# Mutt vs S-nail

- Mutt: Long-running text-mode email client with IMAP, POP3 and SMTP support, configured through a muttrc file.
- S-nail: Command-line mail program that implements POSIX mailx, with MIME, IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Maildir and S/MIME support.

## Differences

- Mutt is a full-screen terminal client; S-nail is a command-line program.
- On Android, Mutt runs through Termux and S-nail is not available.
- Mutt has OpenPGP; S-nail does not.
- Mutt has Vim-style keys; S-nail does not.
- Configuration: Mutt uses muttrc text file, and S-nail uses ~/.mailrc command file.

## Side by side

| | Mutt | S-nail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | C | C |
| License | GPL 2.0 or later | ISC and BSD 2-Clause and BSD 3-Clause and BSD 4-Clause |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Not supported |
| IMAP | Yes | Yes |
| POP3 | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | Yes |
| notmuch | No | No |
| OpenPGP | Yes | No |
| S/MIME | Yes | Yes |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | via script |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | built-in patterns; server-side IMAP search | built-in message specifications and the search command; IMAP SEARCH on IMAP folders |
| HTML mail | via mailcap and an external viewer such as w3m or lynx | built-in tag-soup filter or external viewer via mailcap |
| Mouse | No | No |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | with isync or OfflineIMAP; IMAP header and body cache | IMAP cache with disconnected mode |
| Calendar | No | No |
| Contacts | via query_command with abook or khard | aliases via the alias command |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | muttrc text file | ~/.mailrc command file |

Pages: [Mutt](https://terminalemail.com/clients/mutt/index.md), [S-nail](https://terminalemail.com/clients/s-nail/index.md)