Compare software

alot vs meli: catalog facts
alot	meli
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPLv3.
Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Fast search and tagging through notmuch Keyboard and command-prompt driven interface	Supports IMAP, Maildir, notmuch, JMAP and mbox Plain text configuration with sane defaults
Needs notmuch and separate tools to fetch and send mail Terminal only, with no graphical interface	Described by its developers as experimental Non-UTF-8 encodings are read-only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.