Roundcube vs Thunderbird (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Thunderbird grades higher than Roundcube: 3.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Thunderbird grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Thunderbird
Free, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Roundcube if
- Fits if you run your own mail server and want a webmail screen for it
- Works for hosting companies and admins who give users webmail
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a mailbox, because it only reads mail from your own IMAP and SMTP servers
- Not for you if you do not run a server, since you install and update it yourself
- Tight if you want a calendar or two-factor sign-in without plugins, as both are third-party
- Watch out: the site warns about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube
Pick Thunderbird if
- Fits if you want a free desktop email app with no ads in it
- Works for people who move between Windows, macOS and Linux and want the same app on each
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on an iPhone, as Thunderbird Mobile is listed for Android only
- Not for you if you want someone to call when it breaks, because support is community-based
- Too light for anyone who needs an email address as well, since it's a mail app, not a mailbox
- Watch out: Thundermail, the team's own hosting, is a separate paid beta behind a waitlist, $6 a month yearly
- Skip it if you read mail in a browser, as there's no web version
How we grade them
| 2.0GPARoundcubeFair | 3.2GPAThunderbirdVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software costs nothing, but it is only free if you host it, which needs a server, PHP 8.1 or newer and a database. Software you host yourself is graded C. | AIt's free, where the middle of this category is $8 a month. Every feature of the desktop and Android apps costs $0, with no ads and no paid tier, funded by voluntary donations. Thundermail, the team's own hosting service, is a separate paid subscription and still in beta. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe whole application is free with no user or message limit. You still pay for the server and mail service it runs on, so it is not free to a person with nothing. | AThe whole app is free on desktop and Android, with no cap and nothing held back for a paid plan, because there isn't one. The trade-off is support: it's community-based, and Thunderbird says donations don't buy individual technical help. |
| Features | CA mail client with an address book, shared folders, plugins and skins. It provides no mailbox, and calendar, two-factor sign-in and keyboard shortcuts come from third-party plugins. | BSeveral accounts read separately or in a unified inbox, with calendar, contacts and tasks in the desktop app so scheduling needs no second program, add-ons to extend it, and OpenPGP on Android through OpenKeychain. Nothing in the listing points at a hole in the mail-client job. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting, with a web server and database to set up and keep updated. No store rating on record. | CNo rating on record, and this is a settings-heavy old hand rather than a tidy modern app: accounts to add, panes and add-ons to arrange, and community forums if you get stuck. A QR code copies your desktop accounts to the Android app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, in over 80 languages, with a responsive skin. Nextcloud is the only integration listed. | BWindows, macOS and Linux on the desktop and Android on the phone, so computer and phone are covered and Linux people are included for once. No iPhone or iPad app is listed, there's no web version, and the only integration on record is OpenKeychain. |
| Best for | webmail you host yourself | free, open-source email on any desktop |
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: Roundcube and Thunderbird. How we grade
Price against what you get
Roundcube has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Thunderbird has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Thunderbird scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Roundcube for less, and none scores higher than Thunderbird 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
- Roundcube is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Thunderbird also covers tasks and calendar.
In commonFree planOpen sourceEmail client
At a glance
| Roundcube | Thunderbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole application is free, with no limit on users or messages, but you host it yourself. | 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 | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Roundcube project | MZLA Technologies Corporation |
| Price read from | roundcube.net | thunderbird.net |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Roundcube
- It is a client only: it needs your own IMAP and SMTP servers and does not provide a mailbox.
- You install and update it yourself on a web server with PHP 8.1 or newer and a database.
- The site posts a warning about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube.
- Calendar, two-factor authentication and other extras come from third-party plugins.
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
Roundcube
- Full email client in the browser
- Drag-and-drop message management, threaded lists, MIME and HTML mail, spell checking and multiple sender identities.
- Address book
- Contacts with groups, find-as-you-type address entry and LDAP connectors.
- Shared folders and ACLs
- Supports shared and global IMAP folders and access control lists for them.
- Plugins and skins
- A plugin API and skin templates. Third-party additions listed include a calendar module, two-factor authentication and keyboard shortcuts.
- Security features
- Brute-force login prevention, XSS protection, OAuth login and support for PGP encryption.
- Multi-device interface
- A responsive skin, light and dark modes, three-column view and a translation into over 80 languages.
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
Roundcube
Roundcube Webmail$0
Free under the GPL with unlimited users and messages; you supply the web server, database and mail servers.
Thunderbird
Free$0
Every feature of Thunderbird Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux and of Thunderbird Mobile for Android.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Roundcube or Thunderbird?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Roundcube and Thunderbird are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Roundcube or Thunderbird?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Roundcube and Thunderbird have a free plan.
Which platforms do Roundcube and Thunderbird run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Roundcube lists a web app and only Thunderbird lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android 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.