mu4e vs nmh
mu4e: Email client that runs inside GNU Emacs, built on the mu Maildir indexer and search tool.
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Differences
- mu4e is a mail client that runs inside Emacs; nmh is a command-line program.
- Only nmh has built-in POP3 and mbox.
- mu4e has mouse support; nmh does not.
- mu4e has OpenPGP; nmh does not.
- mu4e has S/MIME; nmh does not.
- mu4e has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- mu4e has threaded views; nmh does not.
- mu4e is written in Emacs Lisp (mu4e), C++ (mu); nmh in C.
- Configuration: mu4e uses Emacs Lisp in init.el, and nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files.
Side by side
| mu4e | nmh | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Runs inside Emacs | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | Emacs Lisp (mu4e), C++ (mu) | C |
| License | GPL 3.0 or later | BSD 3-Clause |
| Latest version | 1.14.3 | 1.8 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Through a separate tool | Through a separate tool |
| POP3 | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | No | Yes |
| notmuch | No | No |
| OpenPGP | Yes | No |
| S/MIME | via Emacs MML | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | No |
| Threads | Yes | No |
| Search | Xapian full-text index with mu query syntax | pick command matches header fields and message text |
| HTML mail | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library | via mhshow with an external converter such as w3m |
| Mouse | Yes | No |
| Multiple accounts | via contexts | via per-command switches or separate profiles |
| Offline use | full; reads a local Maildir synced by mbsync or OfflineIMAP | full; messages are stored as local files |
| Calendar | replies to invitations with mu4e-icalendar | replies to invitations with mhical |
| Contacts | address completion from indexed mail | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command |
| Vim-style keys | No | No |
| Configuration | Emacs Lisp in init.el | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files |
Which to choose
Choose mu4e for
- Full-text search over all local mail through mu's Xapian index.
- Works offline, since all mail lives in a local Maildir.
- Uses Emacs message mode, so PGP/MIME, S/MIME and Org mode links are available.
Watch out for
- No built-in IMAP; needs mbsync or a similar sync tool, so setup spans several config files.
- Requires Emacs and some Emacs Lisp to configure.
- No native Windows build, and Arch packages it only in the AUR.
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 mu4e and nmh?
mu4e is a mail client that runs inside Emacs; nmh is a command-line program. Only nmh has built-in POP3 and mbox. mu4e has mouse support; nmh does not.
Which runs on Windows, mu4e or nmh?
On Windows, mu4e runs through WSL. On Windows, nmh runs through WSL.
See also: mu4e alternatives, nmh alternatives.