Software Alternatives & Startups

MailCleaner VS Sortfully

Compare MailCleaner VS Sortfully and see what are their differences

MailCleaner logo MailCleaner

Cloud & on-premise anti spam software for businesses

Sortfully logo Sortfully

Auto-file your Outlook & Microsoft 365 mail by the organisation that sent it - once you've read it. Sortfully never reads your message bodies or attachments.
  • MailCleaner Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-24
  • Sortfully Dashboard
    Dashboard //
    2026-08-31
  • Sortfully Mappings View
    Mappings View //
    2026-08-31

Sortfully is an automatic filing service for Outlook and Microsoft 365. It moves each message into an Inbox subfolder, or tags it with a coloured category, based on the organisation that sent it. By default a message is only filed once you have read it, so new mail still lands in front of you and nothing disappears unseen. If you prefer, filing can happen instantly on delivery instead.

There is no AI in Sortfully. No model, no classifier, no LLM, and your mail is never sent to any AI service. Filing runs on deterministic rules you can read and edit: the sender's domain, your exact-match overrides, then Public Suffix List normalisation, so notifications.slack.com and hello@slack.com both land in one Slack folder, and .co.uk domains get correct names. You can group several domains into one folder, pin a domain to a folder you already have, exclude senders entirely, and choose move-or-tag per organisation. Every action is reversible.

Privacy is structural, not a promise. Sortfully never reads message bodies or attachments: the one code path allowed to call Microsoft Graph message endpoints uses a strict metadata field allow-list, and a CI gate fails the build if a content field ever appears. An optional detailed audit log records the subject line so you can see exactly what was filed; you can switch it off. Sortfully connects through delegated Microsoft Graph permissions only (Mail.ReadWrite, Mail.ReadWrite.Shared, MailboxSettings.Read), is a verified Microsoft publisher, and reads your existing inbox rules without ever modifying them. Tokens are encrypted at rest and you can disconnect at any time.

Optionally, a chunked, throttle-safe backlog cleanup sorts the mail you already have, with protected folders and a leave-recent-mail window so nothing current is touched.

Sortfully is built for Microsoft 365 first: individual mailboxes, shared mailboxes, and a Business plan with team management for firms. It is operated by a UK company, hosted in the EU.

MailCleaner

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

Sortfully

$ Details
paid Free Trial £5 / Monthly
Platforms
Web SaaS Outlook
Release Date
2026 August
Startup details
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Founder(s)
Adam Harman
Employees
1 - 9

MailCleaner features and specs

  • Effective Spam Filtering
    MailCleaner provides robust spam filtering capabilities, effectively blocking unwanted emails and reducing inbox clutter.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source solution, MailCleaner offers flexibility for customization and integration with other systems, allowing users to adapt it to their specific needs.
  • Cost-Effective
    Since it is open source, MailCleaner can be a cost-effective option for businesses that want reliable email filtering without incurring heavy licensing fees.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    MailCleaner provides thorough documentation that aids in the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting processes, making it easier for users to implement.
  • Scalability
    The software is designed to handle various sizes of business operations, from small businesses to large enterprises, offering scalable email filtering solutions.

Possible disadvantages of MailCleaner

  • Complex Installation
    The installation and initial setup can be complex, requiring significant technical expertise compared to more user-friendly, out-of-the-box solutions.
  • Limited Support
    As an open-source product, MailCleaner may lack the immediate and comprehensive customer support that comes with commercial software solutions, potentially leading to delays in resolving issues.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Deploying MailCleaner effectively may require specific hardware or virtual machine setups, which could be an additional expense or logistical challenge for some organizations.
  • User Interface
    The user interface might not be as polished or intuitive as those of commercial email filtering solutions, potentially impacting user experience.
  • Learning Curve
    Users and administrators may face a steep learning curve when first adopting MailCleaner, impacting efficiency and requiring time to become proficient.

