Zapier Email to Google Sheets: How It Compares to Quicktion

You want to automatically save emails to Google Sheets. You've heard Zapier can do it. But is it the right tool for the job?

Zapier is powerful for complex automation workflows. It can connect thousands of apps and orchestrate multi-step processes. But when all you need is to save emails to a spreadsheet, that power comes with unnecessary complexity and cost.

This guide compares Zapier and Quicktion for email-to-Google Sheets automation. You'll see exactly how each tool works, what it costs, and which one fits your workflow.

How Zapier Email to Google Sheets Works

Zapier connects apps through automated workflows called Zaps. For email to Google Sheets, you'd create a Zap with:

Trigger: New email in Gmail (with optional filters like labels or sender)

Action: Create spreadsheet row in Google Sheets

Here's what the setup process looks like:

Step 1: Connect Gmail

You'll authorize Zapier to access your Gmail account. Then you choose what triggers the Zap — every new email, emails with a specific label, emails from certain senders, or emails matching search criteria.

Zapier polls Gmail every 5-15 minutes depending on your plan. It doesn't receive emails instantly.

Step 2: Map Email Fields to Columns

You tell Zapier which email data goes into which spreadsheet columns. The available fields include:

• Subject
• From name and email address
• To, CC, BCC recipients
• Body (plain text or HTML)
• Date received
• Attachment URLs (not the files themselves)
• Labels and thread ID

You manually map each field to a column. If you want the subject in column A and the sender in column B, you configure that mapping yourself.

Step 3: Format the Data

Zapier inserts data as-is. If you want formatted dates, you need to add a formatter step. If you want to extract specific information from the email body, you need text parsing steps.

Each additional step counts against your task limit and slows down the workflow.

Step 4: Test and Activate

You test the Zap with a sample email, confirm the data lands correctly in your sheet, and turn it on.

Total setup time: 15-20 minutes if you're familiar with Zapier. Longer if you're learning the interface or debugging mapping issues.

What You Get (and Don't Get) with Zapier

Zapier successfully moves email data to Google Sheets. But there are significant limitations:

No rich text formatting. The email body arrives as plain text or raw HTML code. Links aren't clickable. Bold text, lists, and headings are lost.

No attachment handling. Zapier provides attachment URLs, but it doesn't download or upload files anywhere. You get a link to the attachment on Gmail's servers — not a file you can open directly from Sheets.

Task-based billing. Every email saved counts as one task. If you need filtering or formatting, those count as additional tasks. On the free plan (100 tasks/month), you can save about 100 emails. That's it.

Polling delays. Zapier checks Gmail every 5-15 minutes. An email sent at 9:00 AM might not appear in your sheet until 9:15 AM.

Manual column management. If you add a new column to your sheet, you need to update the Zap mapping. There's no automatic field detection.

How Quicktion Email to Google Sheets Works

Quicktion is built specifically for saving emails to Google Sheets and Notion databases. The entire product focuses on this single task, which means the experience is streamlined.

Step 1: Connect Google Sheets

You log into Quicktion, click "New Destination," and select Google Sheets. You authorize Quicktion to access your Google account (using standard OAuth — the same secure method Zapier uses).

Then you pick a spreadsheet using Google's file picker. Quicktion supports any spreadsheet in your Drive.

Step 2: Configure Field Mapping

Quicktion shows you all available email fields — subject, sender, body, date, attachments, and more. You select which fields to save and which columns to use.

The key difference: Quicktion creates the columns for you if they don't exist. You can also map fields to existing columns using automatic column detection.

The column mapping is stored as metadata on your spreadsheet. If you reorganize columns later, Quicktion still knows where to put the data.

Step 3: Get Your Forwarding Address

Quicktion generates a unique forwarding address like abc123@in.quicktion.io. You forward emails to this address from any email client — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, whatever you use.

Or you can use the Gmail add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Open an email in Gmail, click the Quicktion icon, and save it with one click. No forwarding required.

Step 4: Emails Save Automatically

Every email you forward (or save via the add-on) appears in your spreadsheet within 10-30 seconds. Rich text formatting is preserved. Links are clickable. Attachments are uploaded to a Google Drive folder and linked in the sheet.

Total setup time: 2-3 minutes. The interface is designed for this specific workflow, so there's nothing extraneous.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The comparison reveals two fundamentally different tools. Zapier is a general automation platform that happens to support email to Sheets. Quicktion is a dedicated email saving tool that excels at this specific task.

Pricing Breakdown

Let's compare real-world costs for different email volumes.

Saving 50 Emails per Month

Zapier: Free plan supports 100 tasks/month. If you only need basic email saving with no extra steps, this works. But you get plain text only, 15-minute delays, and no attachment handling.

Quicktion: Free plan supports 25 emails/month. For 50 emails, you need the Pro plan at $8/month. You get rich formatting, attachment uploads, and the Gmail add-on.

Winner: Quicktion. The extra $8 gets you significantly better output quality.

Saving 200 Emails per Month

Zapier: You need the Starter plan at $19.99/month for 750 tasks. Each email is one task (or more if you add formatting steps). Still plain text, still polling delays.

Quicktion: Pro plan at $8/month for unlimited emails. Rich text, instant-ish processing, attachments handled automatically.

Winner: Quicktion. You pay less than half and get better features.

