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Robust spam filter for major email clients.

4.6
Based on 118 user ratesRead reviews & comments
$39.99
One-Time Purchase
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SpamSieve overview

SpamSieve is a robust spam filter for major email clients that uses powerful Bayesian spam filtering.

SpamSieve understands what your spam looks like in order to block it all, but also learns what your legitimate messages look like to avoid confusion. SpamSieve only marks spam in your email client so you never lose any mail.

The following is a partial list of SpamSieve’s features, so that you can quickly see what it can do and how it’s unique:

  • Powerful Bayesian spam filtering results in high accuracy and almost no false positives. It adapts to the mail that you receive to get even better with time. Some other e-mail programs include Bayesian filters, but SpamSieve is more accurate.
  • Integrates with your e-mail program for a superior user experience. Plus, you get the same great filtering if you ever switch e-mail programs or use more than one at a time.
  • SpamSieve works with any mail provider/host. It filters all your mail accounts. There is no extra charge for additional addresses or devices.
  • SpamSieve running on your Mac can keep the spam off your iPhone/iPad, and you can even train SpamSieve from afar.
  • Colors show how spammy each message is, so you can quickly focus on the borderline ones if you want to check SpamSieve’s work.
  • Integrates with the macOS Contacts app (and also Eudora’s and Entourage’s address books) so that messages from friends and colleagues are never marked as spam.
  • Automatically maintains a blocklist so that it can instantly adapt to spam messages sent from particular addresses, and catch 100% of them.
  • Automatically maintains a whitelist to guarantee that messages from particular senders or mailing lists are never marked as spam, without cluttering your address book with these addresses.
  • You can customize the whitelist and blocklist, adding sophisticated rules that match various message headers, or the message body. The rules can match text in a variety of ways, including using regular expressions.
  • Can use the Habeas Safelist, which indicates messages that are not spam, as well as the "ADV" subject tag indicating that a message is spam.
  • Many spammers encode the contents of their messages so that filters cannot see the incriminating words they contain. SpamSieve can decode and look inside these messages. Optionally it can mark them all as spam, on the theory that legitimate senders do not try to obscure their messages.
  • SpamSieve keeps track of how accurate it is, how many good and spam messages you receive, and how these numbers change over time.
  • Turn off new-mail notification in your e-mail program, and let SpamSieve notify you only when you receive non-spam messages.
  • The corpus window and log let you see how each spam message was caught.
  • Unlike server-based spam filtering services, your mail data stays on your own Mac, so your privacy is preserved.
  • SpamSieve supports AppleScript, so you can connect it to additional apps and fully integrate it into a custom workflow.

What’s new in version 3.0.4

Updated on May 20 2024

  • You can now use the Message submenu commands within the SpamSieve menu bar icon to train SpamSieve from Apple Mail or Outlook, for users who didn’t see the top-level commands inside the menu bar icon.
  • Made some changes to improve performance on Macs with spinning hard drives.
  • Improved the way the Text to Match column in rules windows truncates text that doesn’t fit.
  • You can now press Command-C in the Statistics window as a shortcut for clicking the Copy Statistics button.
  • Toolbar buttons no longer shift position when the Flag label changes to Unflag.
  • Updated the German localization and Settings window layout.
  • SpamSieve now reports an error if the Edit Addresses button can’t access your card in Contacts.
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a crash when quitting SpamSieve while a window was in the process of reloading.
  • Fixed an issue where SpamSieve could be double-launched after restarting your Mac, possibly causing the Settings window to be opened when it should have been hidden. Also, to avoid this problem, we recommend that you not add SpamSieve to System Settings ‣ General ‣ Login Items ‣ Open at Login. It should only be under Allow in the Background.
  • If a database file is damaged, SpamSieve now marks it as such and moves it aside. At the next launch, SpamSieve will create a fresh database so that you don’t continually run into the same error that prevents you from launching the app.
  • If a database can’t be saved, SpamSieve now logs the changes to a series of text files so that there’s a chance at recovering the data or figuring out what caused the problem.
View older SpamSieve updates

Information

License

Shareware

Size

49.5 MB

Downloads

176215

App requirements

  • Intel 64
  • Apple Silicon
  • macOS 10.13 or later
  • Works with: Apple Mail, Airmail, Entourage, Outlook 2011 and 2016/365, MailForge, MailMate, Mailsmith, GyazMail, Postbox 5, PowerMail
Try our new feature and write a detailed review about SpamSieve. All reviews will be posted soon.

