Azure API Management
First on 4.5 out of 5, far ahead in every area. A free starter tier for teams on Azure.
Imagine you're building a sales app and want it to read your customers' Gmail and Outlook inboxes and book meetings in their calendars. Connecting to each email provider separately is slow, fiddly work. Nylas sells a shortcut: one API that talks to all of them for you. Because it often comes up in the same buying conversations, we put it through the same test as the gateways in our API management group.
As a gateway, it struggled. Over 14 days it passed 15 of our 30 gateway checks, enforced 7 of 15 usage limits and needed 140 minutes before our first request worked. Only half of our documentation checks passed.
It scored 1 out of 5, last of seven. That's a verdict on Nylas as an API manager, not on its email and calendar features, which are its real job. If you're adding inbox or scheduling features to a product, the free plan is worth a try; if you need to protect your own APIs, look elsewhere.
Nylas's scores, area by area
Features is its best area at 2, because its email, calendar and meeting tools are genuinely broad. Developer experience is the worst at 0.5.
Performance1.0
Developer experience0.5
Features2.0
Reliability1.0
Value for money1.5
Overall: 1 out of 5, the average of the five areas rounded to the nearest half point.
- Performance (1/5): 15 of 30 gateway checks passed, the fewest of the seven, and the slowest 5% of calls gained up to 102 ms.
- Developer experience (0.5/5): 140 minutes to a first working request, 5 of 10 documentation checks and 3 of 5 working examples, joint weakest with Tyk.
- Features (2/5): Strong email, calendar, Notetaker and agent tools, but they don't cover the gateway jobs we measure.
- Reliability (1/5): Only 7 of 15 usage-limit rules held, so more than half let traffic through that should have been stopped.
- Value for money (1.5/5): A genuinely free plan, but per-account charges on top of each tier and user reports of billing surprises.
Best of 2026
See the ranking →
The six tools that beat Nylas
Every tool protected the same three APIs. See which ones are built for the job.
What a "unified API" like Nylas does
Every email and calendar provider has its own rules. Gmail works one way, Microsoft 365 another, and older mail servers (the IMAP and SMTP standards) yet another. An app that wants to work with all of them normally needs a separate connection for each, plus the sign-in screens and security reviews each provider demands.
A unified API hides that mess. Your app makes one kind of request, such as "show this user's next five meetings", and Nylas translates it for whichever provider the user has. Nylas also handles the sign-in step, where your user grants your app permission to read their mailbox.
On top of email, calendars and contacts, Nylas sells Scheduler (a booking page), Notetaker (a bot that joins and transcribes meetings on Google Meet, Teams and Zoom, billed in "bot hours") and Agent Accounts (mailboxes for AI agents). It's one of the more specialised developer tools we've reviewed, and its nearest rival in our test, Aurinko, does a similar job.
How you'd use Nylas, step by step
Here's the path from sign-up to a working feature, in plain terms.
1. Create an app on the free plan. No card is needed, and you can connect up to 5 email and calendar accounts to experiment with.
2. Let users connect their accounts. Nylas provides a hosted sign-in page, so your users log in with Google or Microsoft and approve access without you building each login yourself.
3. Make requests. Your app reads and sends email, creates events and manages contacts through Nylas's single API.
4. Switch on extras. Add Scheduler, Notetaker or Agent Accounts when your product needs them, keeping an eye on the plan limits.
The main features
Every plan includes email, calendar, Notetaker and Agent Accounts; the limits grow with the price.
Email, calendar and contacts
One set of requests for messages, events and contacts across Google, Microsoft and IMAP mail servers.
Notetaker
A meeting bot that records and transcribes. 5 bot hours on Free, 10 on Essentials and 70 on Pro.
Agent Accounts
Mailboxes for AI agents, with their own storage and email quotas: 3 on Free, 10 on Essentials, 50 on Pro.
Calendar-only accounts
Cheaper connections for users who only need calendars, from Essentials up.
Accelerator Package
A $2,400-a-year add-on for Pro Annual with a shared Google sign-in app and branded login pages.
Enterprise extras
Volume pricing, a HIPAA and HITECH BAA, a guaranteed uptime SLA and field filtering.
Our 14-day test
Nylas was in our test from October 4 to October 17, 2026. Each tool in this group is asked to sit in front of the same three sample APIs, and we record the same measures for every one: set-up time from the official docs, gateway checks passed, usage limits enforced, added delay and how hard it would be to leave. Our testing method describes the full process.
