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Betterbird vs Evolution (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 12, 2026, Betterbird grades higher than Evolution: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA

Betterbird 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.

Betterbird

A fork of Thunderbird with extra features and bug fixes

Free
Full detailsbetterbird.eu

Evolution

GNOME's free mail, calendar and address book app

Free
Full detailswiki.gnome.org

Which one is for you

Pick Betterbird if

  • Fits if you like Thunderbird and want its changes on Windows, Mac or Linux
  • Works for people who keep mail in a desktop client rather than a browser

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want a phone or web app, as it's desktop only
  • Watch out: it's a small project funded by donations, with no paid support
  • Watch out: old release series reach end of life, and the site says not to run them
  • Watch out: Mac builds are English only unless you add a language pack
  • Not for you if Thunderbird bugs bother you, as they can carry over

Pick Evolution if

  • Fits if you use Linux and want mail, calendar and contacts in one app
  • Works for people who need Exchange access from a Linux desktop

Look elsewhere if

  • Not for you if you use Windows, macOS or a phone, as only Linux is listed
  • Watch out: Exchange access needs the separate, optional evolution-ews package
  • Watch out: support is by mailing list, GNOME Discourse and IRC, not a help desk
  • Skip it if you want an app-store install, as you get it from a distro, Flathub or source

How we grade them

3.0GPABetterbirdVery good2.8GPAEvolutionGood
Value for money
AFree to download and use, with donations optional. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial.
AFree and open source with no paid edition. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial.
Free plan and trial
AFree outright, with no paid edition and no trial limits.
AFree outright: the whole app, with no paid edition and no trial.
Features
BA full mail client built on Thunderbird, with add-ons, several languages and installing beside Thunderbird. Nothing on the pages shows a gap in the core email work.
BMail, calendar and contacts together, Exchange support and Flatpak builds. Nothing on the pages shows a gap in the core email work.
Ease of use
CNo store rating on record. It's a desktop client where you connect your own accounts first.
CNo store rating on record. You install from a distro or Flathub and connect your own accounts.
Platforms and integrations
CWindows, Mac and Linux desktop builds only. No phone or web version.
DThe pages list Linux distributions and Flatpak only. No Windows, macOS, phone or web version.
Best fora Thunderbird fork for Windows, Mac and Linuxthe GNOME mail, calendar and contacts app

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: Betterbird and Evolution. How we grade

Price against what you get

Betterbird has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Evolution has no paid plan and scores 2.0.

Betterbird scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Betterbird for less, and none scores higher than Evolution for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessBetterbirdEvolution

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
The full chart of email apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planLinuxOpen sourceCalendarEmail client

    At a glance

    BetterbirdEvolution
    PricingFreeFree
    Starts atFreeFree
    Free planFree to download and use; the project asks for donations by Stripe or PayPal.The whole application is free software with no paid edition.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    Made byBetterbird projectGNOME Project
    Price read frombetterbird.euwiki.gnome.org
    CheckedNov 12, 2026Nov 12, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Betterbird

    • It is a small project funded by donations, and the site says Mac builds are English only unless a language pack is added.
    • Old release series reach end of life, and the site advises against running them because of unpatched vulnerabilities.
    • It follows Thunderbird's code, so some Thunderbird issues can carry over.

    Evolution

    • The pages read list Linux distributions and Flatpak only; no Windows or macOS builds are mentioned.
    • Support is by mailing list, GNOME Discourse and IRC, not a vendor help desk.
    • Exchange access needs the separate, optional evolution-ews package.

    Key features

    Betterbird

    Thunderbird base with changes
    Features and bug fixes exclusive to Betterbird, listed in a feature table on its home page, such as a multi-line message view.
    Install next to Thunderbird
    You can run it at the same time as Thunderbird on the same profile and go back if you do not like it.
    Windows, Mac and Linux builds
    A Windows installer and portable version, Mac disk images for Intel and Apple silicon, and a Linux archive.
    Languages
    Ships in English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Czech, Polish, Swedish and Ukrainian.
    Add-ons
    Has its own add-ons page, and uses its own release series based on Thunderbird's ESR versions.

    Evolution

    Mail, calendar and contacts together
    One application covers email, calendaring and an address book, rather than a mail client alone.
    Exchange support
    The optional evolution-ews package connects to Microsoft Exchange servers through Exchange Web Services.
    Flatpak builds
    Flathub carries the latest stable version, and Evolution can also be built and run in Flatpak on older distributions.
    Source and manual
    Source code is published as tarballs and in GNOME's GitLab, and a user manual is available online.

    Plans

    Betterbird

    • Betterbird$0

      Free download for Windows, macOS and Linux; paid support is not offered, and donations are optional.

    Evolution

    • Evolution$0

      Free and open source; install from your distribution, Flathub or the source tarballs.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Betterbird or Evolution?

    As of Nov 12, 2026, both Betterbird and Evolution are free to use.

    Which has a free plan, Betterbird or Evolution?

    As of Nov 12, 2026, both Betterbird and Evolution have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Betterbird and Evolution run on?

    As of Nov 12, 2026, only Betterbird lists macOS and Windows apps. 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.
    How we review and grade