Mutt vs nmh
Mutt: Long-running text-mode email client with IMAP, POP3 and SMTP support, configured through a muttrc file.
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Differences
- Mutt is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program.
- Only Mutt has built-in IMAP.
- nmh has calendar support; Mutt does not.
- Mutt has OpenPGP; nmh does not.
- Mutt has S/MIME; nmh does not.
- Mutt has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- Mutt has Vim-style keys; nmh does not.
- Mutt has threaded views; nmh does not.
- Configuration: Mutt uses muttrc text file, and nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files.
Side by side
| Mutt | nmh | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | C | C |
| License | GPL 2.0 or later | BSD 3-Clause |
| Latest version | 2.4.2 | 1.8 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| POP3 | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | Yes |
| notmuch | No | No |
| OpenPGP | Yes | No |
| S/MIME | Yes | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | No |
| Threads | Yes | No |
| Search | built-in patterns; server-side IMAP search | pick command matches header fields and message text |
| HTML mail | via mailcap and an external viewer such as w3m or lynx | via mhshow with an external converter such as w3m |
| Mouse | No | No |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | via per-command switches or separate profiles |
| Offline use | with isync or OfflineIMAP; IMAP header and body cache | full; messages are stored as local files |
| Calendar | No | replies to invitations with mhical |
| Contacts | via query_command with abook or khard | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | muttrc text file | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files |
Which to choose
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
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 Mutt and nmh?
Mutt is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program. Only Mutt has built-in IMAP. nmh has calendar support; Mutt does not.
Which runs on Windows, Mutt or nmh?
On Windows, Mutt runs through WSL. On Windows, nmh runs through WSL.
See also: Mutt alternatives, nmh alternatives.