Sortfully features and specs

  • Filing by sender organisation
    Mail is filed by the organisation that sent it, so every alias and subdomain from a company lands in one folder.
  • Move or tag per organisation
    Each organisation can be moved to an Inbox subfolder or tagged in place with a coloured category.
  • File after read
    By default nothing moves until a message has been read, so new mail never disappears unseen; instant filing on delivery is optional.
  • No AI
    No model, no classifier, no LLM; filing runs on deterministic rules you can read and edit, and mail is never sent to any AI service.
  • Content-Blind
    Message bodies and attachments are never read, enforced by a code-level allow-list and a CI gate, not just a policy.
  • Public Suffix list
    Public Suffix List normalisation gives correct names for .co.uk, .energy and hundreds of other endings.
  • Overrides and exclusions
    Group several domains into one folder, pin a domain to an existing folder, or exclude senders entirely; your rules always win.
  • Backlog cleanup
    Sorts the mail you already have in chunked, rate-limited passes, with protected folders and an option to leave recent mail in place.
  • Undo anything
    Every filing action is recorded and reversible from the dashboard or audit log.
  • Audit Log
    A record of every filing with sender, destination and mode; a detailed option records the subject line and can be switched off.
  • Shared Mailboxes
    Files shared mailboxes a delegate has access to, alongside personal ones.
  • Team Management
    The Business plan adds team management for firms running multiple mailboxes with multiple users.

MailCleaner videos

Mailcleaner - Open Source Spam Filter mit Web GUI

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to setup the antispam modules in MailCleaner
  • Tutorial - How to setup a domain using MailCleaner from start to finish

Sortfully videos

No Sortfully videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MailCleaner and Sortfully)
Email Management
90 90%
10% 10
Inbox Management
0 0%
100% 100
Email Automation
90 90%
10% 10
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing MailCleaner and Sortfully.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Sortfully's answer:

Most email organisers ask you to trust them: an AI classifier scores your mail and a privacy policy promises restraint. Sortfully is built so you don't have to take its word for it. It cannot read message bodies or attachments; the restriction is a code-level allow-list backed by a CI gate that fails the build, and filing runs on deterministic rules you can read and override. It is also the only one of its kind built for Outlook and Microsoft 365 first: delegated Microsoft Graph permissions from a verified Microsoft publisher, shared mailbox support, and read-only respect for your existing inbox rules, where SaneBox, Clean Email and Mailstrom treat Outlook as a second platform. And it behaves differently: mail is filed by sender organisation, so every alias and subdomain lands in one folder, and by default only after you have read it, so nothing disappears unseen and everything can be undone.

What's the story behind your product?

Sortfully's answer:

Sortfully was built by a UK founder who watched Outlook rules fail at scale: Exchange caps rules at 256 KB, one rule per sender domain does not scale, and rules only run while Outlook is open. The alternatives all wanted AI access to mail content, which is exactly what regulated firms cannot accept. So Sortfully does the opposite: deterministic filing by sender organisation, with a code-enforced guarantee that message bodies and attachments are never read. It launched in August 2026, operated by a UK company with EU hosting.

What makes your product unique?

Sortfully's answer:

Sortfully contains no AI at all. Filing runs on deterministic rules you can read and edit: the sender's domain, your overrides, then Public Suffix List normalisation. And the privacy guarantee is structural rather than promised: the one code path allowed to call Microsoft Graph message endpoints uses a strict metadata allow-list, and a CI gate fails the build if a content field ever appears. Message bodies and attachments are never read.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Sortfully's answer:

Businesses and normal consumers can both benefit from Sortfully. Businesses on Microsoft 365, mainly professional services firms of 10 to 200 mailboxes (accountants, solicitors, surveyors, architects) and the IT admins or MSPs who manage their tenants. It also suits compliance-conscious firms that have decided against AI email tools, and individual Outlook power users.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Sortfully's answer:

Laravel (PHP), PostgreSQL and Redis on the backend; React with TypeScript and Inertia on the frontend; the Microsoft Graph API with delegated permissions for all mailbox access. Hosted in the EU.

User comments

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Reviews

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

MailCleaner Reviews

Best Open Source Secure Email Gateway Packages
All products mentioned are almost the same and friendly users without major differences between them. Considering 90% of mails are spam incorporating a Secure Email Gateway solution is a must if you plan to setup a mail server. All solutions numerated here are available for virtualized environments and can be tested without risks. From all solutions mentioned above probably...
Source: linuxhint.com

Sortfully Reviews

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing MailCleaner and Sortfully, you can also consider the following products

SpamTitan - Comprehensive Email Protection. 99.99% Spam Detection. Blocks phishing, viruses, malware and other email threats.

Sanebox - SaneBox is a cloud-based service that allows users to filter and manage their emails.

Clean Email - Clean Email is an online service that empowers you to take control of your mailbox.

ZeroSpam - Cloud email security & anti-spam solution

Mailstrom - The smarter, faster way to clean out your inbox. Power through thousands of messages in just a few clicks. Free Trial! Website. JOBS.

Vade Secure - Email security to protect against email-borne phishing, spear phishing, malware, and ransomware. Email security and management based on artificial intelligence.