Compare software

fetchmail vs OfflineIMAP: catalog facts
fetchmail	OfflineIMAP
Free Free, with source code available on GitLab.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Supports both POP3 and IMAP retrieval Actively maintained with a public security errata page	Two-way sync into plain Maildir, which any local mail client can read Per-folder rules and filters for what gets mirrored
Only fetches mail; reading and filtering need other tools Past security issues in optional NTLM support	Python performance is poor on very large mailboxes Configuration is a hand-written file with many options
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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