Apple Mail vs Thunderbird
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apple Mail
Free built-in email app for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Free plan · from $0.99/mo
Thunderbird
Free, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
Free
Where they differ
- Apple Mail starts at $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB). Thunderbird is free.
- Only Apple Mail lists a web app.
- Only Apple Mail lists an iOS app.
- Only Thunderbird lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Thunderbird is open source, according to its own site.
- Apple Mail also covers inbox filtering.
- Thunderbird also covers tasks and calendar.
In commonFree planmacOSEmail client
At a glance
| Apple Mail | Thunderbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB) | Free |
| Free plan | The Mail app is free on Apple devices and works with iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts. An iCloud Mail address draws on the 5 GB of free iCloud storage. | The whole app is free on desktop and Android, with no ads and no paid tier. Development is funded by voluntary donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple Inc. | MZLA Technologies Corporation |
| Price read from | support.apple.com | thunderbird.net |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Mail
- iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a mail app at no cost
- Reading iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and Yahoo mail in one inbox
- People who want protection from email tracking built in
Thunderbird
- People who want a free desktop email app without ads
- Linux users, and anyone moving between Windows, macOS and Linux
- Those who prefer open-source software for mail and calendar
Worth knowing
Apple Mail
- The app is listed only for Apple devices. Elsewhere, iCloud Mail is reached in a browser at iCloud.com, which Apple describes for iCloud Mail accounts, or in Outlook on Windows.
- iCloud Mail counts against iCloud storage, 5 GB on the free tier. When it runs out, the iCloud address stops receiving new mail until space is freed or bought.
- Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain need iCloud+, and Apple notes that Custom Email Domain is not available in all countries or regions.
- Priority Messages, summaries and Writing Tools depend on Apple Intelligence, which Apple labels a beta and limits to certain languages and regions.
Thunderbird
- Thunderbird Mobile is listed for Android only, through Google Play and F-Droid. No iPhone or iPad app is listed.
- It is a mail client, not a mailbox: it connects to accounts hosted elsewhere. The team's own hosting service, Thundermail, is in beta behind a waitlist.
- Thundermail is a separate paid subscription. Its Early Bird Plan is shown at $6 per month, paid annually, with full launch expected in 2026.
- Support is community-based. Thunderbird states that donations do not buy individual technical support.
Key features
Apple Mail
- Every account in one inbox
- Add iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts, then read them in a single inbox or one mailbox at a time, with filters for unread or flagged messages.
- Automatic categories
- Mail sorts incoming messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions, which keeps receipts and marketing email out of the main list.
- Priority Messages and summaries
- With Apple Intelligence, urgent messages are shown in a section at the top of the inbox, messages and threads can be summarized, and Smart Reply drafts quick responses.
- Send later, snooze and unsend
- Schedule a message to send later, snooze one to come back to, or unsend it. On Mac, Mail can also remind you about messages that got no response.
- Mail Privacy Protection
- Hides your IP address from senders and downloads remote content privately in the background, so senders cannot tell whether or when a message was opened.
- Hide My Email and custom domains
- With iCloud+, send from unique, random addresses that forward to your real one, and use a domain you own with iCloud Mail, shared with up to five other people.
Thunderbird
- Unified inbox for several accounts
- Keep every email account in one app and read them separately or together in a unified inbox, on desktop and on Android.
- Calendar, contacts and tasks
- The desktop app manages appointments, contacts and tasks alongside email, so scheduling does not need a separate program.
- No ads or data mining
- Thunderbird says it does not sell ads in the inbox, collect personal data or train AI on private conversations. It is funded by user donations.
- Open source and extensible
- The code is published under the MPL 2.0 license for anyone to inspect, modify and share, and add-ons extend what the desktop app can do.
- OpenPGP encryption on Android
- Advanced users can send and receive encrypted mail with the OpenPGP standard by pairing Thunderbird Mobile with the free OpenKeychain app.
- Desktop-to-mobile setup
- Desktop users can move their account settings to the Android app by scanning a QR code shown in the desktop app.
Plans
Apple Mail
Mail$0
The Mail app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, plus iCloud Mail within the 5 GB of free iCloud storage.
iCloud+ 50 GB$0.99
per month
50 GB of iCloud storage, which iCloud Mail counts against, plus Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain.
iCloud+ 200 GB$2.99
per month
200 GB of iCloud storage with the same Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain features.
iCloud+ 2 TB$9.99
per month
2 TB of iCloud storage with the same mail features. Apple also sells 6 TB at $29.99 and 12 TB at $59.99 per month.
Thunderbird
Free$0
Every feature of Thunderbird Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux and of Thunderbird Mobile for Android.
