aerc vs nmh
aerc: Terminal email client written in Go with IMAP, JMAP, Maildir and notmuch backends and an embedded terminal for editing.
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Differences
- aerc is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program.
- Only aerc has built-in IMAP, JMAP and notmuch.
- Only nmh has built-in POP3.
- aerc has mouse support; nmh does not.
- aerc has OpenPGP; nmh does not.
- aerc has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- aerc has Vim-style keys; nmh does not.
- aerc has threaded views; nmh does not.
- aerc is written in Go; nmh in C.
- Configuration: aerc uses INI-style files: accounts.conf, aerc.conf, binds.conf, and nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files.
Side by side
| aerc | nmh | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | Go | C |
| License | MIT | BSD 3-Clause |
| Latest version | 0.22.0 | 1.8 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| POP3 | No | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | Yes | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | Yes |
| notmuch | Yes | No |
| OpenPGP | Yes | No |
| S/MIME | No | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | Yes | No |
| Threads | Yes | No |
| Search | built-in; server-side for IMAP and JMAP; notmuch queries | pick command matches header fields and message text |
| HTML mail | via filters, w3m by default | via mhshow with an external converter such as w3m |
| Mouse | Yes | No |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | via per-command switches or separate profiles |
| Offline use | with mbsync or OfflineIMAP through the Maildir backend; IMAP header cache | full; messages are stored as local files |
| Calendar | Yes | replies to invitations with mhical |
| Contacts | via address-book-cmd, e.g. khard or the bundled carddav-query | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | INI-style files: accounts.conf, aerc.conf, binds.conf | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files |
Which to choose
Choose aerc for
- Embedded terminal runs the editor and other commands inside aerc
- Built-in commands for applying and reviewing git patch series
- Supports JMAP and notmuch as well as IMAP and Maildir
Watch out for
- No POP3 or S/MIME support
- mbox files open read-only
- No native Windows build
Choose nmh for
- Every action is a shell command, so mail handling is easy to script.
- One file per message lets grep, find and other Unix tools work on mail.
- Built-in POP3 and SMTP with TLS and SASL; reads mbox and Maildir drops.
Watch out for
- No IMAP; IMAP mail must be synced to a Maildir first and then incorporated.
- No built-in OpenPGP or S/MIME, and no thread view.
- SMTP authentication needs nmh built with Cyrus SASL and its PLAIN or LOGIN plugin.
Questions
What is the difference between aerc and nmh?
aerc is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program. Only aerc has built-in IMAP, JMAP and notmuch. Only nmh has built-in POP3.
Which runs on Windows, aerc or nmh?
On Windows, aerc runs through WSL. On Windows, nmh runs through WSL.
See also: aerc alternatives, nmh alternatives.