Alternatives to Mailbird
Desktop email client for Windows and macOS with a unified inbox. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Mailbird
Desktop email client for Windows and macOS with a unified inbox.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Mailbird.
Thunderbird
Mozilla’s desktop mail client, with calendar, contacts and a unified inbox, funded by donations rather than ads.
Thunderbird is free and open source, runs on Linux as well as Windows and macOS, and adds calendar, tasks and built-in OpenPGP, though its interface feels dense.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email, calendar and contacts app for desktop, mobile and the web.
Microsoft Outlook adds calendar and contacts on desktop, mobile and web with Microsoft 365 integration, and is closed source with some features on paid plans.
eM Client
A polished commercial mail, calendar and contacts client for Windows and Mac, with a free tier capped at two accounts.
eM Client adds calendar, tasks, notes, PGP and S/MIME, is sold as a one-time purchase, and its free tier is capped at two accounts for non-commercial use.
Mailspring
A desktop mail client with a unified inbox, snooze and send later, whose paid tier adds read receipts.
Mailspring is open source under GPL-3.0, adds a Linux version, and includes a unified inbox, snooze and send later in its free tier, but has no calendar.
Spark Mail
Smart email client that auto-sorts inboxes and drafts AI-powered replies.
Spark Mail adds Android and iOS apps, automatic inbox categorization and AI-drafted replies, with AI and team features behind a paid plan.
BlueMail
Cross-platform email and calendar client with a unified inbox.
BlueMail adds a Linux version and a calendar with a freemium model, and stays closed source, with criticism over its handling of account credentials.
Betterbird
A Thunderbird fork that ships extra fixes and features, and can run side by side on the same profile.
Betterbird is a free open-source Thunderbird fork for Windows, macOS and Linux with extra fixes, maintained by a small volunteer project.
Canary Mail
Encrypted email client with AI features across desktop and mobile.
Canary Mail adds built-in encryption, AI triage and mobile apps, requires a paid subscription for full features, and processes AI features in the cloud.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Mailbird as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Apple Mail
The email app built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS for reading mail from several providers.
Mailbird is a paid unified-inbox client for Windows and macOS with app integrations, and has no iPhone or iPad version listed.
Kiwi for Gmail
A desktop app for Mac and Windows that runs Gmail and Google Workspace outside the browser.
Mailbird unifies Gmail and other providers in one inbox on Windows and macOS with app integrations, and requires a paid license for the full feature set.
Pegasus Mail
A long-running free desktop email client for Windows, maintained alongside the Mercury mail server.
Mailbird offers a unified inbox and app integrations on Windows and macOS, but its full feature set requires a paid license and it is closed source.
Spike
Turns email into a chat-like interface with message bubbles instead of a list.
Mailbird is a paid Windows and macOS client with a standard unified inbox and app integrations, and no mobile apps.
The Bat!
A Windows desktop email client that keeps mail locally, with on-disk encryption and end-to-end encryption.
Mailbird is a paid Windows and macOS client with a unified inbox and app integrations, but lacks The Bat!'s local encryption features.
Wino Mail
Native Windows mail and calendar client for Outlook, Gmail and IMAP accounts.
Mailbird offers a unified inbox and app integrations on Windows and macOS, but it is closed source and the full feature set needs a paid license.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Proton Mail Bridge
Local gateway that lets standard mail clients read a Proton Mail account.
