aerc vs NeoMutt (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, NeoMutt grades higher than aerc: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
NeoMutt grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
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 NeoMutt if
- Fits if you live in a terminal and want your mail there too
- Works for people who like to edit a config file and keep it forever
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to write config files
- Not for you if you need a window with buttons, as it's text only
- Skip it if you use Windows, where only a Cygwin listing exists
- Watch out: support is GitHub, IRC and mailing lists, not a help desk
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAaercGood | 2.8GPANeoMuttGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, and the project says it is 100% free and open source. | AFree to download and build, or to install from a package. Nobody needs a server to run it. |
| Free plan and trial | ANothing is locked: free to download and use, with no paid plans. | AThe whole program is free, with no paid plan or limits. Donations are optional. |
| 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. | BMail reading, a sidebar, header caches, NNTP, Notmuch and more, in a long documented feature list. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in reading mail, though you set it all up yourself. |
| Ease of use | DIt's a terminal program that you set up by editing files, and there's a keyboard vocabulary to learn first. | DIt needs config files and a command line. You write the setup before you read a single message. |
| Platforms and integrations | CLinux and macOS in a terminal. No graphical, web or phone version. | CA program for computers only: Linux, BSD and macOS through package managers. No phone app, no web version. |
| Best for | a terminal mail client with Vim-style keys | reading mail in a terminal, with extra features |
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 NeoMutt. 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. NeoMutt has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
NeoMutt 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 NeoMutt 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
In commonFree planLinuxmacOSOpen sourceKeyboard-firstEmail client
At a glance
| aerc | NeoMutt | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 and build from source, or to install from distribution packages. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | aerc | The NeoMutt Project |
| Price read from | aerc-mail.org | neomutt.org |
| 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.
NeoMutt
- Text-only interface with no graphical window; configuration is by editing files.
- Packaging pages list Linux, BSD and macOS package managers; no Windows build beyond a Cygwin listing.
- Support is through GitHub, an IRC channel and mailing lists rather than a help desk.
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.
NeoMutt
- Fork of Mutt
- Adds features to Mutt in the form of patches that were updated, tidied and documented, according to the project's home page.
- Documented feature list
- The features page lists items including Notmuch, NNTP, Sidebar, Lua, Fuzzy Search, Global Hooks and Multiple FCC.
- Sidebar
- The Sidebar patch was adopted by upstream Mutt, and NeoMutt documents sidebar intro and search options.
- Header cache options
- Header cache compression and LMDB and Kyoto Cabinet backends are in the feature list for large mailboxes.
- Packaged for many systems
- The distro page gives install steps for Arch, Debian, Gentoo, Homebrew, MacPorts, NetBSD, NixOS and others.
Plans
aerc
Free$0
Free and open source; no paid plans.
NeoMutt
Free$0
Free software; the site has a sponsor page for donations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, aerc or NeoMutt?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both aerc and NeoMutt are free to use.
Which has a free plan, aerc or NeoMutt?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both aerc and NeoMutt have a free plan.
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.