Mutt vs Wanderlust
Mutt: Long-running text-mode email client with IMAP, POP3 and SMTP support, configured through a muttrc file.
Wanderlust: Mail and news reader for Emacs, written in Emacs Lisp, with built-in IMAP, POP3, NNTP and SMTP support.
Differences
- Mutt is a full-screen terminal client; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only Mutt has built-in mbox.
- Wanderlust has mouse support; Mutt does not.
- Mutt has S/MIME; Wanderlust does not.
- Mutt has Vim-style keys; Wanderlust does not.
- Mutt is written in C; Wanderlust in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: Mutt uses muttrc text file, and Wanderlust uses Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders.
Side by side
| Mutt | Wanderlust | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | C | Emacs Lisp |
| License | GPL 2.0 or later | GPL 2.0 or later |
| Latest version | 2.4.2 | 2.15.9 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Yes |
| POP3 | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | No |
| notmuch | No | Through a separate tool |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | Yes | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | via oauth2.el |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | built-in patterns; server-side IMAP search | IMAP server-side search; local search via mu, notmuch, grep or namazu |
| HTML mail | via mailcap and an external viewer such as w3m or lynx | via mime-w3m (emacs-w3m) |
| Mouse | No | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | with isync or OfflineIMAP; IMAP header and body cache | message cache and disconnected operation |
| Calendar | No | No |
| Contacts | via query_command with abook or khard | built-in address book |
| Vim-style keys | Yes | No |
| Configuration | muttrc text file | Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders |
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 Wanderlust for
- Built-in IMAP, POP3 and SMTP; no external sync or send tool needed
- Offline cache with disconnected operation
- Packaged in Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, FreeBSD and MELPA
Watch out for
- No formal release in many years; only 2.15.9 snapshots
- Folder syntax and the APEL/FLIM/SEMI dependency stack take time to learn
- Debian and Ubuntu ship an older snapshot than MELPA and Arch
Questions
What is the difference between Mutt and Wanderlust?
Mutt is a full-screen terminal client; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only Mutt has built-in mbox. Wanderlust has mouse support; Mutt does not.
Which runs on Windows, Mutt or Wanderlust?
On Windows, Mutt runs through WSL. On Windows, Wanderlust runs through WSL.
See also: Mutt alternatives, Wanderlust alternatives.