Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

HEY VS GitHub

Compare HEY VS GitHub and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

HEY logo HEY

Email at its best, new from Basecamp.

GitHub logo GitHub

Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.
  • HEY Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-06
  • GitHub Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05

HEY

Website
hey.com
$ Details
paid Free Trial $99.0 / Annually
Release Date
-

GitHub

Website
github.com
$ Details
Release Date
2008 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Chris Wanstrath
Employees
500 - 999

HEY features and specs

  • Privacy-focused
    HEY places a strong emphasis on user privacy. It blocks spy pixels and prevents senders from knowing when, where, and if emails are opened.
  • Clean Interface
    The user interface of HEY is minimalist and designed to reduce clutter, helping users focus on important emails.
  • Innovative Features
    HEY offers unique features like the Screener, which allows users to vet new senders, and The Feed, which collects all newsletters for easy reading.
  • Unified Platform
    Everything in HEY happens within a single, unified platform, eliminating the need for multiple email clients or add-ons.

Possible disadvantages of HEY

  • Cost
    HEY is a paid service with a yearly subscription fee, which could be a deterrent for users accustomed to free email services.
  • Limited Integration
    Compared to other email services, HEY has limited third-party integrations which might be a downside for users who rely on external apps.
  • Learning Curve
    The unique approach and innovative features may require some time to get used to, especially for users who are accustomed to traditional email systems.
  • Lack of Local Email Client Support
    HEY does not support traditional email protocols like IMAP or SMTP, meaning users cannot use it with their favorite local email clients.

GitHub features and specs

  • collaboration
    GitHub provides a platform for multiple developers to work on the same project concurrently, facilitating collaboration through features like pull requests, code reviews, and issues tracking.
  • integration
    GitHub integrates seamlessly with various third-party tools and services, such as CI/CD pipelines, project management tools, and many development environments, enhancing productivity and workflow efficiency.
  • version_control
    Utilizes Git for version control, allowing users to track changes, revert to previous versions if necessary, and manage different branches of development, ensuring code stability and history tracking.
  • community
    With millions of developers and a vast repository of open-source projects, GitHub fosters a robust community where users can contribute to projects, seek help, share knowledge, and collaborate broadly.
  • availability
    GitHub is a cloud-based platform, which means that projects are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, providing flexibility and convenience to developers globally.
  • documentation
    GitHub allows for comprehensive project documentation through README files, wikis, and GitHub Pages, making it easier for users to understand project context and contribute effectively.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub

  • cost
    While GitHub offers free plans, more advanced features and private repositories come at a cost, which might be a barrier for some individuals or small teams.
  • steep_learning_curve
    For newcomers, especially those unfamiliar with Git, the learning curve can be quite steep, making it challenging to utilize all of GitHub's features effectively.
  • privacy_concerns
    Given its expansive, open nature, users must be cautious with sensitive or proprietary information. Even with private repositories, there is a latent concern over data privacy and security.
  • interface_complexity
    The user interface, while powerful, can be overwhelming and complex for beginners or those not deeply familiar with version control concepts.
  • performance_issues
    Occasionally, GitHub may experience downtime or performance issues, which can disrupt workflow and prevent access to repositories temporarily.
  • limited_storage
    GitHub imposes limitations on storage space and file size within repositories, which can be restrictive for projects requiring large datasets or binaries.

Analysis of HEY

Overall verdict

  • Overall, HEY is generally regarded as a positive option for those seeking a fresh take on email management with strong privacy features. However, it may not be ideal for everyone, as it requires a subscription fee and may lack some of the advanced features offered by more established email services.

Why this product is good

  • HEY is considered good due to its emphasis on privacy, simplicity, and unique approaches to email management. The platform offers features such as the Screener, which helps filter emails from new senders; Focus & Reply, which simplifies the inbox by delaying some emails; and attachment management systems that improve overall user experience. Furthermore, HEY takes a strong stance against ad tracking and prioritizes user privacy.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who prioritize privacy and are concerned about ad tracking.
  • Users who prefer a minimalistic and streamlined email interface.
  • Those who are willing to pay a subscription fee for enhanced privacy and unique features.
  • People looking for a new way to manage their emails and are open to adapting to a different email organization system.

Analysis of GitHub

Overall verdict

  • GitHub is considered an excellent choice for developers and teams looking for a reliable and efficient platform for version control and collaboration. Its community support, extensive documentation, and innovative features make it a preferred choice in the software development community.

Why this product is good

  • GitHub is a widely used platform for version control and collaboration, popular among developers and teams for its robust features, ease of use, and integration capabilities. It allows for streamlined project management, code review, and continuous integration, enhancing productivity and collaborative workflows.

Recommended for

  • Individual developers working on personal projects
  • Software development teams in need of collaborative tools
  • Open-source project maintainers and contributors
  • Organizations looking for scalable version control solutions

HEY videos

Hey Review: Why this $99 per year email is Superhuman's Most Exciting Challenger | Keep Productive

More videos:

  • Review - All You Need to Know About Hey.com
  • Review - HEY Email Review (and Full Tour)!
  • Review - HEY.com changed the way I emailโ€ฆ
  • Review - Why are Hey Dudes suddenly everywhere?

GitHub videos

How to do coding peer reviews with Github

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HEY and GitHub)
Email
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
0 0%
100% 100
Email Clients
100 100%
0% 0
Code Collaboration
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare HEY and GitHub

HEY Reviews

ProtonMail Compares Apple to Mafia, Says App Was Forced Into In-App Purchases in 2018
Apple apparently told ProtonMail "out of the blue" that it was required to add an in-app purchase option to stay in the โ€ŒApp Storeโ€Œ. Similar to the situations with HEY and Wordpress earlier this year, ProtonMail had a mention of paid plans in the app, which prompted Apple to ask for the same subscription options to be offered via in-app purchase.

