aerc vs Mutt (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, aerc grades higher than Mutt: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
aerc grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick aerc if
- Fits if you send patches by email and want git and mail in one place
- Works for people who already think in Vim keys
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want HTML mail shown the way it looks in a browser
- Not for you if you need a graphical or web version, as it only runs in a terminal
- Skip it if you don't want to configure it by hand
- Watch out: support is mailing lists, a bug tracker and a wiki
Pick Mutt if
- Fits if you read mail over SSH on a Unix box
- Works for people who want a tiny client and will write their own config
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a graphical, web or phone app
- Not for you if you use Windows or macOS
- Skip it if you don't want to write config files
- Watch out: support is mailing lists, IRC and an issue tracker
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAaercGood | 2.4GPAMuttFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, and the project says it is 100% free and open source. | AFree to download, with the source on GitLab. |
| Free plan and trial | ANothing is locked: free to download and use, with no paid plans. | AFree software, and the listing shows no paid plans or limits. |
| Features | CSeveral backends, PGP through GnuPG and git patch workflows. HTML mail goes through an interactive terminal browser instead of showing in place, which is a real gap for ordinary mail. | CText-based mail with IMAP and GPGME. It does the basic job, and the project points to forks for more. |
| Ease of use | DIt's a terminal program that you set up by editing files, and there's a keyboard vocabulary to learn first. | DText only and configured by editing files, so the first hour is setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CLinux and macOS in a terminal. No graphical, web or phone version. | DUnix systems only on record. No Windows or macOS builds are described, and nothing for phones or the web. |
| Best for | a terminal mail client with Vim-style keys | a small mail reader for Unix terminals |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: aerc and Mutt. How we grade
Price against what you get
aerc has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mutt has no paid plan and scores 1.3.
aerc scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than aerc for less, and none scores higher than Mutt for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| aerc | Mutt | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to download and use; the project says it is 100% free and open source software. | Free to download; source is on the project's GitLab. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | aerc | The Mutt project |
| Price read from | aerc-mail.org | gitlab.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
aerc
- Runs only in a terminal; there is no graphical or web version.
- HTML email is rendered through an interactive terminal browser rather than shown natively.
- Support is via mailing lists, a bug tracker and a wiki.
Mutt
- Text-only; no graphical, web or mobile version.
- The site names Unix operating systems; no Windows or macOS builds are described.
- Support is through mailing lists, IRC and an issue tracker.
Key features
aerc
- Embedded terminal compose
- Edit emails in an embedded terminal, tmux-style, while checking incoming mail and other threads.
- Vim-style keybindings
- Vim-style keys and an ex-command system allow automation from a single keystroke.
- Several backends
- Supports multiple accounts over IMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, Mbox and JMAP, with SMTP and sendmail for sending.
- git and email workflow
- Highlights patches with diffs and offers first-class support for working with git and email.
- PGP with GnuPG
- Signs, encrypts and verifies messages using GnuPG; HTML mail renders through a terminal web browser.
Mutt
- Text-based interface
- Runs in a terminal and is described by its maintainers as small but very powerful.
- IMAP and GPGME
- Release notes mention IMAP support and GPGME-based signing and encryption.
- Steady bug-fix releases
- The news page shows frequent point releases, including a security fix in release 2.4.3.
- Community resources
- Documentation, a wiki, mailing lists, an IRC channel, a newsgroup and a GitLab project.
- Mutt-based forks
- NeoMutt and similar projects build on Mutt; K-9 Mail's site says it was named for it.
Plans
aerc
Free$0
Free and open source; no paid plans.
Mutt
Free$0
Free software; no paid plans are listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, aerc or Mutt?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both aerc and Mutt are free to use.
Which has a free plan, aerc or Mutt?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both aerc and Mutt have a free plan.
Which platforms do aerc and Mutt run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only aerc lists a macOS app. Both list a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.