Mailspring
Focus: snooze, send later and templates. Shares email client and open source with Thunderbird. Freemium (Thunderbird: Free). Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFree planmacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Desktop App
Thunderbird
A free, open-source email client for managing several inboxes in one place.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Windows, macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Thunderbird?
Thunderbird is a free, open-source email app from MZLA Technologies, part of the Mozilla Foundation, that brings several email accounts, calendars, contacts and feeds into one window. It works offline on your desktop, supports filters, tags and OpenPGP encryption, and can be customised with add-ons and themes.
Pros: what Thunderbird does well
- Many accounts in one inbox
- Built-in calendar and encryption
- No ads or subscription
Cons: where it falls short
- Interface can feel busy at first
- Some add-ons break after big updates
Who Thunderbird is for
People who juggle several email accounts and want one private, ad-free desktop inbox.
Who can skip it
Anyone happy with a single webmail account in the browser.
Thunderbird alternatives
Not sold on Thunderbird? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Hey.com Email
Focus: Email, Productivity and Inbox Management. Shares Privacy with Thunderbird. A web app, not a desktop app. Paid but Affordable (Thunderbird: Free). Adds Web and iOS. Rated 4.1 (Thunderbird: 4.5).
Web AppPaid but AffordableWeb, iOS
4.1Visit
Proton Mail
Focus: encrypted email and email. Shares privacy and calendar with Thunderbird. A web app, not a desktop app. Freemium (Thunderbird: Free). Adds Web and iOS. Rated 4.6 (Thunderbird: 4.5).
Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.6Visit
NeoMutt
Focus: terminal, imap and notmuch. Shares email client and open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
OtherFreeCross-Platform
4.5Visit
Ferdium
Focus: messaging, all-in-one and workspaces. Shares open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Cryptomator
Focus: encryption and cloud storage. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Freemium (Thunderbird: Free). Adds iOS. Rated 4.6 (Thunderbird: 4.5).
Desktop AppFree planWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to Thunderbird
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
listmonk
Focus: newsletter, self-hosted and mailing list. Shares open source with Thunderbird. A web app, not a desktop app. Rated 4.6 (Thunderbird: 4.5).
Web AppFreeCross-Platform, Linux
4.6Visit
Sniffnet
Focus: network monitor, traffic and troubleshooting. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Rated 4.6 (Thunderbird: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeCross-Platform
4.6Visit
BleachBit
Focus: disk cleaner, free space and cleanup. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.5Visit
buku
Focus: bookmarks, links and terminal. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
OnionShare
Focus: file sharing, tor and security. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Vorta
Focus: backup, encryption and borg. Shares privacy and open source with Thunderbird. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.5Visit
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