Matcha vs Notmuch Emacs interface
Matcha: Terminal email client written in Go with the Bubble Tea TUI library, with IMAP, JMAP and POP3 support.
Notmuch Emacs interface: Emacs front end for notmuch that reads, searches, tags and composes mail from a local Maildir.
Differences
- Matcha is a full-screen terminal client; Notmuch Emacs interface is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only Matcha has built-in IMAP, POP3 and JMAP.
- Only Notmuch Emacs interface has built-in notmuch.
- On Windows, Matcha runs natively and Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL.
- On BSD, Matcha builds from source and Notmuch Emacs interface runs natively.
- On Android, Matcha is not available and Notmuch Emacs interface runs through Termux.
- Matcha has Vim-style keys; Notmuch Emacs interface does not.
- Matcha is written in Go; Notmuch Emacs interface in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: Matcha uses ~/.config/matcha/config.json plus in-app settings, and Notmuch Emacs interface uses Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file.
Side by side
| Matcha | Notmuch Emacs interface | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | Go | Emacs Lisp |
| License | MIT | GPL 3.0 or later |
| Latest version | v1.0.1 | 0.40 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Native | Through WSL |
| BSD | Build from source | Native |
| Android | No | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| POP3 | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | Yes | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | No | No |
| notmuch | No | Yes |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | Yes | Yes |
| OAuth2 sign-in | Yes | via script |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | built-in search and filter | notmuch Xapian full-text search with tags |
| HTML mail | built-in rendering, with inline images in supported terminals | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library |
| Mouse | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | local cache of message lists and bodies | full; reads a local Maildir synced by mbsync or OfflineIMAP |
| Calendar | shows .ics invites and sends RSVP replies | shows text/calendar parts; no invitation replies |
| Contacts | address book built from sent and received mail | address completion from the notmuch index |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | ~/.config/matcha/config.json plus in-app settings | Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file |
Which to choose
Choose Matcha for
- Supports IMAP, JMAP, POP3 and Maildir in one client
- PGP (including YubiKey) and S/MIME signing and encryption
- Prebuilt packages for Linux (Snap, Flatpak), macOS (Homebrew tap) and Windows (winget)
Watch out for
- Young project; v1.0 shipped only after a long series of 0.x releases
- JSON config is less readable to hand-edit than muttrc-style files
- Binary name clashes with an unrelated tool also called matcha
Choose Notmuch Emacs interface for
- Tag-based organization with fast full-text search over all local mail.
- Shows a whole thread in a single buffer.
- Handles PGP/MIME and S/MIME signatures and decryption through notmuch.
Watch out for
- No built-in IMAP; needs mbsync or a similar sync tool.
- Custom tags stay in the local index; only standard flags such as unread and replied reach the IMAP server.
- Requires Emacs and some Emacs Lisp to configure.
Questions
What is the difference between Matcha and Notmuch Emacs interface?
Matcha is a full-screen terminal client; Notmuch Emacs interface is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only Matcha has built-in IMAP, POP3 and JMAP. Only Notmuch Emacs interface has built-in notmuch.
Which runs on Windows, Matcha or Notmuch Emacs interface?
On Windows, Matcha runs natively. On Windows, Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL.
See also: Matcha alternatives, Notmuch Emacs interface alternatives.