saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

email client · Foundry 376

Mailspring

Open-source desktop email client with a free plan that allows unlimited accounts.

65/100

#6 of 10 email clients
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

Mailspring suits people who want to read many IMAP, Gmail and Microsoft accounts in one free, open-source app2,3,4. Pro adds unlimited snooze and send later for $85 a year1. The catch: it has no POP3 or Exchange support, no mobile apps listed, and its full calendar is announced for later this year4.

Best for: People with many IMAP, Gmail or Microsoft accounts who want a free, open-source app.

Where the points come from

Mail and accounts21 of 27
Calendar and contacts3 of 9
Privacy and encryption11 of 28
Systems and upkeep9 of 15
Price21 of 21

Mail and accounts 21 of 27 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Account typesIMAP, Gmail and Microsoft 365 sign-inIMAP works; Google and Microsoft 365 accounts sign in with those providers. Docs say POP3 and Exchange protocols are unsupported3.6 / 12
Unified inboxYesHomepage and free-plan article list a unified inbox4,2.4 / 4
Mail toolsScheduled send, Snooze, Undo send, TemplatesSend later and snooze have free weekly quotas and unlimited use on Pro; undo send and templates are listed2,4,10.8 / 8
Filters and rulesYesRules can move mail to trash or folders and apply labels; they run only while the app is open5.3 / 3

Calendar and contacts 3 of 9 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Built-in calendarNoHomepage says a full-featured calendar is coming later this year, so we count it as not yet available4.0 / 6
CalDAV and CardDAVYesHomepage says Mailspring syncs directly via IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV; release notes list CalDAV and CardDAV fixes4,7.3 / 3

Privacy and encryption 11 of 28 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
OpenPGPNot publishedNot published on the vendor's homepage, security page or documentation index4,12,11.0 / 7
S/MIMENot publishedNot published on the vendor's homepage, security page or documentation index4,12,11.0 / 6
Blocks tracking pixelsNot publishedVendor article says clients can turn off image loading; it does not say remote images are blocked by default13.0 / 4
Open-source appsYesCode is public on GitHub; homepage says MIT licence, while the repository page shows GPL-3.0. Either is open source4,8.6 / 6
Mail stays on your deviceYesHomepage says mail goes from your provider to your machine, not through the vendor's servers; opt-in features are the exception4,6.5 / 5

Systems and upkeep 9 of 15 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Other systemsmacOS, LinuxDownloads exist for Windows, Mac and Linux only; no iOS, Android or web app listed9,4.4 / 10
Released in the last yearYesGitHub releases list version 1.26.0 dated 2 October 20267.5 / 5

Price 21 of 21 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
No ads in the appYesThe app is open source, which counts as no ads under our rule8.3 / 3
Free planYesFree version with unlimited accounts and no time limit; Pro features have weekly quotas2.6 / 6
Cost of a year$0Free version has unlimited accounts, so a year costs $0; Pro is $85 a year2,1.12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score email clients.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
Free1 personFree2$0Unlimited accounts; weekly limits on Pro features
Pro (yearly)1 person$85/year1$7.08Removes weekly limits; 11% below the monthly price
Pro (monthly)1 person$8/month1$8

The yearly Pro price is $85, which is 11% below twelve monthly payments1.

Strengths

  • Free version has unlimited accounts, a unified inbox, mail rules and templates2.
  • Gmail and Microsoft accounts are added by signing in with Google or Microsoft3.
  • Mail sync runs on your computer and does not go through the vendor's servers4.
  • Source code is public on GitHub8.

Limits

  • POP3 and Exchange protocols are not supported3.
  • Free use of snooze and send later is capped each week2.
  • The download page lists only Windows, Mac and Linux apps9.
  • Rules run only while the app is open5.
  • A built-in calendar is announced as coming later, not available now4.

What Foundry 376 says

Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.

  • Mailspring says it does not transmit, store or process your mail in the cloud12.

Other email clients

  1. 1
    Mozilla ThunderbirdPeople who want a free, open-source client with built-in encryption
    88/100
    $0cost of a year
  2. 2
    BetterbirdThunderbird users who want more control over how mail is listed, sorted and searched
    78/100
    $0cost of a year
  3. 3
    BlueMailPeople who want a free app with PGP, a calendar and many accounts
    78/100
    $0cost of a year
  4. 4
    eM ClientPeople who want PGP, S/MIME and a calendar in one paid Windows app
    73/100
    $55.87/yrcost of a year

All 10 email clients

Sources

  1. About Mailspring Pro subscriptions, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  2. What's included in the free version?, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  3. Supported email providers, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  4. Mailspring home page, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  5. Automate your inbox with mail rules, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  6. Mailspring privacy policy, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  7. Mailspring releases, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  8. Foundry376/Mailspring, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  9. Download Mailspring, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  10. Mailspring Pro, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  11. Mailspring documentation, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  12. Mailspring security, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  13. Privacy and read receipts / link tracking, Mailspring. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: getmailspring.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Foundry 376.