Saving 1,000 Emails per Month

Zapier: You need the Professional plan at $49/month for 2,000 tasks. At this volume, you're paying $0.049 per email saved.

Quicktion: Still $8/month for unlimited emails. That's $0.008 per email — six times cheaper.

Winner: Quicktion by a wide margin.

When to Use Zapier for Email to Sheets

Zapier isn't the wrong choice for everyone. Use Zapier when:

You need multi-step automation. Example: When an email arrives, save it to Sheets AND post a message in Slack AND create a Trello card. Zapier excels at orchestrating multiple actions from a single trigger.

You're already using Zapier for other workflows. If you have a paid Zapier account and spare tasks in your monthly allotment, adding an email-to-Sheets Zap might make sense.

You need advanced filtering logic. Zapier's filter and path features let you create complex conditional workflows. "If the email is from a VIP sender, save to Sheet A. Otherwise, save to Sheet B."

You're comfortable with plain text output. Some use cases don't require formatting. If you're just tracking sender names and timestamps, Zapier's plain text output works fine.

For these scenarios, Zapier's complexity and cost are justified.

When to Use Quicktion for Email to Sheets

Use Quicktion when:

You just want to save emails to Sheets. No multi-step workflows. No conditional logic. Just email in, spreadsheet row out. Quicktion does this better than any general automation tool.

You care about formatting and readability. Customer support emails, lead inquiries, meeting notes — these often contain important formatting. Quicktion preserves it.

You handle email attachments. Zapier can't download and upload attachments. Quicktion uploads them to Drive automatically and links them in your sheet.

You want a Gmail add-on. The one-click save from Gmail is significantly faster than setting up forwarding rules. It's perfect for selective email saving.

You want the lowest cost for high volume. Unlimited emails for $8/month beats every Zapier tier.

Most people saving emails to Google Sheets fit these criteria. That's why Quicktion exists.

The Hybrid Approach

You don't have to choose exclusively. Some teams use both tools for different purposes:

• Quicktion for routine email saving (support tickets, lead forms, receipts)
• Zapier for complex workflows that involve email as one step among many

Example: Use Quicktion to save all support emails to a Sheets log. Use Zapier to watch that same inbox and trigger a Zap when an email from a VIP customer arrives — sending a Slack notification and creating a high-priority task.

The tools complement each other when you use them for their strengths.

Setting Up Quicktion for Email to Sheets

Ready to try the purpose-built solution? Here's the quick setup:

1. Create a Destination

Log into Quicktion, click "New Destination," and select Google Sheets. Authorize your Google account and pick a spreadsheet.

2. Map Email Fields

Choose which email data to save — subject, sender, body, date, attachments, etc. Quicktion will create columns or map to existing ones.

3. Forward Emails or Use the Add-on

You get a forwarding address like abc123@in.quicktion.io. Forward emails from any client, or install the Gmail add-on for one-click saving.

4. Watch Emails Populate Your Sheet

Within 10-30 seconds, each forwarded email appears as a new row with rich text formatting and uploaded attachments.

For detailed setup instructions, see our guides on saving emails to Google Sheets and Gmail to Google Sheets integration.

What About Email Forwarding vs Gmail Add-on?

Quicktion offers both options. Here's when to use each:

Email forwarding works with any email client and any email address. You can forward from Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or your company email system. Great for automating email rules or saving emails from multiple accounts.

Gmail add-on is faster when you're already in Gmail. Open an email, click the Quicktion icon, select a destination, and save. Perfect for selective saving rather than automatic forwarding.

You can use both methods with the same Quicktion account. Some users set up automatic forwarding rules for recurring emails (like daily reports) and use the add-on for one-off emails worth saving.

Learn more about both approaches in our forward emails to Google Sheets guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Zapier save emails to Google Sheets?

Yes. Zapier can connect Gmail to Google Sheets through automated workflows. You set a trigger (new email) and an action (append row to sheet). However, it saves plain text only — no rich formatting or clickable links.

Is Zapier free for email to Sheets?

Zapier has a free tier, but it's very limited — 100 tasks per month with only 5-minute polling intervals. For regular email saving, you'll need a paid plan starting at $19.99/month.

What's the main difference between Zapier and Quicktion?

Quicktion is purpose-built for email saving. It preserves rich text formatting, handles attachments (uploading to Drive), and offers a Gmail add-on — all features Zapier lacks. Quicktion is also cheaper at $8/month for unlimited emails vs Zapier's $19.99+ for limited tasks.

Does Zapier preserve email formatting in Sheets?

No. Zapier saves the email body as plain text or raw HTML. It doesn't convert formatting to rich text with clickable links like Quicktion does.

When should I use Zapier instead of Quicktion?

Use Zapier when you need complex multi-step automation — like saving to Sheets AND sending a Slack notification AND creating a Trello card from the same email. For just saving emails to Sheets, Quicktion is faster, cheaper, and produces better results.

Get Started

If you're reading this, you probably want to save emails to Google Sheets. The question is whether you need Zapier's multi-step automation power or Quicktion's focused email-saving capabilities.

For most use cases — support ticket logging, lead tracking, receipt archiving, meeting notes — Quicktion delivers better results at a lower cost. Rich text formatting, attachment handling, and one-click Gmail saving make the difference between a usable email log and a messy plain-text archive.

Try Quicktion free. The free plan includes 25 emails per month and full access to the Gmail add-on. See how much better your email log looks when the tool is built specifically for this task.