What customer like

Value
Regular updates
Support

What needs improvements

Customization
Social media integration

SpamSieve qualities

Value
4.2
Ease of use
4.5
Features
4.3
Reliability
4.2
Customer support
4.3

Write your thoughts in our old-fashioned comment

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  • Comments

  • User Ratings

Pogmoor
Pogmoor
Oct 20 2023
3.0.1
0.0
Oct 20 2023
0.0
Version: 3.0.1
Thanks for version 3.01. Version 3.0 failed to filter a lot of spam from an old email address. Version 3.01 fixed it straight away. Brilliant!
dsotm52
dsotm52
Oct 7 2023
3.0
5.0
Oct 7 2023
5.0
Version: 3.0
This app has tremendous value especially when we get inundated with spam. To date it has trapped all mail not based on my whitelist. It easily lets you identify what it might have considered spam by telling the system that particular mail was "Good". And the most important thing was when I had a learning issue, the support was fast and phenomenal. The developer was johnny on the spot helping me learn what I did to cause the issue. I highly recommend this app for those of you sick of being spammed and phished.
ERNEST UNGUREANU
ERNEST UNGUREANU
Sep 25 2023
3.0
0.0
Sep 25 2023
0.0
Version: 3.0
Whenever I open Apple Mail, 2 (two) SpamSieve dialogue boxes appear, which terrorized me ! Obviously, I'll kindly put Spamsieve in the trash...
Aargl
Aargl
Sep 24 2023
3.0
5.0
Sep 24 2023
5.0
Version: 3.0
If you have old email addresses that are literally bombed with spam, SpamSieve is a godsend. But the trouble with spam is that it will never end and that you can't avoid checking false positives or negatives. I've tried to stick for years to the typical jefferson.smith@senat.com (sample ;)) but in the end I reluctantly had to change my address. Spammers mostly use the same old databases, so if your address was created more than ten years ago, you're very lucky if it's not in those databases (same for your old password if you never changed it). Sometimes it's better to cut a leg than to try and cure it...
ERNEST UNGUREANU
ERNEST UNGUREANU
Mar 11 2023
2.9.52
0.0
Mar 11 2023
0.0
Version: 2.9.52
For me, it didn't work. I even copied into the Blacklist of the application about 90 addresses that send me SPAM. Well, it's stayed just the same as before. I complied point by point with the fairly complicated instructions, and... nothing.
djvisocky
djvisocky
Nov 27 2022
2.9.50
0.0
Nov 27 2022
0.0
Version: 2.9.50
This just flat-out works. I have had the same email address since there was email, so I get a ton of junk. It would take several minutes a week to sort through it all and it was very frustrating. Now, SpamSieve just handles it all. While not perfect, my guess is that the accuracy is at least 95%. In the past, I had to look at my Inbox and sort through all the junk. Now, I will check the SpamSieve junk folder, and see if anything that is not spam was inadvertently classified as spam. It happens rarely, but this is so much of a faster process, that it typically only takes me 15-20 seconds a day. Worth every penny!
elby77
elby77
Dec 29 2020
2.9.41
5.0
Dec 29 2020
5.0
Version: 2.9.41
As so many of these reviews have cited, SpamSieve is the best spam filter on the market. My experience with the software not only confirms that of other users but adds another dimension. When I had difficulties with Mail on my iMac, multiple senior advisors from Apple were unable to solve the problem. Desperate for help (I did not want to follow the latest senior advisor’s recommendation to reinstall the OS and all of my third-party apps), I turned to SpamSieve’s support for help. By far, this has been my best support experience with my computer. The expert who responded to my many emails did so with abundant patience and skill—during a holiday weekend, no less. For the first time in months, my Mail client is running smoothly.
Just-Fred
Just-Fred
Dec 11 2020
2.9.41
5.0
Dec 11 2020
5.0
Version: 2.9.41
I have been using SpamSieve on my Macs for over 15 years. Given its cost, that works out to about $2 per year. And it has certainly saved me more than that in time spent cleaning up my mailboxes! It works, like a Mac application should: seamlessly and unobtrusively. Out of the box it's a terrific helper, but if you spend time "training" it, it really shows its magic! I once went overboard and got too "deep into the weeds," but SpamSieve even has a way out of that (e.g., "rebuilding the corpus"). SpamSieve is one of those I-can't-do-without programs, and the one-time charge is well worth it!
Fariborz
Fariborz
Oct 19 2020
2.9.40
5.0
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Version: 2.9.40
I’ve been using SpamSieve with “Airmail” since the developer made it compatible with this emailer. Something I’ve noticed and you probably know, is that the more you use it, the better it becomes in distinguishing “spam” from authentic mail. It does this by learning the pattern of junk mails you receive and not by simply identifying and blacklisting their senders. Therefore, after a week or two no spam passes through if you correctly blacklist spam in the first place. I still receive junk mail, but it’s limited to 10 mails a month and not 100 a day like before! The developer has done a great job by making it compatible all major emailers and not solely with Apple Mail. In this way, even if you change your emailer, your blacklists will also be transferred to the new one. I can’t remember the last time I paid for an upgrade but in the market of applications that work on a subscription basis it’s rare to find a developer that instead of seeking new strategies to increase his profits prefers to spend his time on enhancing his software and making it more efficient for all users alike. Thank you very much sir and please continue like this. Fariborz AMIRSHAHI – Verona (Italy)
Aargl
Aargl
Oct 19 2020
2.9.40
5.0
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Version: 2.9.40
I can't understand the bad reviews below! So easy to set up, so transparent to use... It's even easier with MailMate or Postbox than Apple Mail.
dcm767
dcm767
Sep 24 2020
2.9.39
0.0
Sep 24 2020
0.0
Version: 2.9.39
Spent the good part of an hour in total futility do download and run S.S. What a joke
The have ZERO customer support. Some guy named Michael kept telling me to read the directions.
Thanks Michael.. have a 2-year old MacBook Air. I took it to a Mac "Guru". After 90-minutes, even he gave up. Good Luck!!
lauriefaen
lauriefaen
Sep 21 2020
2.9.39
3.0
Sep 21 2020
3.0
Version: 2.9.39
It works well on Macbook but not on my Iphone, so sometimes I miss emails that spamseive thinks are junk, but are important. Not sure how to fix this as I always have my phone but often am away from Macbook
ken-31
ken-31
Mar 15 2020
2.9.39
0.0
Mar 15 2020
0.0
Version: 2.9.39
very difficult to use. Doesnt catch persistent spam. use macs own Mail instead. Much better.
ben-marko
ben-marko
Dec 25 2019
2.9.38
4.0
Dec 25 2019
4.0
Version: 2.9.38
Good app, but has been very broken since upgrading to Catalina. The latest update didn't fix it... :(
richard-219
richard-219
Nov 26 2019
2.9.38
5.0
Nov 26 2019
5.0
Version: 2.9.38
Just excellent. Effective and easy to tweak filters.
DragonMaster
DragonMaster
Sep 8 2019
2.9.37
5.0
Sep 8 2019
5.0
Version: 2.9.37
Hate Spam? Distrust your servers decision as to what is spam? This app is your best alternative! Hugely accurate. Learns quicker than you do. Support excellent. Yes it works just great in Catalina!
Foulger
Foulger
Aug 19 2019
2.9.37
0.0
Aug 19 2019
0.0
Version: 2.9.37
Apple mail without spamsieve is like being married with no wife.
Gilles9
Gilles9
Aug 19 2019
2.9.37
5.0
Aug 19 2019
5.0
Version: 2.9.37
Great software, always up to date quickly for new MacOs Outstanding support
tim-lueth
tim-lueth
Aug 13 2019
2.9.36
5.0
Aug 13 2019
5.0
Version: 2.9.36
