nmh vs Wanderlust
nmh: The MH message handling system: separate shell commands to read, file, search and send mail stored one file per message.
Wanderlust: Mail and news reader for Emacs, written in Emacs Lisp, with built-in IMAP, POP3, NNTP and SMTP support.
Differences
- nmh is a command-line program; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs.
- Only nmh has built-in mbox.
- Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP.
- Wanderlust has mouse support; nmh does not.
- nmh has calendar support; Wanderlust does not.
- Wanderlust has OpenPGP; nmh does not.
- Wanderlust has OAuth2 sign-in; nmh does not.
- Wanderlust has threaded views; nmh does not.
- nmh is written in C; Wanderlust in Emacs Lisp.
- Configuration: nmh uses ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files, and Wanderlust uses Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders.
Side by side
| nmh | Wanderlust | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Command-line tools and prompts | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | C | Emacs Lisp |
| License | BSD 3-Clause | GPL 2.0 or later |
| Latest version | 1.8 | 2.15.9 |
| Linux | Native | Native |
| macOS | Native | Native |
| Windows | Through WSL | Through WSL |
| BSD | Native | Native |
| Android | Through Termux | Through Termux |
| IMAP | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| POP3 | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | Yes | No |
| notmuch | No | Through a separate tool |
| OpenPGP | No | Yes |
| S/MIME | No | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | No | via oauth2.el |
| Threads | No | Yes |
| Search | pick command matches header fields and message text | IMAP server-side search; local search via mu, notmuch, grep or namazu |
| HTML mail | via mhshow with an external converter such as w3m | via mime-w3m (emacs-w3m) |
| Mouse | No | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | via per-command switches or separate profiles | Yes |
| Offline use | full; messages are stored as local files | message cache and disconnected operation |
| Calendar | replies to invitations with mhical | No |
| Contacts | aliases via MailAliases and the ali command | built-in address book |
| Vim-style keys | No | No |
| Configuration | ~/.mh_profile and mts.conf text files | Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders |
Which to choose
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.
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 nmh and Wanderlust?
nmh is a command-line program; Wanderlust is a mail client that runs inside Emacs. Only nmh has built-in mbox. Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP.
Which runs on Windows, nmh or Wanderlust?
On Windows, nmh runs through WSL. On Windows, Wanderlust runs through WSL.
See also: nmh alternatives, Wanderlust alternatives.