GitHub Reviews

  1. Reinhard
    ยท Boss at CLOUD Meister ยท
    perfect 4 open Source

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
GitHub Discussions is a communication forum for the community around an open source or internal project. Discussions enable fluid, open conversation in a public forum. Discussions are transparent and accessible, but they are not related to code.
Source: www.notchup.com
The Top 10 GitHub Alternatives
However, like any (human) product, the platform has its limits, downsides, and critics. GitHub has been barred by certain governments, and even if that isnโ€™t exactly the companyโ€™s fault, the users are the ones limited from pushing their code. Another criticism concerns the price tag: some users have pointed out that GitHubโ€™s pricing model is too inflexible. Moreover, some...
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
GitHub also has an extensive API that allows it to integrate workflows seamlessly. Continuous integration, code review tools, and project management features make GitHub an essential tool for any developer, and the community aspect adds a layer of connectivity that enriches the overall experience.
Source: www.qodo.ai
Top 7 GitHub Alternatives You Should Know (2024)
FAQs: Are there any cloud source repositories similar to GitHub?Is there a free alternative to GitHub?
Source: snappify.com
Best GitHub Alternatives for Developers in 2023
We may earn from vendors via affiliate links or sponsorships. This might affect product placement on our site, but not the content of our reviews. See our Terms of Use for details. Looking for an alternative to GitHub? Check out our in-depth list of the best GitHub competitors, covering their features, pricing, pros, cons, and more.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub seems to be a lot more popular than HEY. While we know about 2463 links to GitHub, we've tracked only 24 mentions of HEY. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

HEY mentions (24)

  • How Solid Queue Became the Rails 8 default, and More on Open Source Maintainership
    Seven gems to manage background jobs. The team looked at what they were running and said "this can't be right." That became the brief for Solid Queue. Rosa got picked for the project, built it in production at Hey first, iterated on it for months, and shipped it into Rails 8. She keeps calling it luck. I don't think it's luck. - Source: dev.to / 11 days ago
  • The death of cloud centralization: Last decadeโ€™s internet had a gravity problem
    Basecamp: After using clouds from both Amazon and Google extensively over the past 15 years, we finally had enough of the outrageous bills and the ever-increasing complexity. So in 2023, we pulled Basecamp, HEY, and five other heritage apps out of AWS and onto our own hardware โ€” without adding any new staff. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • From React to Hotwire - Part II - [EN]
    Attending the latest edition of Rails World and watching the talk by DHH made me realize that generating views on the backend with Rails was no longer synonymous with slow, ugly interfaces that do not care about UX. With Hotwire, through Turbo and Stimulus, it was possible to create applications as complex as Gmail, Hey, or Slack, Campfire. And this became even more surreal with Turbo 8. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • HEY.com Review: A Game-Changer or A Gimmick?
    In June 2020, Basecamp decided to take on the giants of email service providers with the launch of HEY.com, aiming to revolutionize the way we interact with our inboxes. Touted as the email service for those who love email but hate its clutter, HEY.com has certainly generated buzz. But does it live up to the hype? Let's delve into its features, usability, and overall value proposition. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Don't upload your PWA to the app stores
    HEY is a big company, with financial resources and a large social media following. If even they feel bullied by Apple, just imagine what it's like for smaller app developers. And HEY is not even a PWA โ€“ it's a native app. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

GitHub mentions (2463)

  • Awaithuman: pagerduty mcp
    The core of the ecosystem is the official open-source server hosted on GitHub. It is written in TypeScript and implements the full MCP specification. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • Short-Circuit Your Agent Evals: Tier Order Is a Latency Budget, Not a Preference
    This is why the gate needs a trace it can trust, and why AgentLens is the other half of this workflow. agent-eval scores and gates the output; AgentLens captures the trace of how the agent got there โ€” every model call and tool step, the resolved inputs (not the templated ones), the raw outputs. That trace is exactly the unforgeable, agent-didn't-author substrate that Tier 1+2 need to score against. Without it,... - Source: dev.to / 2 days ago
  • I Built a Vibe Coding Mess, GitHub Was the Start of Taking Back Control
    ## Tell Git to start tracking your project Git init ## Take a snapshot of all your current files Git add . ## Save this snapshot with a description Git commit -m "Initial commit from AI tool" ## Connect your local project to GitHub ## Get repository URL from your GitHub page ## it looks like https://github.com/your-name/your-repo.git Git remote add origin PASTE_YOUR_URL_HERE ## Upload your code to GitHub Git... - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • Troubleshooting Git Authentication: Fixing "Repository Not Found" on Private Repositories
    Conclusion Next time Git insists a private repository doesn't exist, skip editing your config file and head straight to the Windows Credential Manager. Wiping out the stale git:https://github.com entry forces a clean handshake, getting you back to coding in less than a minute. - Source: dev.to / 12 days ago
  • My homelab stack in 2026: what runs, why, and how it all connects
    Gitea is where all private repositories live: infra configs, personal projects, anything I don't want on a third-party server. Public projects still go to GitHub because that's where the audience is, but a number of those GitHub repositories are mirrored back to Gitea as a local backup. The split is simple: Gitea for control and resilience, GitHub for reach. - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing HEY and GitHub, you can also consider the following products

Mailo - Mailo is an email client where you can send and receive emails to and from anyone with an email address.

GitLab - Create, review and deploy code together with GitLab open source git repo management software | GitLab

Soverin - Soverin is the honest email service that doesnโ€™t sell your data.

BitBucket - Bitbucket is a free code hosting site for Mercurial and Git. Manage your development with a hosted wiki, issue tracker and source code.

Horde - Horde Groupware is a free, enterprise ready, browser based collaboration suite.

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft