For years, Mailplane was the way many Mac users ran Gmail and Google Calendar: their own windows, several Google accounts, and none of the browser clutter. Then Google began blocking embedded browsers from its sign-in page. In June 2021, Mailplane's developers stopped selling licenses, writing that the app would keep working for existing customers for now, but that "it may last years or be over tomorrow."
Its last update came in 2021. If you still rely on it, or miss it, WebCatalog Desktop turns Gmail, Google Calendar, and the rest of Google's apps into desktop apps, and it's actively developed.
At a glance
| WebCatalog Desktop | Mailplane | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Actively developed | No longer sold since June 2021 |
| What it is | Web apps as desktop apps, organized into spaces | A Mac app for Gmail and Google apps |
| Multiple accounts | Every account signed in side by side, each with its own session | Several Google accounts |
| Apps covered | Gmail and Google's apps, plus a catalog of 65,000+ apps and any website | Gmail, Calendar, and Contacts |
| Updates | WebCatalog Desktop and your apps update automatically | Last updated in 2021 |
| Sync | Your setup syncs across your computers | Not available |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS only |
What is WebCatalog Desktop?
WebCatalog Desktop turns websites into desktop apps with their own windows, icons, and logins. Install the Gmail app and every Google account you add is signed in at once. Google Calendar and Google Contacts work the same way. It runs on Chromium, the engine behind Chrome, and keeps itself and your apps up to date.
What was Mailplane?
Mailplane was a Mac app that wrapped Gmail, Google Calendar, and Contacts in a native window, with support for several accounts, drag-and-drop attachments, and Mac-style shortcuts. Its developers stopped selling licenses in June 2021 after Google began blocking embedded browsers from its login page, and the app hasn't been updated since.
1. Built to keep up with Google
Mailplane's problem wasn't a lack of features. It was being stuck: when Google changed how sign-in works, the developers spent months looking for an official fix and found none. Every Google change since then is one Mailplane can't follow.
WebCatalog Desktop runs Gmail the way Chrome does, and a dedicated team keeps the engine current. Both WebCatalog Desktop and your apps update in the background, so when Google changes Gmail or Calendar, you get the new version without doing anything.
2. All your Gmail accounts, signed in
Mailplane users often ran several accounts, and that carries straight over. In WebCatalog Desktop, the Gmail app holds every account you add, each with its own isolated session. They sit side by side in the sidebar, each with its own picture and unread badge, and Cmd plus a number jumps between them.
Notifications are per account too: keep alerts on for work, and mute notifications, sounds, or the badge for anything that can wait.
3. A Gmail Mac app that still feels like one
Gmail in WebCatalog Desktop has its own Dock icon with an unread count, a global keyboard shortcut, and an optional menu bar mode that drops the window down when you click the icon. Set it as your default email client so "mailto" links open a new message in Gmail. An app lock with Touch ID keeps your inbox private when you step away.
4. Beyond Google's apps
Mailplane covered Google's apps. WebCatalog Desktop covers the rest of your day too, from a catalog of more than 65,000 apps. Group Gmail, Calendar, Slack, and Notion into a space for work, with its own window and icon, and keep personal mail in another.
5. Not just one Mac
Mailplane was a Mac app, set up one machine at a time. WebCatalog Desktop runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and syncs your accounts list, folders, and settings across them. A new Mac is ready as soon as you sign in.
Moving from Mailplane
Switching takes a few minutes:
- Download WebCatalog Desktop.
- Install Gmail from the catalog, along with Google Calendar and Google Contacts if you used them in Mailplane.
- Add and sign in to each of your Google accounts.
Your mail, labels, and filters live in Gmail itself, so nothing needs to be exported.
Which one should you choose?
Since Mailplane is no longer sold or updated, the real question is what to use instead. WebCatalog Desktop is a good replacement if you:
- Want Gmail in its own Mac app, with an unread count on the Dock
- Run several Google accounts and want them all signed in
- Want an app that keeps up with Google's changes
- Use other web apps that deserve the same treatment
Keep Gmail and Google Calendar out of the browser with an app that's still moving forward: try WebCatalog Desktop.
