--- title: Best Email Clients canonical: https://saasranked.com/best/email-clients/ facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Best Email Clients Read, write and sort mail from all your accounts in one desktop app, with a calendar and the privacy controls you want. 10 email clients ranked by points out of 100 from 16 published rules. Method: https://saasranked.com/best/email-clients/how-we-score/ | # | Product | Points | Mail and accounts | Calendar and contacts | Privacy and encryption | Systems and upkeep | Price | Cost of a year | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | [Mozilla Thunderbird](https://saasranked.com/software/mozilla-thunderbird.md) | 88 | 23/27 | 9/9 | 24/28 | 11/15 | 21/21 | $0 | | 2 | [Betterbird](https://saasranked.com/software/betterbird.md) | 78 | 15/27 | 9/9 | 24/28 | 9/15 | 21/21 | $0 | | 3 | [BlueMail](https://saasranked.com/software/bluemail.md) | 78 | 22/27 | 9/9 | 16/28 | 13/15 | 18/21 | $0 | | 4 | [eM Client](https://saasranked.com/software/em-client.md) | 73 | 23/27 | 9/9 | 17/28 | 11/15 | 13/21 | $55.87/yr | | 5 | [Microsoft Outlook](https://saasranked.com/software/microsoft-outlook.md) | 67 | 20/27 | 6/9 | 10/28 | 13/15 | 18/21 | $0 | | 6 | [Mailspring](https://saasranked.com/software/mailspring.md) | 65 | 21/27 | 3/9 | 11/28 | 9/15 | 21/21 | $0 | | 7 | [Canary Mail](https://saasranked.com/software/canary-mail.md) | 62 | 16/27 | 6/9 | 11/28 | 11/15 | 18/21 | $0 | | 8 | [Claws Mail](https://saasranked.com/software/claws-mail.md) | 61 | 14/27 | 0/9 | 19/28 | 7/15 | 21/21 | $0 | | 9 | [Spark Mail](https://saasranked.com/software/spark-mail.md) | 56 | 21/27 | 6/9 | 0/28 | 11/15 | 18/21 | $0 | | 10 | [Mailbird](https://saasranked.com/software/mailbird.md) | 52 | 21/27 | 6/9 | 5/28 | 7/15 | 13/21 | $77.18/yr | ## 1. Mozilla Thunderbird Best for: People who want a free, open-source client with built-in encryption. Thunderbird suits people who want a free client with a unified inbox, calendar and built-in OpenPGP and S/MIME. Mail stays on your device, per its privacy policy. The catch: Exchange access covers email only, and the vendor pages do not list snooze or undo send. ## 2. Betterbird Best for: Thunderbird users who want more control over how mail is listed, sorted and searched. Betterbird suits people who like Thunderbird and want extra list, search and layout options without paying anything. It is open source and says it collects no telemetry. The catch: its own pages say little about account types, Gmail or Microsoft sign-in, and Exchange, which are inherited from Thunderbird, and it has no phone app. ## 3. BlueMail Best for: People who want a free app with PGP, a calendar and many accounts. BlueMail suits people who want a free app on every system, with a unified inbox, calendar, PGP and CalDAV. It says mail is not stored on its servers and tracking pixels are blocked by default. The catch: S/MIME is limited to Enterprise licences, and the pages show no scheduled send or rules. ## 4. eM Client Best for: People who want PGP, S/MIME and a calendar in one paid Windows app. eM Client suits people who want PGP, S/MIME, CalDAV and a built-in calendar in one app, and who are happy to pay €49.95 a year for unlimited accounts. The catch: the free plan stops at 2 accounts, and the vendor's pages do not describe a unified inbox. ## 5. Microsoft Outlook Best for: People who want a free app with a calendar, scheduled send and undo send. Outlook suits people who want a free Windows mail app with a built-in calendar and mail tools such as schedule send, snooze and undo send. Classic Outlook blocks picture downloads by default. The catch: the free version shows ads, and Microsoft's pages do not describe a unified inbox or OpenPGP. ## 6. Mailspring Best for: People with many IMAP, Gmail or Microsoft accounts who want a free, open-source app. Mailspring suits people who want to read many IMAP, Gmail and Microsoft accounts in one free, open-source app. Pro adds unlimited snooze and send later for $85 a year. The catch: it has no POP3 or Exchange support, no mobile apps listed, and its full calendar is announced for later this year. ## 7. Canary Mail Best for: People who want PGP and tracker blocking in an app that also runs on phones. Canary Mail suits people who want a free client for many accounts, or who want PGP and tracker blocking across desktop and phone. Growth at $36 a year adds Send Later and a calendar. The catch: monthly billing is not offered, and the privacy policy describes some server-side handling for push notifications and AI features. ## 8. Claws Mail Best for: People who want a small, keyboard-friendly client with strong filtering and PGP. Claws Mail suits people who want a free, light client with filters, templates, GnuPG and S/MIME. The catch: Gmail and Microsoft sign-in needs you to register your own app first, Exchange works only through IMAP, and the pages show no unified inbox or delayed send, with a calendar only through a plugin. ## 9. Spark Mail Best for: People with many accounts who use a phone, a Mac and a PC. Spark suits people who want one free app on every device, with unlimited accounts, a unified inbox and a calendar. Plus adds templates and AI. The catch: Spark states that some features need server-side processing of mail, and no OpenPGP, S/MIME or rules are listed. ## 10. Mailbird Best for: People who want a unified inbox and a calendar for several accounts. Mailbird suits people who run several mail accounts on Windows and want a unified inbox, calendar and snooze in one app. Mail stays on your computer, per the vendor. The catch: the free plan allows one account, and PGP, S/MIME and CalDAV are not listed on its pages.