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KMail vs Balsa: catalog facts
KMail	Balsa
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Linux	Linux
OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption integrated rather than bolted on Shares contacts and calendar with the rest of the Kontact suite	Lightweight native GTK interface Fits in with the GNOME desktop
Depends on the Akonadi storage service, which is a common source of problems Linux only in practice	Linux only Smaller feature set than full PIM suites
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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