Changed my life. Suddenly no more SPAM mails (>80 per day). Email is usable again. Amazing that there was no solution from Apple!
msandman1943
msandman1943
Jun 9 2019
2.9.36
5.0
Jun 9 2019
5.0
Version: 2.9.36
After linking to an insecure network overseas, I was getting a hundred or more spam messages every day, many of them offensive. With SpamsSieve, they're gone. You do need to follow the installation instructions precisely. And... do take the time to train the software to recognize your particular flow of spam. (It's all there is intro well-written but lengthy step-by-step instructions.) It's also important to monitor the Spam folder every day for the first couple of weeks or so to catch false positives and train SpanSieve to not delete a few specific email senders. (using version 2.9.36 - June 2019) You may need to switch your iPhone/iPad email from "Push" to "Fetch every 15 minutes" for new mail. That way, your Mac will discard the spam before it gets to your mobile device. The downside is that there can be as much as a 15-minute delay on your mobile device unless you go to settings and fetch manually when you're expecting an urgent email.
Jlbro
Jlbro
Nov 3 2023
3.0.1
5.0
Nov 3 2023
5.0
Version: 3.0.1
dsotm52
dsotm52
Oct 7 2023
3.0
5.0
Oct 7 2023
5.0
Version: 3.0
thearhmovement
thearhmovement
Apr 27 2023
2.9.52
5.0
Apr 27 2023
5.0
Version: 2.9.52
stevensimrin
stevensimrin
Jan 13 2023
2.9.51
5.0
Jan 13 2023
5.0
Version: 2.9.51
Maylbu
Maylbu
Jun 22 2022
2.9.49
5.0
Jun 22 2022
5.0
Version: 2.9.49
jozpy1
jozpy1
Dec 4 2021
2.9.46
5.0
Dec 4 2021
5.0
Version: 2.9.46
slaverat
slaverat
Sep 9 2021
2.9.45
5.0
Sep 9 2021
5.0
Version: 2.9.45
elby77
elby77
Dec 29 2020
5.0
Dec 29 2020
5.0
Version: null
baxsur
baxsur
Dec 11 2020
5.0
Dec 11 2020
5.0
Version: null
Just-Fred
Just-Fred
Dec 11 2020
5.0
Dec 11 2020
5.0
Version: null
Fariborz
Fariborz
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Version: null
Aargl
Aargl
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Oct 19 2020
5.0
Version: null
DOCa-Cola
DOCa-Cola
Oct 8 2020
5.0
Oct 8 2020
5.0
Version: null
lauriefaen
lauriefaen
Sep 21 2020
3.0
Sep 21 2020
3.0
Version: null
ben-marko
ben-marko
Dec 25 2019
4.0
Dec 25 2019
4.0
Version: null
richard-219
richard-219
Nov 26 2019
5.0
Nov 26 2019
5.0
Version: null
DragonMaster
DragonMaster
Sep 8 2019
5.0
Sep 8 2019
5.0
Version: null
Gilles9
Gilles9
Aug 19 2019
5.0
Aug 19 2019
5.0
Version: null
tim-lueth
tim-lueth
Aug 13 2019
5.0
Aug 13 2019
5.0
Version: null
msandman1943
msandman1943
Jun 9 2019
5.0
Jun 9 2019
5.0
Version: null
gockcnca19771
gockcnca19771
Jun 3 2019
3.5
Jun 3 2019
3.5
Version: null
facebook-480
facebook-480
Mar 22 2019
5.0
Mar 22 2019
5.0
Version: null
jeff-151
jeff-151
Sep 7 2018
1.0
Sep 7 2018
1.0
Version: null
Andrewrodney
Andrewrodney
Aug 30 2018
5.0
Aug 30 2018
5.0
Version: null
Roger-Rodrigues
Roger-Rodrigues
May 21 2018
5.0
May 21 2018
5.0
Version: null
laurent-houze
laurent-houze
Sep 28 2017
3.5
Sep 28 2017
3.5
Version: null
Chuckl
Chuckl
Aug 25 2017
5.0
Aug 25 2017
5.0
Version: null
Ervins Strauhmanis
Ervins Strauhmanis
Aug 25 2017
5.0
Aug 25 2017
5.0
Version: null
Jimsinsd
Jimsinsd
Jul 25 2017
1.0
Jul 25 2017
1.0
Version: null
Mikael-B
Mikael-B
Feb 8 2017
5.0
Feb 8 2017
5.0
Version: null
Seenderella
Seenderella
Dec 23 2016
4.0
Dec 23 2016
4.0
Version: null
@mitic@
@mitic@
Oct 6 2016
4.0
Oct 6 2016
4.0
Version: null
RebeccaA
RebeccaA
Jun 1 2016
4.5
Jun 1 2016
4.5
Version: null
supppi
supppi
Nov 18 2015
3.5
Nov 18 2015
3.5
Version: null
maverick-1
maverick-1
Jun 4 2015
3.0
Jun 4 2015
3.0
Version: null
Valdimar-Thor-H
Valdimar-Thor-H
Jun 3 2015
4.5
Jun 3 2015
4.5
Version: null
Callitho
Callitho
Jun 3 2015
4.5
Jun 3 2015
4.5
Version: null
Steve-Frawley
Steve-Frawley
Jun 3 2015
5.0
Jun 3 2015
5.0
Version: null
Bluestar
Bluestar
Feb 16 2015
2.5
Feb 16 2015
2.5
Version: null
markrf
markrf
Nov 17 2014
5.0
Nov 17 2014
5.0
Version: null
$39.99
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