
| Tool | Good fit for | Pricing | Stated limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | Grammar, tone and rewrites inside Gmail, Outlook and Docs, on web, iOS and Android | Freemium, paid from $12/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 100 AI prompts a month and limited features; plagiarism and AI text detection need a paid plan |
| Jetwriter AI | Gmail reply drafts and tone control, with a web app for phones | Freemium, paid from $14/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 15 regular model responses a month and no advanced responses |
| Fyxer | Inbox sorting and drafted replies in your tone, on Gmail or Outlook | Freemium, paid from $37/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 400 credits a month; drafted replies start on Pro; Team needs two seats |
| Wordtune | Rewriting sentences and shifting tone in Chrome or Edge | Freemium, paid from $4.89/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free: 10 AI generations or suggestions a day; tone controls not on the free plan |
| ParagraphAI | Create, Reply, Fix and Edit on a phone keyboard or Chrome | Freemium, paid from $24.99/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 5 daily uses and 1000 characters of input; advanced editing needs Pro |
| Compose AI | Quick drafts with // prompts in Gmail and Docs | Freemium | Chrome only; some personalization is premium; no premium price listed |
Prices and plan limits change, so confirm the current terms on each vendor's site before you subscribe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending the draft unread. AI can get a name, date or promise wrong. Fix it by reading every line and checking facts against the thread.
- Using the wrong tone. A friendly draft to a senior client, or a curt one to a colleague, can land badly. Fix it by choosing the tone before you generate and rereading as the recipient.
- Letting the tool answer everything. Automated replies can miss context or commit you to things. Fix it by reviewing each drafted reply, as Fyxer and Jetwriter AI present them as drafts for you to send.
- Pasting confidential content. Client data and internal documents may not be allowed in outside tools. Fix it by checking your employer's policy and the vendor's data terms first.
- Ignoring plan limits. Free tiers run out mid-week. Fix it by checking daily or monthly caps before you depend on a tool for your inbox.
How we put this together
This is an evidence-based guide built from each tool's listing in our directory, which is compiled from the vendor's own site and pricing page. It is not a review based on using the tools. We don't rank tools, and nobody paid to be included. Some outbound links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free way to write emails with AI?
Yes, within limits. Grammarly's Free plan includes 100 AI prompts a month, Wordtune's Basic plan is free with daily limits, ParagraphAI's Free plan allows 5 daily uses, and Fyxer's Free plan includes 400 credits per month. Compose AI's plugin is described as free with an optional premium version.
Can AI write a professional email for me?
It can produce a solid draft from a few words, but you are responsible for the content. Check facts, tone and any promises, and keep a human review step for sensitive, legal, financial or HR emails.
Which tool is good for writing emails on a phone?
ParagraphAI offers a mobile app and an AI keyboard, Grammarly lists iOS and Android, and Jetwriter AI has a web app for phones where extensions are not supported. Check each vendor's site for current mobile features.
Will the email sound like me?
Some tools try to learn your style. Jetwriter AI studies your earlier emails in Gmail, Fyxer drafts replies in your own tone on its Pro plan, and Compose AI says it learns your voice. You should still edit each draft so it reads the way you write.
Can I keep my emails private?
Our listings do not give complete data-handling details for every tool. Compose AI states that your text is used only to produce completions and is never sold. For the others, read the vendor's privacy terms and your employer's policy before using the tool with confidential email.
Compare more options in our Writing category. For a final polish, see How to check grammar and proofread with AI.
