Summary: In this article, we list some of the best email clients for desktop linux.
While you can easily access your email in your web browser, some of us rely on desktop email clients to check our emails. So, here is a list of the best email clients available for the Linux platform. each of them is presented with the features they offer to give you a general idea of them.
best email clients for linux
1. Thunderbird
Thunderbird is one of the most popular and oldest open-source email clients from Mozilla Foundation. You can also find it pre-installed on several Linux distributions.
The user interface hasn’t changed much over the years, but it did get a few facelifts with thunderbird 91 and later, but it’s a serious email client with all the essential features.
features:
- contact management: includes an address book that can store detailed information about your contacts. and includes support for the carddav address book.
- Activity Manager: Recorded interactions between the email provider and thunderbird.
- folder smart : combined email folders for multiple accounts.
- privacy & security: Strong privacy and phishing protection options.
- search & filter: efficient search and fast filtering tools for your emails and the web.
- spam filter: thunderbird has its own spam filter.
- Large File Management: Upload large attachments to external storage providers without leaving thunderbird.
- Customization: thunderbird supports skins to change the appearance & feel. In addition, there are plugins to extend the functions of thunderbird.
how to install thunderbird on linux?
thunderbird should be available through your package manager or software center, regardless of the linux distribution you are using.
in case you are using ubuntu or any debian based distribution you can simply install it by typing:
for any linux distribution, you can use the available flatpak package. you can refer to our flatpak guide for help.
2. evolution
Evolution is an open-source email client by GNOME. It wasn’t as popular as Thunderbird, but now many Linux distributions have considered replacing Thunderbird with Evolution as the pre-installed email client for a better user experience overall.
features
- contact management: integrated address book for contact management.
- calendar integration: calendar integration with your email account.
- task manager: integrated task management tool.
- notes: evolution includes a tool to take notes.</li
- filters & folder: support for custom virtual folders for search queries and filters.
- spam filter: includes spam filtering powered by spamassassin.
- >privacy and security: evolution is compatible with pgp & s/mime encryption.
- plugins: Plugin support for various functionality.
how to install evolution on linux?
you can get it directly from the software center or through the terminal (for debian-based distributions) by typing:
however, to get the latest stable version on any linux distribution, you may want to use the available flatpak package.
3. kmail
note: kmail is better suited to the kde desktop environment.
kmail is part of kontact, a personal information manager, which was developed for the kde environment and fits very well with it. can also be used as a standalone email client in other desktop environments.
it installs some tools like kde connect along with other important packages when you install it on a non-kde desktop system, so if you don’t want them you can remove them manually.
features:
- integration: kmail integrates very well with other kontact components.
- search & filter: powerful search and filter features for emails.
- privacy & security: kmail supports pgp & s/mime encryption.
- spam filter: integrates with spam filters like spamassassin, bogofilter, etc.
how to install kmail on linux?
On a kde powered system, you should find it pre-installed. for ubuntu based distributions, you can install it using the terminal:
for any linux distribution, you can use the kontact suite available as a flatpak package and install it. this way you can install kmail along with some essential tools to get the most out of it.
4. gear
geary is another open source email client from the gnome project. It is intended to be a simple and fast email client designed primarily for the gnome desktop, but you can use it in other desktop environments as well.
features:
- interface: geary is modern looking and lightweight with a simple user interface.
- integration & notification: geary integrates well with the gnome desktop environment and provides notifications for new mail.
note:
- geary is best suited to the gnome desktop environment or its variants.
5. blue mail
blue mail is a proprietary option for linux users who want a visually appealing email client.
blue mail is quite a popular app for android, so it continues its tradition of offering essential features along with a few extras for a premium.
for individuals, it’s free. but if you’re a business, you’ll need to opt for the premium pricing plans.
features:
- Group email: You don’t need to add members individually, but send emails to a specific group quickly.
- Unified inbox : You can see all the conversations from every account you add in the desktop client in one place.
- Integrated Calendar: You can search for events and set calendar reminders from within the client
- dark theme: If you regularly work with emails, dark mode can be a nice addition.
- all protocols are compatible : also supports imap, exchange, activesync and pop3.
- other essentials: can add multiple accounts, use quick filters, can be used offline, and other basic functionalities.
how to install bluemail on linux?
bluemail is available for linux as a snap, deb and rpm package. the snap package should be suitable for each linux distribution.
You won’t find it listed in your software center or repositories unless you have integrated snap.
6. claw mail
note: you need manual configuration for email accounts.
claws mail is a lightweight email client using a gtk+ interface that focuses on bringing a familiar user experience to popular email clients while providing some additional functionality like rss aggregator.
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features:
- contact management: has basic address book functionality.
- plugins: claws mail supports plugins to extend its functionality .
7. mutt
if you’re an avid fan of terminals, mutt is a text-based email client.
features:
- interface: mutt runs entirely in your terminal windows with a text-based user interface.
- security: supports pgp and mime.
- customization: highly customizable with key bindings and macro support.
- search: Regular expression support for searching emails.
note:
- If you are a novice user, you may find it difficult to set up mutt.
8. mailspring (previously known as nylas mail)
Mailspring, formerly known as Nylas Mail or Nylas N1 is a next-generation email app built with open web technologies. It has a really modern and slick user interface.
Although it offers many features, most of them are limited to a premium subscription.
Note that many readers report terrible support from the mailspring team, so feel free to give it a try if you don’t mind.
features:
- unified inbox: mailspring supports all major email providers. therefore, you can manage all your accounts from a single interface.
- contact management: contacts with rich profiles containing bio, social links, location information and more.
- calendar integration: mailspring will review your calendar and allow you to schedule meetings at a suitable time when you are free or send your availability schedule to others.
- snooze: postpone emails with lower priorities to deal with them later.
- scheduler: you can schedule your email to be sent at a suitable time when most people open their emails .
- privacy & security: mailspring leverages pgp encryption to ensure privacy and security.
- mail merge: you can send personalized emails to large numbers of people with a personal touch, eg you’ll type your email once and mailspring will enter each person’s name where you want it.
- quick response templates – you can create custom templates for various situations so you can edit them and send responses quickly.
- analytics & Tracking: Provides analytics and tracking information, such as email read notification, click count of sent links.
- Translator: Translation support built-in for multiple languages.
- customization: all of the above stuff is just stuff that comes out of the box. mailspring is customizable and extensible to its core. you can customize its look as you see fit by adjusting its css style sheet or extend its features with various available extensions. or better yet, if you know javascript, you can even create one yourself!
what do you think is the best email client for linux?
mailspring may be a good option if you’re willing to pay a premium (if we don’t consider their potentially poor customer support).
if you want to stick to open source options, evolution and thunderbird are still your best bet, no matter what.
In any case, if you want a change and you’ve had enough with the usual mail clients, you should try the ones you’ve never tried and then make a decision.
Do you use desktop email clients or do you prefer the web browser? if so, what is the best email client for linux in your opinion?