Getting started was joint slowest in the group, level with Tyk. It took 140 minutes to get a first working result, the docs passed 5 of our 10 quality checks, and 3 of 5 sample set-ups worked as printed. Reviewers on G2 describe the same steep learning curve.
The gateway jobs went poorly. Nylas passed 15 of our 30 checks across the three APIs, the lowest score of the seven. Of the 15 usage-limit rules we set, meant to stop a single customer or a faulty script swamping your servers, just 7 behaved.
Delay was acceptable: the slowest 5% of calls had up to 102 milliseconds added, a tenth of a second most users wouldn't notice. Leaving would take some work, with 3 of 5 export checks passed and 2 parts of the set-up needing manual rebuilding.
| Check | Outcome | So what? |
|---|---|---|
| First working request, docs only | 140 min | More than two hours before anything works. |
| Gateway checks, three APIs | 15/30 | Half of what we ask of a gateway. |
| Docs and sample set-ups | 5/10 doc checks; 3/5 samples work | Expect trial and error. |
| Export and leaving | 3/5 checks; 2 manual migrations | Possible, with some rebuilding. |
To be fair to Nylas, it isn't designed as a gateway, so this test asks it to do a job it wasn't built for. The results are still what a buyer comparing API management tools needs to know.
Tested October 4, 2026 to October 17, 2026.
Strengths and weaknesses
A free plan you can build on
5 connected accounts, 5 bot hours and 3 agent accounts with no card and no time limit. Enough to prototype a feature.
Broad email and calendar coverage
Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP mail through one API, plus meeting bots and agent mailboxes.
Modest added delay
Up to 102 ms on the slowest calls, which end users are unlikely to feel.
Weakest gateway in our test
15 of 30 checks and 7 of 15 usage limits. If you need to protect your own APIs, this isn't the tool.
Hard to get started
Over two hours before the first request worked, with docs that failed half our checks.
Costs that stack up
Each tier adds charges per extra account, and users report fees for Google's security review and charges after cancelling.
Pros
- Free plan with no card required
- One API for Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP
- Notetaker and Agent Accounts on every plan
- Added delay of 102 ms or less
- Rated 4.0 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- 15 of 30 gateway checks, last of seven
- 7 of 15 usage limits enforced
- 5 of 10 documentation checks
- Per-account overage on every paid tier
- All Trustpilot reviews are 1-star
Nylas pricing
Nylas has a free plan, two paid tiers and custom Enterprise pricing. Each tier includes a fixed number of connected accounts, and you pay per extra account beyond that, so your bill grows with your user count.
Essentials costs $15 a month with 10 email-and-calendar accounts, then $2.25 per extra account. Pro costs $49 a month billed monthly, or $43 a month billed yearly, with 25 accounts; extras cost $2.00 each on monthly billing and $1.75 on yearly. Pro Annual also unlocks Basic Support and the optional $2,400-a-year Accelerator Package. Professional services from a Nylas engineer start at $2,000.
Free
$0
no card, no time limit
- 5 email and calendar accounts
- 5 bot hours, 3 agent accounts
Essentials
$15
a month
- 10 accounts plus 10 calendar-only
- 10 bot hours, 10 agent accounts
- $2.25 per extra account
Pro
$49
a month, or $43 a month yearly
- 25 accounts plus 35 calendar-only
- 70 bot hours, 50 agent accounts
- $2.00 or $1.75 per extra account
Enterprise
Custom
volume bands
- HIPAA and HITECH BAA
- Guaranteed uptime SLA
- Dedicated support options
There's no separate trial, as the free plan does that job. The pricing page says nothing about refunds or cancelling, and several users say they were billed after asking to cancel because billing runs monthly in arrears, so cancel well before your billing date.
Prices checked on November 12, 2026 on Nylas's pricing page; they may change.
Nylas versus Aurinko and doing it yourself
Aurinko is the most direct alternative, covering mail, calendars, contacts and to-dos through one interface. It scored 3 out of 5 in our test, set up faster, and charges per connected account from $1 a month, though it has no free plan. Nylas offers a free tier and flat monthly prices plus per-account extras.
