aerc review (2026): is it any good?
Terminal email client with Vim-style keys and git-email support
aerc report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a terminal mail client with Vim-style keys
aerc is a free terminal mail client with Vim-style keys, an embedded terminal for writing mail and a git-email workflow. It runs only in a terminal, and HTML mail is shown through a separate terminal browser.
Who aerc is for
- Fits if you send patches by email and want git and mail in one place
- Works for people who already think in Vim keys
Who aerc is not for
- Skip it if you want HTML mail shown the way it looks in a browser
- Not for you if you need a graphical or web version, as it only runs in a terminal
- Skip it if you don't want to configure it by hand
- Watch out: support is mailing lists, a bug tracker and a wiki
Why aerc gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree, and the project says it is 100% free and open source.
- AFree plan and trialNothing is locked: free to download and use, with no paid plans.
- CFeaturesSeveral backends, PGP through GnuPG and git patch workflows. HTML mail goes through an interactive terminal browser instead of showing in place, which is a real gap for ordinary mail.
- DEase of useIt's a terminal program that you set up by editing files, and there's a keyboard vocabulary to learn first.
- CPlatforms and integrationsLinux and macOS in a terminal. No graphical, web or phone version.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the aerc project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/aerc#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/aerc.svg" alt="aerc: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where aerc stands among email apps
aerc's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 97 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
aerc has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. aerc’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 88 of 122, level with 34
- AFree plan and trialAbove 97 of 122, level with 25
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 122, level with 77
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 19
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 122, level with 46
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep aerc, or make your own?
Keep it
aerc is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- A real app for macOS and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. aerc’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is aerc?
aerc is an email client that runs in a terminal. It supports IMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, mbox and JMAP backends, with asynchronous IMAP and JMAP handling, threading and PGP through GnuPG. Its site calls it 100% free and open source software, and the project is MIT licensed.
Worth knowing
- Runs only in a terminal; there is no graphical or web version.
- HTML email is rendered through an interactive terminal browser rather than shown natively.
- Support is via mailing lists, a bug tracker and a wiki.
Key features
- Embedded terminal compose
- Edit emails in an embedded terminal, tmux-style, while checking incoming mail and other threads.
- Vim-style keybindings
- Vim-style keys and an ex-command system allow automation from a single keystroke.
- Several backends
- Supports multiple accounts over IMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, Mbox and JMAP, with SMTP and sendmail for sending.
- git and email workflow
- Highlights patches with diffs and offers first-class support for working with git and email.
- PGP with GnuPG
- Signs, encrypts and verifies messages using GnuPG; HTML mail renders through a terminal web browser.
aerc pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, aerc is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free to download and use; the project says it is 100% free and open source software.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free and open source; no paid plans. |
Read from aerc-mail.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with aerc before you buy.
Works with
- GnuPG
- Notmuch
- git
- tmux
aerc alternatives
- aerc vs NeoMutt
Free
- aerc vs Mutt
Free
- aerc vs Mailspring
Free plan · from $8/mo
Common questions
Does aerc have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. aerc is listed for Linux and macOS.
Does aerc have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. aerc is listed for Linux and macOS.
Is aerc open source?
Yes. aerc is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.