The short version
- Won't send, won't delete. Sortfully never asks Microsoft for permission to send email, and its code blocks deleting messages.
- No AI. Rules you can read, not an AI's judgement.
- Shared mailboxes on Business. File a team mailbox through your team's own access.
- UK company, EU hosting. Hosted in Germany, with a published DPA.
Sortfully and Inbox Zero at a glance
| Feature | Sortfully | Inbox Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Works with Outlook and Microsoft 365 | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free trial | ✓14 days, no card | •7 days |
| How mail is sorted | ✓By sender, with rules you can see | •Plain-English rules applied by AI, or simple sender and subject matches |
| Works without AI | ✓Yes, no AI at all | •Simple rules exist; most features use AI |
| Permission to send email | ✓Not requested | ✕Requested |
| Never deletes your email | ✓Never | ✕Rules can delete |
| Shared mailboxes | ✓Business plan | ✕Not through your own account |
| Hosting | ✓EU (Germany), UK company | •US company; data may be processed in the US |
| Open source, self-hostable | ✕No | ✓Yes |
| Starting price | £5 per mailbox a month plus VAT (£6 with UK VAT) | $20 a user a month (Starter) |
Competitor details are from Inbox Zero's own public pages: Inbox Zero pricing, Outlook guide, Microsoft permissions (self-host guide), Assistant actions, Inbox Zero privacy. Last updated 28 October 2026. Competitor prices are as listed on their sites. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll correct it.
Why people choose Sortfully
Less access, by design
Inbox Zero asks Microsoft for permission to send mail and change mailbox settings, and for calendar and file access when you connect those features, because its AI can act for you. Sortfully asks for mail access (Microsoft has no move-only permission) and read-only access to your mailbox settings and rules. It never asks to send, and its code only moves and tags mail and manages its own folders.
Predictable rules
A plain-English rule like "archive newsletters" relies on an AI deciding what counts as a newsletter. Sortfully files every message by who sent it, with no setup, so the same sender always goes to the same folder.
Shared mailboxes included
Inbox Zero's docs say shared mailboxes reached through your own account aren't supported. Sortfully's Business plan files them, and lets admins give the right people access.
Getting started takes a few minutes
- Sign in with MicrosoftConnect your Outlook or Microsoft 365 mailbox. Sortfully lists the Microsoft permissions it asks for before you connect.
- Check the previewSortfully previews the folders it would make for the senders in your Inbox before anything moves. Protect any folders you want left alone.
- Let it runNew mail is filed for you from then on. You can also run a cleanup to file your older mail, and undo any filing from your activity log.
Questions
Does Sortfully use AI?
No. There's no AI model, no machine-learning classifier and no language model anywhere in Sortfully, and your mail is never sent to an AI service. Filing follows plain rules: your own overrides first, then the organisation that sent the message.
Can Sortfully send email from my account?
No. Sortfully doesn't ask Microsoft for permission to send mail, so it can't. It reads message details, moves mail, adds coloured categories and manages its own folders, and it reads (never changes) your mailbox settings and rules.
Will Sortfully delete my email?
No. Sortfully moves or tags mail, and any filing can be undone from your activity log. Its code blocks deleting messages, and it never moves mail to Trash or Deleted Items. The only thing it ever removes is a folder that is already empty.
What can Sortfully see?
The details it needs to file mail: who sent a message, which folder it's in, when it arrived, whether it's been read, its Outlook categories and technical IDs. It also reads your folder names and Outlook rules. The subject line and sender address are saved to your activity log too; that's on by default and can be switched off, and on a team, admins can see it. Message bodies and attachments are never read; the code is built to refuse them.
Where is my data stored?
Sortfully is run by a UK company and hosted in Germany, with encrypted backups in the Netherlands. There's a published Data Processing Agreement and list of sub-processors.
How much does Sortfully cost?
Standard is £5 per mailbox a month, or £50 a year. Business, which adds team management, is £9 per mailbox a month, or £90 a year. Prices exclude VAT. New customers get a 14 day free trial, no card required.