Building your own connections to Google and Microsoft avoids a monthly bill, but you then own the sign-in screens, provider security reviews and ongoing maintenance. Our API management ranking covers all seven tools.
| Option | Entry price | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Nylas | Free; Essentials $15 a month | Email, calendar, meeting bots and agent mailboxes through one API |
| Aurinko | $1 per account a month | Email, calendar, contacts and tasks through one API |
| Build it yourself | No subscription | Separate integrations and sign-in for each provider |
Data safety and contract risks
Nylas handles some of the most sensitive data there is: people's email and calendars. Its Enterprise plan lists a HIPAA and HITECH business associate agreement (BAA), the contract US healthcare firms need. When we read the pricing page on November 3, 2026, a BAA was also listed as available from Essentials; confirm that before relying on it. We couldn't confirm its security certifications, data-retention rules or AI training policy from Nylas's own pages, and found no reported security incidents.
Users raise contract issues too: one couldn't get a data processing agreement without an annual contract, and others describe expensive Google security assessments with no breakdown of the fee.
Ask Nylas what Google's security assessment will cost for your app before you build on it.
What customers report
Opinions depend heavily on where you look. On Trustpilot, checked November 12, 2026, Nylas sits at 2.2 out of 5 on only 8 reviews, all of them 1-star, with 6 posted in the last year. On G2 it had 4.0 out of 5 from 60 reviews and on Capterra 1.0 from 2 reviews when we last read them on November 3, 2026; G2 wouldn't load for our recheck.
G2 reviewers praise responsive support and broad provider coverage but mention a steep learning curve. The Trustpilot reviewers describe being charged after cancelling, a four-figure quote for Google's security review with no breakdown, slow support and a data agreement that required an annual contract.
Praised
- Helpful support contacts
- Wide provider coverage
Criticised
- Charges after cancelling
- Cost of Google verification
- Slow support on some tickets
- Steep learning curve
Our documentation results back up the learning-curve complaints. We didn't test billing, but the pattern in reviews is worth taking seriously.
Better choices for API management
Every other tool in the test scored higher. These are the closest options.
Read review
Kong
Second on 3 out of 5. An open-source gateway with plugins, popular on Kubernetes.
MuleSoft
3 out of 5. Integration and API governance for large firms, often on Salesforce.
Aurinko
3 out of 5 and the closest like-for-like option: one API for email and calendars, priced per account.
Apigee
2.5 out of 5. Google Cloud's enterprise gateway for large organisations.
1/5
Should you use Nylas?
Not as an API gateway. It passed 15 of 30 gateway checks, enforced 7 of 15 usage limits and shared the weakest documentation with Tyk, which is why it scored 1 out of 5 and finished last of seven.
As an email and calendar API, it's a different story. The free plan lets you build a working prototype at no cost, and the meeting bot and agent mailboxes are useful extras. Read the billing terms carefully, ask about Google verification costs, and compare it with Aurinko before committing.
Nylas suits product teams adding email and calendar features to an app; anyone who needs a gateway for their own APIs should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
Compare API management →
Compare the gateways that did better
Seven tools, three identical APIs. The ranking lays out checks, set-up time and what each one costs.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use Nylas, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
or open your email app
Frequently asked questions
What is Nylas used for?
Nylas lets software developers connect their app to users' email, calendars and contacts across Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP mail servers through one API. It also offers a meeting bot (Notetaker), a booking page (Scheduler) and mailboxes for AI agents.
Does Nylas have a free plan?
Yes. It's free forever and needs no card: 5 email and calendar accounts, 5 Notetaker bot hours and 3 agent accounts. There's no separate trial, so the free plan is how you try it.
What does Nylas cost?
On November 12, 2026, Essentials was $15 a month and Pro $49 a month, or $43 a month billed yearly. Extra accounts cost $2.25 each on Essentials, $2.00 on Pro monthly and $1.75 on Pro yearly. Enterprise is custom.
Can Nylas replace an API gateway?
No. In our test it passed 15 of 30 gateway checks and enforced 7 of 15 usage limits, the weakest results of the seven tools. It's built for email and calendar data, not for protecting your own APIs.
Is Nylas HIPAA compliant?
Its Enterprise plan lists a HIPAA and HITECH business associate agreement. When we read the pricing page on November 3, 2026, a BAA was also listed from Essentials. Confirm the terms with Nylas before connecting health data.
When did you test Nylas?
Our two-week test ran from October 4, 2026 until October 17, 2026. Following the official docs, we routed three sample APIs through it, clocked the set-up, ran our 30 gateway tests and 15 limit rules, recorded the delay and tried an export.
Written by
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.