FairEmail vs Thunderbird
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FairEmail
Open source, privacy-oriented email client for Android
Free plan · from $7.49 one-time
Thunderbird
Free, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
Free
Where they differ
- FairEmail starts at $7.49 one-time (pro features, US Google Play in-app purchase). Thunderbird is free.
- Only Thunderbird lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- FairEmail is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- FairEmail can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Thunderbird also covers tasks and calendar.
In commonFree planAndroidOpen sourceEmail client
At a glance
| FairEmail | Thunderbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7.49 one-time (pro features, US Google Play in-app purchase) | Free |
| Free plan | The app is free without ads: unlimited accounts and addresses, unified inbox, threading, offline storage and OpenPGP. Pro features such as snooze, send later and filter rules are paid. | 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 |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FairCode B.V. | MZLA Technologies Corporation |
| Price read from | play.google.com | thunderbird.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FairEmail
- Android users who want an open source email client with no ads or tracking
- People with several accounts at different IMAP or POP3 providers
- Paying once for advanced features instead of subscribing
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
FairEmail
- Supported on Android phones, tablets and ChromeOS only. There is no iOS, desktop or web version.
- Microsoft Exchange Web Services and ActiveSync are not supported; accounts connect over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.
- The F-Droid build cannot reuse a Play Store purchase and does not support OAuth sign-in, so the Gmail quick setup is missing there.
- It is an email client only: the Play listing says it is not a calendar, contact, task or note manager.
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
FairEmail
- Unified inbox for unlimited accounts
- Any number of accounts and email addresses can be added, with a unified inbox, conversation threading, two-way synchronization and push through IMAP IDLE.
- Offline storage and operations
- Messages are stored on the device, and actions taken while offline are synchronized later. The developer states that no data is stored on third-party servers.
- Tracking and phishing protections
- The app asks before showing images or opening links, tries to recognize and disable tracking images, reformats messages and warns when a message could not be authenticated.
- OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption
- Optional end-to-end encryption uses PGP, through the separate OpenKeychain or PGPony app, or S/MIME. Signing and encrypting with S/MIME is one of the pro features.
- Snooze, send later and filter rules
- The pro purchase adds snoozing, sending after a chosen time, reply templates, filter rules, automatic message classification, search indexing and a message list widget.
- Optional translation and AI services
- DeepL translation, LanguageTool grammar and style checks, and OpenAI or Gemini can be turned on in the integration settings. DeepL, OpenAI and Gemini each need your own API key.
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
FairEmail
Free$0
Unlimited accounts and email addresses, unified inbox, conversation threading, offline storage and the privacy features. No advertisements.
Pro features (Google Play)$7.49
one-time in-app purchase (US Google Play)
All current and future pro features, including snooze, send later, reply templates, filter rules, S/MIME signing and biometric lock. No subscription.
Pro features (GitHub version)€7 or more
one-time donation
For copies installed outside the Play Store. €7 or more activates pro features on every Android device you own; a smaller donation activates them once.
Thunderbird
Free$0
Every feature of Thunderbird Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux and of Thunderbird Mobile for Android.
