Overview

Ellie uses the surrounding email thread to draft replies and learns tone, sign-offs, and writing patterns from sent mail. On plans with auto-drafts, it can also categorize incoming messages and save suggested replies for review. It never sends a message without the user reviewing and sending it, which keeps the final decision with the account holder but means Ellie does not remove that step from the workflow.

Users can add website URLs or upload PDF, TXT, DOCX, PPTX, and MD files as reference material. Roles let them apply different personas, knowledge bases, and tones to different email types, while tone controls and custom instructions offer further direction. These options suit people who need drafts to reflect different responsibilities or use approved background material; they also require some setup to be useful.

Ellie supports connected Gmail or Outlook accounts and on-demand drafting in Gmail Web and Outlook Web. The optional Google Calendar integration is read-only: it cannot create, change, or delete events or send invitations. With Google Tasks enabled, Ellie can create follow-up tasks in a list named Ellie.

Ellie says it encrypts data in transit and at rest, completed a Google CASA Tier 2 security review, and performs regular automated vulnerability scans. Email content is processed by OpenAI and/or Azure OpenAI; Ellie says it does not use that content to train general models. Its support team says it replies personally by email.

Key features

Reply drafting: Thread context and learned writing patterns give replies a more personal starting point than a blank composition window. Users still need to check and send each message.
Auto-drafts and categorization: On Business and Professional, Ellie can sort incoming emails and save draft replies. This can reduce repetitive composition, but not the review and send work.
Knowledge Base and roles: Web pages and supported files can supply factual context, while separate roles can keep personas, reference material, and tones distinct. This is useful when one account handles different kinds of correspondence.
Email access: Browser extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Ellie also has a native Outlook desktop add-in through Microsoft AppSource, alongside web-based Gmail and Outlook drafting.
Adjacent integrations: Calendar access is limited to reading, while Google Tasks integration can create follow-up tasks. These are modest workflow extensions, not calendar management.

Pricing

Ellie offers a free plan and a 7-day trial. The paid prices below are monthly; the Free plan is shown at no cost.

Free — free: 10 draft replies per day, one connected email account, and one team seat. It has no auto-drafts, so it is best for occasional on-demand assistance rather than inbox automation.
Casual — 19.00 USD per month: 25 replies per day, a browser extension, training from 200 sent-email examples, and one connected account. It raises the daily allowance and adds personalized training, but still lacks the auto-draft capability specified for higher plans.
Business — 39.00 USD per month: 100 replies per day, auto-drafts, auto-categorization, three included seats, and one connected account per user. It fits small teams that want drafts saved automatically, though the per-user account limit is one.
Professional — 79.00 USD per month: Unlimited replies per day, up to three connected accounts per user, and custom team seats. It suits heavier or multi-account use; teams should weigh the higher price and custom seat arrangement against their need for those expanded limits.

Platforms

Ellie is available as a browser extension, on the web, and for Windows. Its browser extensions support Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, and Outlook users can also install the desktop add-in. Gmail and Outlook are the supported connected email services.

Who it's for

Ellie is a sensible fit for individuals or teams that write many similar replies, want drafts shaped by sent-mail style, or need distinct roles and reference material for different correspondence. The free plan can serve low-volume users who are comfortable drafting on demand. People who need automatic drafts will need Business or Professional, while users who expect email to be sent without approval should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros: Learns from sent mail and uses thread context, giving users a personalized starting point for replies.
Pros: Supports website and document reference material plus separate roles, which helps keep context and tone relevant to different email tasks.
Pros: Business includes auto-drafts and categorization, and three seats, making it more team-ready than the individual plans.
Cons: The free plan caps drafting at 10 replies per day and omits auto-drafts, so it does not automate inbox triage.
Cons: Even automated drafts need a person to review and send them; Ellie does not provide hands-off email sending.
Cons: Casual is capped at 25 replies per day and one connected account, limiting its appeal for higher-volume or multi-account use.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see AI Email Writing Tools. Consider ForthWrite if its free plan's 10 weekly drafts for Gmail and Outlook on the web are enough and you do not need custom personas, auto-drafting, batch drafting, coaching, or analytics. Lavender is another freemium option, with its free Basic plan limiting analysis and personalization to five emails each per month.

Jetwriter AI may suit readers who prefer a free monthly allowance of 15 regular-model responses and a browser extension and web app. MailMaestro is worth considering when three weekly Compose, Reply, and Improve actions on its free plan are sufficient. Workforce AI Email Drafter offers a free, one-user option focused on Gmail and Outlook drafts, with a small monthly AI credit pool and limited integrations.

MailSome offers five free emails daily without signup, which may fit readers who want a smaller no-signup allowance. WriteMail.ai has paid monthly plans with stated allowances from 50 to 500 AI emails, a different fit for readers comparing volume-based plans. Maillifier is a free, open-source Google Apps Script project for users prepared to supply their own Google account with Gmail access and Gemini API key.

Verdict

Choose Ellie if you want personalized Gmail or Outlook reply drafts, useful reference context, and a firm human approval step before sending. Its strongest case is the combination of learned writing style, role-specific context, and higher-tier inbox automation. Look elsewhere if you need automatic sending, or if the free plan's lack of auto-drafts and daily cap do not meet your workflow.

	Ellie	InReply
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$19/mo	£39/mo
Platforms	extension, Web, Windows	Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Tone controls	Yes	Yes
Custom instructions	Yes	Yes
Email context input	inbox	documents
Browser extension	Yes	No
Mail client support	both	both

Ellie vs InReply

Ellie

InReply