meli vs Notmuch Emacs interface
meli: Terminal email client written in Rust with IMAP, JMAP, notmuch, Maildir, mbox and NNTP backends and TOML configuration.
Notmuch Emacs interface: Emacs front end for notmuch that reads, searches, tags and composes mail from a local Maildir.
Differences
- meli is a full-screen terminal client; Notmuch Emacs interface is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only meli has built-in IMAP, JMAP and mbox.
- On Windows, meli is not available and Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL.
- On Android, meli is not available and Notmuch Emacs interface runs through Termux.
- Notmuch Emacs interface has calendar support; meli does not.
- Notmuch Emacs interface has S/MIME; meli does not.
- meli has Vim-style keys; Notmuch Emacs interface does not.
- meli is written in Rust; Notmuch Emacs interface in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: meli uses TOML file (config.toml), and Notmuch Emacs interface uses Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file.
Side by side
| meli | Notmuch Emacs interface | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | Rust | Emacs Lisp |
| License | EUPL 1.2 or GPL 3.0 or later | GPL 3.0 or later |
| Latest version | 0.8.13 | 0.40 |
| 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 | Through a separate tool |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | Yes | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | No |
| notmuch | Yes | Yes |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | No | Yes |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | via script |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | built-in; sqlite3 index by default; notmuch queries | notmuch Xapian full-text search with tags |
| HTML mail | via filter command, w3m by default | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library |
| Mouse | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | IMAP header cache in sqlite3; full offline use with Maildir and mbsync | full; reads a local Maildir synced by mbsync or OfflineIMAP |
| Calendar | No | shows text/calendar parts; no invitation replies |
| Contacts | built-in contact list; reads vCard and mutt alias files | address completion from the notmuch index |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | TOML file (config.toml) | Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file |
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 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 meli and Notmuch Emacs interface?
meli is a full-screen terminal client; Notmuch Emacs interface is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only meli has built-in IMAP, JMAP and mbox. On Windows, meli is not available and Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL.
Which runs on Windows, meli or Notmuch Emacs interface?
On Windows, meli is not available. On Windows, Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL.
See also: meli alternatives, Notmuch Emacs interface alternatives.