The aerc Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about aerc in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
aerc
The Insider’s Guide
Terminal email client with Vim-style keys and git-email support
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from aerc’s own pages.
Made by aerc · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from aerc’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on aerc’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about aerc, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It runs only in a terminal, and HTML mail is shown through a separate terminal browser.
- 1
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.
- 2
It is free
aerc has no paid plan at all. Free to download and use; the project says it is 100% free and open source software.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
Linux and macOS.
- 4
Embedded terminal compose
Edit emails in an embedded terminal, tmux-style, while checking incoming mail and other threads.
- 5
Vim-style keybindings
Vim-style keys and an ex-command system allow automation from a single keystroke.
- 6
Several backends
Supports multiple accounts over IMAP, Maildir, Notmuch, Mbox and JMAP, with SMTP and sendmail for sending.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 74 of 122
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
aerc is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
aerc at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Linux
- Made by
- aerc
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free, and the project says it is 100% free and open source. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Nothing is locked: free to download and use, with no paid plans. |
| Features | C | Several 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. |
| Ease of use | D | It's a terminal program that you set up by editing files, and there's a keyboard vocabulary to learn first. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Linux and macOS in a terminal. No graphical, web or phone version. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who send and review patches by email
- Terminal users who prefer Vim-style navigation
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
aerc is free to use.
Nothing is locked: free to download and use, with no paid plans.
Free
$0
Free and open source; no paid plans.
The free plan
Free to download and use; the project says it is 100% free and open source software.
Read from aerc-mail.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: macOS and Linux
Terminal email client with Vim-style keys and git-email support. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, keyboard-first, email client.
Several backends, PGP through GnuPG and git patch workflows.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Linux
What it works with
- GnuPG
- Notmuch
- git
- tmux
aerc is made by aerc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
74/122
Other email apps it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 97 of 122
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 122
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 122
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. aerc is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
NeoMutt, Mutt, Thunderbird, Claws Mail and Mailspring
The 5 tools aerc is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
NeoMutt
Free
- 2.4GPA
Mutt
Free
Small text-based mail client for Unix systems.
- Only aerc lists a macOS app.
- 3.2GPA
Thunderbird
Free
Free, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- Only Thunderbird lists Windows and Android apps.
- Thunderbird also covers tasks and calendar.
- 2.8GPA
Claws Mail
Free
Lightweight GTK email and news client, free under the GPL.
- Only aerc lists a macOS app.
- Only Claws Mail lists a Windows app.
- Claws Mail also covers inbox filtering.
- 2.4GPA
Mailspring
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source desktop email client for Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Only Mailspring lists a Windows app.
- Mailspring also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is aerc free?
Yes. aerc is free to use. Free to download and use; the project says it is 100% free and open source software.
How much does aerc cost?
aerc lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does aerc work on?
aerc is available on Linux and macOS.
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.
What does aerc integrate with?
aerc's listing names GnuPG, Notmuch, git and tmux. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes aerc?
aerc is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to aerc?
The closest alternatives to aerc in our directory are NeoMutt, Mutt, Thunderbird, Claws Mail and Mailspring.
How does aerc compare with other email apps?
aerc's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 13.
Is aerc good value for money?
ToolGPA grades aerc A for value for money. aerc has no paid plan. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4.
Could I make my own version of aerc?
aerc is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from aerc’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by aerc. Prices change, so check aerc-mail.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- aerc, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/aerc
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "aerc: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/aerc
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/aerc/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after aerc, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 126 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- AOL Mail Insider's GuideFree webmail with news and weather in a companion mobile app3.2 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what aerc’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. aerc is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by aerc. Prices and plans change: check aerc-mail.org before you buy.