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Indie alternatives to Apple Mail
6 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Apple Mail does, 4 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.
At a glance
| Product | Price | Open source | Self-host | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbird | Free | Yes | – | Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Airmail | Free plan | – | – | Mac, iOS |
| Canary Mail | Free plan | – | – | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Spark | Free plan | – | – | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android |
| MailMate | Paid | – | – | Mac |
| Mimestream | Paid | – | – | Mac |
The alternatives
1. Thunderbird
Free, open-source email, calendar and contacts app
A free, open-source desktop and mobile email client from MZLA/Mozilla with calendar, contacts, chat and add-ons, working with any email account.
Free · Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS · Website ↗
3. Canary Mail
Secure email client with encryption and AI
An email client with PGP encryption, read-receipt blocking, a unified inbox and AI assistance for any email provider.
Free plan · Mac, Windows, iOS, Android · Website ↗
6. Mimestream
Native macOS email client for Gmail
Mimestream is a Mac email app built specifically for Gmail, using the Gmail API to support labels, filters and multiple accounts.
Paid · Mac · Website ↗
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Apple Mail?
Yes. 4 of the 6 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: Thunderbird, Airmail, Canary Mail and Spark.
Is there an open-source alternative to Apple Mail?
Thunderbird is open source.
Which Apple Mail alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?
On Windows: Thunderbird, Canary Mail and Spark. On Linux: Thunderbird. On iPhone and iPad: Thunderbird, Airmail, Canary Mail and 1 more. On Android: Thunderbird, Canary Mail and Spark.
What makes these alternatives to Apple Mail “indie”?
They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Apple Mail.
Ask your AI instead
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