meli vs nmh
meli: Terminal email client written in Rust with IMAP, JMAP, notmuch, Maildir, mbox and NNTP backends and TOML configuration.
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Differences
- meli is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program.
- Only meli has built-in IMAP, JMAP and notmuch.
- Only nmh has built-in POP3.
- On Windows, meli is not available and nmh runs through WSL.
- On Android, meli is not available and nmh runs through Termux.
- meli has mouse support; nmh does not.
- nmh has calendar support; meli does not.
- meli has OpenPGP; nmh does not.
- meli has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- meli has Vim-style keys; nmh does not.
- meli has threaded views; nmh does not.
- meli is written in Rust; nmh in C.
- Configuration: meli uses TOML file (config.toml), and nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files.
Side by side
| meli | nmh | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | Rust | C |
| License | EUPL 1.2 or GPL 3.0 or later | BSD 3-Clause |
| Latest version | 0.8.13 | 1.8 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | No | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | No | 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 | via script | No |
| Threads | Yes | No |
| Search | built-in; sqlite3 index by default; notmuch queries | pick command matches header fields and message text |
| HTML mail | via filter command, 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 | IMAP header cache in sqlite3; full offline use with Maildir and mbsync | full; messages are stored as local files |
| Calendar | No | replies to invitations with mhical |
| Contacts | built-in contact list; reads vCard and mutt alias files | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | TOML file (config.toml) | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files |
Which to choose
Choose meli for
- Supports JMAP, notmuch, IMAP, Maildir and NNTP in one client
- Single TOML file with per-account and per-mailbox overrides
- Embedded terminal runs the editor inside the compose view
Watch out for
- No POP3 or S/MIME support
- mbox support is read-only
- No Windows or Termux packages
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 meli and nmh?
meli is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program. Only meli has built-in IMAP, JMAP and notmuch. Only nmh has built-in POP3.
Which runs on Windows, meli or nmh?
On Windows, meli is not available. On Windows, nmh runs through WSL.
See also: meli alternatives, nmh alternatives.