The Best Mailspring Alternatives for a Better Email Experience

Mailspring is a popular, fast, and beautiful email client available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, offering both a free version and an optional pro subscription with features like read receipts and send later. However, even excellent software like Mailspring might not fit everyone's needs perfectly. Whether you're looking for different features, a specific platform, an open-source solution, or just a change, there are many compelling Mailspring alternatives out there. This guide will help you discover the top contenders to enhance your email productivity.

Top Mailspring Alternatives

If you're ready to explore options beyond Mailspring, you've come to the right place. We've compiled a list of the best alternatives, ranging from feature-rich powerhouses to lightweight, privacy-focused clients. Dive in to find your next favorite email solution!

Shift

Shift

Shift is an excellent Mailspring alternative, especially for those who manage multiple email accounts and web applications. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, this freemium workstation streamlines your workflows, offering unified search, multiple account support, and single-click access to over 900 popular applications and cloud services. Its features include a unified inbox, cross-account search, and deep integrations with Gmail, Google Apps, Outlook, and Salesforce, making it a powerful productivity hub.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird

Thunderbird is a robust, free, and open-source Mailspring alternative available across Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and PortableApps.com. It's a cross-platform e-mail, news, and instant messaging client known for its strong support for multiple accounts, excellent mail filter capabilities, and extensive customization via plugins and extensions. Key features include IMAP and POP support, a built-in RSS reader, encryption, calendar integration, and a tabbed interface, making it a versatile choice for many users.

K-9 Mail

K-9 Mail

For Android users seeking a dedicated Mailspring alternative, K-9 Mail is a top contender. This free and open-source email client for Android and Android Tablet offers multi-folder sync, email signatures, Bcc-to-self, Exchange support, message flagging, and configurable notifications. It's a privacy-focused option with IMAP and POP3 support, PGP encryption, and the ability to view multiple accounts in one interface, ideal for mobile productivity.

Microsoft Office Outlook

Microsoft Office Outlook

Microsoft Office Outlook is a comprehensive personal information manager that serves as a powerful Mailspring alternative for users entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem. Available as part of Microsoft Office Suite (Mac, Windows) or as a free app (Web, Android, iPhone, Windows Phone), it seamlessly integrates email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. Notable features include Exchange integration, shared calendars, smart attachments, a unified inbox, and integrations with Box.com, Dropbox, and OneDrive, making it a strong choice for business and personal use.

eM Client

eM Client

eM Client is a sleek and modern Mailspring alternative for Mac and Windows, offering a full-featured email client alongside integrated calendar, tasks, contacts, and chat functionalities. It supports all major services, including Gmail, Exchange, iCloud, and Outlook.com, and boasts easy data import from other clients. Key features like automatic backup, built-in translation, cloud sync, encrypted email, and a combined inbox make it a compelling option for those seeking a polished and comprehensive solution.

Spark

Spark

Spark is a freemium Mailspring alternative designed for smart inbox management, available on Mac, Android, and iPhone. Its 'Smart Inbox' intelligently categorizes emails (personal, notifications, newsletters) for easy batch processing, helping you achieve inbox zero with beloved swipes. Features include multiple account support, sync across devices, calendar integration, email scheduling, Exchange support, and the ability to snooze mail, making it ideal for those who value an organized and efficient inbox.

Evolution

Evolution

Evolution is a powerful, free, and open-source Mailspring alternative for Linux, BSD, and GNOME environments. It's a personal information management application offering integrated mail, calendaring, address book, and task list functionalities. Emphasizing standards compliance and security, Evolution supports a wide range of industry-standard data formats and can integrate with Microsoft Exchange via the EWS extension. Features include CalDAV, Exchange, a built-in RSS reader, encrypted email, and integrated spam protection, making it a robust choice for Linux users.

Mailbird

Mailbird

Mailbird is a polished Windows-based Mailspring alternative designed for a clean, simple, and fast email experience. It offers multi-account support for various providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.com, and iCloud (IMAP/POP3). Key features include an undo send option, integration with popular apps like Asana, Dropbox, Facebook, Slack, Trello, and Twitter, a unified inbox, and a night mode/dark theme, making it a great option for Windows users seeking a modern client.

Apple Mail

Apple Mail

For Mac, iPhone, and iPad users, Apple Mail is a free and deeply integrated Mailspring alternative that comes bundled with macOS and iOS. It offers a streamlined interface with a widescreen two-column view, a favorites bar for quick folder access, and compact message previews. Features include CalDAV, CardDAV, encrypted email, Exchange support, and rich text editing, providing a native and efficient email experience for Apple device owners.

OpenProject

OpenProject

While primarily a project management software, OpenProject (freemium, open-source, web, self-hosted) can serve as a Mailspring alternative for specific needs due to its email tracking feature within the broader context of project communication. It offers a wide set of features like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, work item tracking, and reporting. Its ability to track emails related to projects could be beneficial for teams looking for integrated communication and task management.

Postbox

Postbox

Postbox is a commercial Mailspring alternative for Mac and Windows, designed to help organize your work life with elegance and power. It offers ultra-fast search to instantly find messages, attachments, images, and contacts, along with chronological conversation views to make sense of email threads. With Exchange support, multiple account support, a built-in RSS reader, and integrations with Box.com, Dropbox, and OneDrive, Postbox is a strong contender for demanding workloads.

Ultimately, the best Mailspring alternative depends on your individual needs. Consider your operating system, whether you prefer open-source or commercial software, and the specific features that will boost your productivity. Take the time to explore these options and find the perfect email client to streamline your communication.

Christopher Hill

Christopher Hill

Writes about developer tools, performance optimization, and software engineering trends.