Gnus vs Mutt
Gnus: Mail and news reader built into GNU Emacs, with back ends for IMAP, POP3, local mail folders and NNTP.
Mutt: Long-running text-mode email client with IMAP, POP3 and SMTP support, configured through a muttrc file.
Differences
- Gnus is a mail client that runs inside Emacs; Mutt is a full-screen terminal client.
- On Windows, Gnus runs natively and Mutt runs through WSL.
- Gnus has mouse support; Mutt does not.
- Gnus has calendar support; Mutt does not.
- Mutt has Vim-style keys; Gnus does not.
- Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp; Mutt in C.
- Configuration: Gnus uses Emacs Lisp in init.el or ~/.gnus.el, and Mutt uses muttrc text file.
Side by side
| Gnus | Mutt | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Runs inside Emacs | Full-screen terminal interface |
| Language | Emacs Lisp | C |
| License | GPL 3.0 or later | GPL 2.0 or later |
| Latest version | 5.13 (bundled with Emacs 31.1) | 2.4.2 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Native | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Yes |
| POP3 | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | Yes |
| notmuch | Through a separate tool | No |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | Yes | Yes |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via plugin | via script |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | gnus-search: IMAP SEARCH, or notmuch, mu, mairix and other local indexers | built-in patterns; server-side IMAP search |
| HTML mail | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library | via mailcap and an external viewer such as w3m or lynx |
| Mouse | Yes | No |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | via the Gnus agent or local Maildir back ends | with isync or OfflineIMAP; IMAP header and body cache |
| Calendar | replies to invitations with gnus-icalendar | No |
| Contacts | via BBDB or EUDC | via query_command with abook or khard |
| Vim-style keys | No | Yes |
| Configuration | Emacs Lisp in init.el or ~/.gnus.el | muttrc text file |
Which to choose
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.
Choose Mutt for
- Packaged by major Linux distributions, Homebrew, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Termux
- Conservative releases that rarely break existing muttrc files
- Built-in PGP/MIME, S/MIME and Autocrypt
Watch out for
- No notmuch, NNTP or scripting support (NeoMutt has these)
- Configuration is a text file with hundreds of options and no setup wizard
- HTML mail needs an external viewer set up in mailcap
Questions
What is the difference between Gnus and Mutt?
Gnus is a mail client that runs inside Emacs; Mutt is a full-screen terminal client. On Windows, Gnus runs natively and Mutt runs through WSL. Gnus has mouse support; Mutt does not.
Which runs on Windows, Gnus or Mutt?
On Windows, Gnus runs natively. On Windows, Mutt runs through WSL.
See also: Gnus alternatives, Mutt alternatives.