alot vs Gnus
alot: Terminal mail reader written in Python that works on a local notmuch database, with tag-based search and threads.
Gnus: Mail and news reader built into GNU Emacs, with back ends for IMAP, POP3, local mail folders and NNTP.
Differences
- alot is a full-screen terminal client; Gnus is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only alot has built-in notmuch.
- Only Gnus has built-in IMAP, POP3, SMTP and mbox.
- On Windows, alot runs through WSL and Gnus runs natively.
- On Android, alot is not available and Gnus runs through Termux.
- Gnus has calendar support; alot does not.
- Gnus has S/MIME; alot does not.
- Gnus has OAuth2 sign-in; alot does not.
- alot has Vim-style keys; Gnus does not.
- alot is written in Python; Gnus in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: alot uses INI-style config file plus optional Python hooks, and Gnus uses Emacs Lisp in init.el or ~/.gnus.el.
Side by side
| alot | Gnus | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | Python | Emacs Lisp |
| License | GPL 3.0 or later | GPL 3.0 or later |
| Latest version | 0.12 | 5.13 (bundled with Emacs 31.1) |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Native |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | No | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| POP3 | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| SMTP | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | No | Yes |
| notmuch | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | No | Yes |
| OAuth2 sign-in | No | via plugin |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | notmuch queries | gnus-search: IMAP SEARCH, or notmuch, mu, mairix and other local indexers |
| HTML mail | via mailcap, e.g. w3m -dump | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library |
| Mouse | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | always; reads a local notmuch database | via the Gnus agent or local Maildir back ends |
| Calendar | No | replies to invitations with gnus-icalendar |
| Contacts | via an external lookup command such as abook, khard or notmuch address | via BBDB or EUDC |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | INI-style config file plus optional Python hooks | Emacs Lisp in init.el or ~/.gnus.el |
Which to choose
Choose alot for
- Tag-based searches through notmuch instead of folders
- Full PGP/MIME signing and encryption
- Python hooks for custom behavior and formatting
Watch out for
- Needs separate tools to fetch mail (mbsync) and send it (msmtp)
- No direct IMAP, POP3 or SMTP support
- No S/MIME support
Choose Gnus for
- Included with every GNU Emacs install, including native Windows builds.
- Reads IMAP directly, plus local Maildir, MH and mbox stores and NNTP newsgroups.
- Scoring, splitting and the Gnus agent allow detailed filtering and offline reading.
Watch out for
- The group, summary and article model takes time to learn.
- IMAP access runs inside Emacs, so large mailboxes can make Emacs wait.
- Configuration is Emacs Lisp spread across many variables.
Questions
What is the difference between alot and Gnus?
alot is a full-screen terminal client; Gnus is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only alot has built-in notmuch. Only Gnus has built-in IMAP, POP3, SMTP and mbox.
Which runs on Windows, alot or Gnus?
On Windows, alot runs through WSL. On Windows, Gnus runs natively.
See also: alot alternatives, Gnus alternatives.