alot vs Wanderlust
alot: Terminal mail reader written in Python that works on a local notmuch database, with tag-based search and threads.
Wanderlust: Mail and news reader for Emacs, written in Emacs Lisp, with built-in IMAP, POP3, NNTP and SMTP support.
Differences
- alot is a full-screen terminal client; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only alot has built-in notmuch.
- Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.
- On Android, alot is not available and Wanderlust runs through Termux.
- Wanderlust has OAuth2 sign-in; alot does not.
- alot has Vim-style keys; Wanderlust does not.
- alot is written in Python; Wanderlust in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: alot uses INI-style config file plus optional Python hooks, and Wanderlust uses Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders.
Side by side
| alot | Wanderlust | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | Python | Emacs Lisp |
| License | GPL 3.0 or later | GPL 2.0 or later |
| Latest version | 0.12 | 2.15.9 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| 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 | No |
| notmuch | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | No | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | No | via oauth2.el |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | notmuch queries | IMAP server-side search; local search via mu, notmuch, grep or namazu |
| HTML mail | via mailcap, e.g. w3m -dump | via mime-w3m (emacs-w3m) |
| Mouse | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | always; reads a local notmuch database | message cache and disconnected operation |
| Calendar | No | No |
| Contacts | via an external lookup command such as abook, khard or notmuch address | built-in address book |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | INI-style config file plus optional Python hooks | Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders |
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 Wanderlust for
- Built-in IMAP, POP3 and SMTP; no external sync or send tool needed
- Offline cache with disconnected operation
- Packaged in Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, FreeBSD and MELPA
Watch out for
- No formal release in many years; only 2.15.9 snapshots
- Folder syntax and the APEL/FLIM/SEMI dependency stack take time to learn
- Debian and Ubuntu ship an older snapshot than MELPA and Arch
Questions
What is the difference between alot and Wanderlust?
alot is a full-screen terminal client; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only alot has built-in notmuch. Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.
Which runs on Windows, alot or Wanderlust?
On Windows, alot runs through WSL. On Windows, Wanderlust runs through WSL.
See also: alot alternatives, Wanderlust alternatives.