Claws Mail vs Sylpheed (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Claws Mail and Sylpheed share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Claws Mail if
- Fits if you want a light mail client you can drive from the keyboard
- Works for people who use GnuPG and want plugins for extras
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a calendar built in, as that's a plugin
- Not for you if you use a Mac, since the downloads page mentions no macOS version
- Watch out: Windows is a separate port
- Too light on looks if you want a modern design: the interface is built on GTK and follows older desktop mail clients
Pick Sylpheed if
- Fits if you want a small, free mail program for an older computer
- Works for people who like one file per message on disk
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want regular updates, as the latest stable release is from January 2018
- Skip it if you want it on your phone, since no mobile apps are listed
- Watch out: the mailing list was announced as discontinued in September 2025
- Watch out: the 3.8 beta dates from September 2022
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAClaws MailGood | 2.8GPASylpheedGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the GPL for anyone to download. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial. | AFree under the GNU GPL, with nothing to host. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, the whole app, with no paid edition. | AFree under the GNU GPL, with no paid plans and no limits on the program. |
| Features | CA keyboard-driven client with filtering, search, GnuPG, plugins, several protocols and MH storage. Gaps: calendar and RSS are plugins, not the base app. | CFiltering, search, GnuPG and plug-ins for the basics of mail. The last stable release is 3.7 from 2018, so don't expect new features. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install from a distro package or source, connect your accounts and add plugins for extras. | CNo store rating on record. You add each account yourself, and the interface is old but plain. |
| Platforms and integrations | CLinux, plus a separate Windows port. No macOS version is mentioned and there's no phone or web version. | CWindows, macOS and Linux, but nothing on phones or the web. A program for computers alone. |
| Best for | a lightweight keyboard-driven mail client | a light desktop mail client |
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: Claws Mail and Sylpheed. How we grade
Price against what you get
Claws Mail has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sylpheed has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Claws Mail for less, and none scores higher than Sylpheed 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
| Claws Mail | Sylpheed | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole application is free software under the GPL. | Free to use, modify and redistribute under the GNU GPL. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Claws Mail project | Sylpheed |
| Price read from | claws-mail.org | sylpheed.sraoss.jp |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Claws Mail
- Calendar and RSS are plugins, not part of the base application.
- Windows is listed as a separate port; no macOS version is mentioned on the downloads page.
- The interface is built on GTK and follows the look of older desktop mail clients.
Sylpheed
- The latest stable release shown is 3.7 from 31 Jan 2018; 3.8beta1 dates from 14 Sep 2022.
- The Sylpheed mailing list was announced as discontinued in September 2025.
- No mobile apps are listed; the downloads cover desktop systems.
Key features
Claws Mail
- Keyboard-driven interface
- Almost all commands can be reached from the keyboard, in a layout meant to look familiar to people from other mail clients.
- Filtering and search
- Filtering, per-folder processing, message scoring, colour labels and a search function for sorting a busy mailbox.
- GnuPG support
- Encrypt and sign messages with GnuPG through GPGME, and switch the encryption type while composing.
- Plugins
- Extras such as an RSS aggregator and a calendar come as plugins, and the project lists them on a plugins page.
- Protocols and accounts
- Multiple accounts over POP3, IMAP4rev1 and SMTP with SSL, plus Usenet news reading and posting through NNTP.
- MH storage and import
- Messages are kept in the MH format, and mbox import and export lets you move mail in and out of other clients.
Sylpheed
- One file per message
- Messages are stored one per file, which the site cites as a reason for reliability.
- Filtering and search
- The feature list names powerful filtering and search, plus junk mail control.
- Security
- Lists GnuPG and SSL/TLSv1 support, and a plug-in for automatic attachment encryption.
- Plug-ins
- Extensible through a plug-in system, with a plug-ins page and external command integration.
- Keyboard-oriented
- Built for keyboard operation as well as a conventional GTK+ interface for beginners.
Plans
Claws Mail
Claws Mail$0
Free under the GPL; install from a distribution package or the source tarballs.
Sylpheed
Free$0
Free software distributed under the GNU GPL; no paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Claws Mail or Sylpheed?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Claws Mail and Sylpheed are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Claws Mail or Sylpheed?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Claws Mail and Sylpheed have a free plan.
Which platforms do Claws Mail and Sylpheed run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sylpheed lists a macOS app. Both list Windows and Linux apps. 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.