Terminal email questions and answers
Short answers about reading and sending email in a terminal: which client to pick, how syncing and sending work, and how to use Gmail, Outlook or Forward Email. Every count on this page comes from the 26 clients and tools on this site.
What is a terminal email client?
A program that reads and sends email inside a terminal window, with text instead of graphics. Full-screen ones (TUIs) such as NeoMutt, aerc and Forward Email work like an app inside the terminal. Command-line ones such as Himalaya and s-nail are commands you run and script.
What is the best terminal email client?
For most people, NeoMutt: a full-screen client with IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Maildir and notmuch built in. aerc suits people who want OAuth2, JMAP and mouse support, and Alpine suits beginners. See the best client for each need.
What is the difference between a TUI and a CLI email client?
A TUI (text user interface) client fills the terminal with lists and menus and works like an app. A CLI (command-line interface) client is a set of commands you run and script. Of the 19 clients on this site, 11 are full-screen (TUI), 4 are command-line and 4 run inside Emacs.
What is the difference between Mutt and NeoMutt?
NeoMutt is a fork of Mutt. Mutt has no notmuch, NNTP or scripting support (NeoMutt has these). NeoMutt reads most existing muttrc files with few or no changes, and Mutt has conservative releases that rarely break existing muttrc files. See Mutt vs NeoMutt.
Which terminal email clients run natively on Windows?
Forward Email, Alpine, Gnus, Himalaya and Matcha run directly on Windows. 12 other clients run in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). meli and nmail are not available for Windows. See terminal email on Windows.
Can I read email in a terminal on Android?
Yes, through Termux, which runs a Linux-style terminal on Android without root. 10 clients run there: Forward Email, aerc, Alpine, Gnus, mu4e, Mutt, NeoMutt, nmh, Notmuch Emacs interface and Wanderlust. A hardware keyboard helps with the full-screen ones.
Can I use Gmail or Outlook?
Yes, over IMAP and SMTP. Google and Microsoft require OAuth2 sign-in for most accounts: aerc, Alpine, Matcha and nmail handle it themselves, and Gnus, Himalaya, meli, mu4e, Mutt, NeoMutt, Notmuch Emacs interface, S-nail and Wanderlust need extra setup, such as a token helper script or an Emacs package.
Do I need a sync tool such as isync?
Only for clients without built-in IMAP. alot, mblaze, mu4e, Notmuch Emacs interface and Sup read local folders, so a sync tool such as isync or OfflineIMAP copies mail from the server into a Maildir and back. Clients with built-in IMAP can still use one to keep a full offline copy.
How do I send mail from a client that has no SMTP support?
Use a sendmail-compatible program such as msmtp: the client hands it each message, and msmtp sends it to your provider's SMTP server. alot, mblaze and Sup send this way.
Where do I keep my email password?
In a password manager, not in the config file. 16 of the 25 configs on this site read the password from a command, such as pass show email/forwardemail, each time the program connects.
Can terminal clients show HTML email?
Most show the plain-text part of a message and pass HTML to a text browser such as w3m or lynx, which turns it into readable text with numbered links. Most do not draw images; Matcha can show inline images in terminals that support an image protocol. Most clients can open a message in a graphical browser when needed.
Can I encrypt email with OpenPGP in a terminal?
Yes. 15 clients sign and encrypt mail with OpenPGP, built in or through a plugin.
Which clients support JMAP?
aerc, Himalaya, Matcha and meli support JMAP, the JSON protocol some providers offer instead of IMAP. The other clients use IMAP, POP3 or local folders, and Forward Email's app uses Forward Email's own API.
Which clients work with a mouse?
Forward Email, aerc, alot, Alpine, Gnus, Matcha, meli, mu4e, Notmuch Emacs interface and Wanderlust respond to clicks and scrolling. The others are keyboard-only.
Are they open source?
All of them except Forward Email, whose code is public under the Business Source License 1.1, a source-available license. Each page links to the project's repository and license.
How do I use a terminal client with Forward Email?
Point the client at imap.forwardemail.net (port 993) and smtp.forwardemail.net (port 465), with your alias address as the username and a generated password. Every client page has a ready-made config, and the setup page collects them all. Forward Email's own terminal app needs no config: run forwardemail and sign in.
Who makes Terminal Email?
Forward Email, whose terminal app is featured and marked as such. Every other client is listed with the same facts and works with any provider. See how the list is made.
Terms such as Maildir and STARTTLS are explained in the glossary.