nmail vs nmh
nmail: Terminal email client for Linux and macOS with an Alpine-like interface and built-in IMAP and SMTP.
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Differences
- nmail is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program.
- Only nmail has built-in IMAP.
- Only nmh has built-in POP3, Maildir and mbox.
- On Windows, nmail is not available and nmh runs through WSL.
- On BSD, nmail is not available and nmh runs natively.
- On Android, nmail is not available and nmh runs through Termux.
- nmh has calendar support; nmail does not.
- nmail has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- nmh has multiple accounts; nmail does not.
- nmail is written in C++; nmh in C.
- Configuration: nmail uses ~/.config/nmail/main.conf key=value file, and nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files.
Side by side
| nmail | nmh | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Full-screen terminal interface | Command-line tools and prompts |
| Language | C++ | C |
| License | MIT | BSD 3-Clause |
| Latest version | v5.16.4 | 1.8 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | No | Through WSL |
| BSD | No | Native |
| Android | No | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| POP3 | No | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | No | Yes |
| mbox | No | Yes |
| notmuch | No | No |
| OpenPGP | No | No |
| S/MIME | No | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | Yes | No |
| Threads | No | No |
| Search | local cache index and server search | pick command matches header fields and message text |
| HTML mail | converted to text, or opened in an external browser | via mhshow with an external converter such as w3m |
| Mouse | No | No |
| Multiple accounts | No | via per-command switches or separate profiles |
| Offline use | local SQLite cache; offline mode and send queue | full; messages are stored as local files |
| Calendar | No | replies to invitations with mhical |
| Contacts | address book built from messages | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command |
| Vim-style keys | No | No |
| Configuration | ~/.config/nmail/main.conf key=value file | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files |
Which to choose
Choose nmail for
- Built-in IMAP and SMTP with setup wizards for Gmail, iCloud and Outlook
- Local cache, address book and outgoing queue can be encrypted
- Compose HTML mail using Markdown
Watch out for
- One account per running instance
- No threaded view and no PGP or S/MIME
- Linux and macOS only; no Debian or Fedora package
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 nmail and nmh?
nmail is a full-screen terminal client; nmh is a command-line program. Only nmail has built-in IMAP. Only nmh has built-in POP3, Maildir and mbox.
Which runs on Windows, nmail or nmh?
On Windows, nmail is not available. On Windows, nmh runs through WSL.
See also: nmail alternatives, nmh alternatives.