Aug 04, 2026 09:00:00

Which email client do GIGAZINE readers use among Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.?

There are various ways to check emails on a PC or smartphone, including opening an email service in a browser, using a dedicated email client, or using an app that comes standard with the OS. Therefore, in a survey conducted by GIGAZINE in April 2026 as part of

a giveaway campaign , we asked people about the email clients they usually use, separately for PCs and smartphones.

For all questions except those requiring free-response answers, multiple responses are permitted. The percentages are calculated using the number of people who answered each question as the denominator, so the sum of all percentages will exceed 100%.

First, here are the responses to the question, 'What email client do you use on your PC?'

The most popular email client was 'Gmail (browser)' at 72.1%, followed by 'Yahoo! Mail (browser)' at 24.5%, and 'Outlook (browser)' at 19.9%. Among installed email clients, 'Thunderbird' was the most popular at 12.6% and 'Outlook for Windows' at 10.8%, indicating that browser-based email services were the top choices on PCs.

For those who answered 'Other' in the previous question, we asked them to freely describe the email client they use, and the results of visualizing their responses as a word cloud are shown below.

Among the 'Other' options, 'Apple Mail' was the most frequent, followed by other email clients such as 'Proton Mail,' 'Spark,' 'iCloud Mail,' 'Outlook for Mac,' and 'Betterbird.' Provider email services like '@nifty Mail,' 'BIGLOBE Mail,' and 'OCN Mail' were also mentioned.

Next, here are the results of the response to the question, 'What email client do you use on your smartphone (iOS/Android)?'

Gmail (app) was the most popular at 70.1%, followed by the standard iOS Mail app at 29.8%, Yahoo! Mail (app) at 17.6%, and Microsoft Outlook (app) at 11.3%. In contrast, browser-based email services were Gmail at 8.6%, Yahoo! Mail at 6.3%, and Outlook.com at 2.7%. While the top three options on PCs were browser-based, the top four on smartphones were apps.

For those who answered 'Other' in the previous question, we asked them to freely describe the email client they use, and the results of visualizing their responses as a word cloud are shown below.

Under 'Other,' 'Thunderbird' was the most frequent answer, followed by 'Spark,' 'K-9 Mail,' 'Proton Mail,' and 'Docomo Mail.' There were also responses from mobile carriers such as 'au Mail,' 'SoftBank Mail,' and 'Carrier Mail,' as well as 'Apple Mail,' 'FairEmail,' and 'Tuta,' indicating that both third-party email clients and mobile carrier email apps are being used.

Next, we investigated the Japanese input software used by GIGAZINE readers. First, here are the results of the response to the question, 'What Japanese input software do you use on your PC?'

The most popular input method, 'MS IME,' which comes standard with Windows, was used by 51.0% of users. 'Google Japanese Input' came in second at 35.4%, 'ATOK' was third at 8.3%, and 'Other' accounted for 3.6%. MS IME was used by more than half of users, and more than one in three users used Google Japanese Input.

Furthermore, when we asked those who answered 'Other' in the previous question what Japanese input software they use, we received answers such as 'Apple Japanese Input,' 'Copilot Keyboard,' and 'Mozc.'

Next, here are the results of the question, 'What Japanese input software do you use on your smartphone?'

On smartphones, 71.8% used the 'default input app for each OS,' followed by 'Simeji' at 8.5% and 'flick' at 7.2%. 'ATOK' was at 4.7% and 'Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard' at 1.4%. While Google Japanese Input reached 35.4% on PCs, on smartphones, all non-OS standard apps were used by less than 10%, indicating that most people use the standard input app.

Furthermore, when we asked those who answered 'Other' in the previous question what Japanese input software they use, we received answers such as 'Gboard,' 'Google Japanese Input,' and 'Wnn Keyboard Lab.'

So, why not place an advertorial for email-related services, work efficiency tools, or Japanese input software, targeting GIGAZINE readers who check their emails and type on their PCs and smartphones every day? Of course, other fields are also welcome. If you'd like to publish an article on GIGAZINE, please contact us through the advertising information site below!

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