Notmuch Emacs interface vs Wanderlust
Notmuch Emacs interface: Emacs front end for notmuch that reads, searches, tags and composes mail from a local Maildir.
Wanderlust: Mail and news reader for Emacs, written in Emacs Lisp, with built-in IMAP, POP3, NNTP and SMTP support.
Differences
- Only Notmuch Emacs interface has built-in notmuch.
- Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP and POP3.
- Notmuch Emacs interface has calendar support; Wanderlust does not.
- Notmuch Emacs interface has S/MIME; Wanderlust does not.
- Configuration: Notmuch Emacs interface uses Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file, and Wanderlust uses Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders.
Side by side
| Notmuch Emacs interface | Wanderlust | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Runs inside Emacs | Runs inside Emacs |
| Language | Emacs Lisp | Emacs Lisp |
| License | GPL 3.0 or later | GPL 2.0 or later |
| Latest version | 0.40 | 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 | Through a separate tool | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes | Yes |
| JMAP | No | No |
| Maildir | Yes | Yes |
| mbox | No | No |
| notmuch | Yes | Through a separate tool |
| OpenPGP | Yes | Yes |
| S/MIME | Yes | No |
| OAuth2 sign-in | via script | via oauth2.el |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Search | notmuch Xapian full-text search with tags | IMAP server-side search; local search via mu, notmuch, grep or namazu |
| HTML mail | built-in, rendered with the Emacs shr library | via mime-w3m (emacs-w3m) |
| Mouse | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Offline use | full; reads a local Maildir synced by mbsync or OfflineIMAP | message cache and disconnected operation |
| Calendar | shows text/calendar parts; no invitation replies | No |
| Contacts | address completion from the notmuch index | built-in address book |
| Vim-style keys | No | No |
| Configuration | Emacs Lisp in init.el plus the notmuch config file | Emacs Lisp in ~/.wl, folder list in ~/.folders |
Which to choose
Choose Notmuch Emacs interface for
- Tag-based organization with fast full-text search over all local mail.
- Shows a whole thread in a single buffer.
- Handles PGP/MIME and S/MIME signatures and decryption through notmuch.
Watch out for
- No built-in IMAP; needs mbsync or a similar sync tool.
- Custom tags stay in the local index; only standard flags such as unread and replied reach the IMAP server.
- Requires Emacs and some Emacs Lisp to configure.
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 Notmuch Emacs interface and Wanderlust?
Only Notmuch Emacs interface has built-in notmuch. Only Wanderlust has built-in IMAP and POP3. Notmuch Emacs interface has calendar support; Wanderlust does not.
Which runs on Windows, Notmuch Emacs interface or Wanderlust?
On Windows, Notmuch Emacs interface runs through WSL. On Windows, Wanderlust runs through WSL.
See also: Notmuch Emacs interface alternatives, Wanderlust alternatives.