Claws Mail review (2026): is it any good?
Lightweight GTK email and news client, free under the GPL
Claws Mail report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for a lightweight keyboard-driven mail client
Claws Mail is a free, GPL mail client that you can drive from the keyboard, with filters, search, GnuPG and plugins. Calendar and RSS are plugins, not part of the base app. It looks like an older desktop mail program, and it's Linux plus a separate Windows port.
Who Claws Mail is for
- 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
Who Claws Mail is not for
- 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
Why Claws Mail gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree under the GPL for anyone to download. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, the whole app, with no paid edition.
- CFeaturesA keyboard-driven client with filtering, search, GnuPG, plugins, several protocols and MH storage. Gaps: calendar and RSS are plugins, not the base app.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You install from a distro package or source, connect your accounts and add plugins for extras.
- CPlatforms and integrationsLinux, plus a separate Windows port. No macOS version is mentioned and there's no phone or web version.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Claws Mail's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Claws Mail? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/claws-mail#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/claws-mail.svg" alt="Claws Mail: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Claws Mail stands among email apps
Claws Mail's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 70 other email apps we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 55 of 70) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Claws Mail has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 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 71 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Claws Mail’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 51 of 70, level with 19
- AFree plan and trialAbove 55 of 70, level with 15
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 70, level with 44
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 70, level with 48
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 70, level with 19
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 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 Claws Mail, or make your own?
Keep it
Claws Mail is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 70 other email apps we grade.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Filters that read every message as it arrives.
- A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Claws Mail’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 Claws Mail?
Claws Mail is a free email and Usenet news client built on GTK, with keyboard access to almost every command. It stores messages in the MH format and can be extended with plugins for an RSS reader, a calendar and more. It is distributed under the GPL and aimed mainly at Linux and Unix systems.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Claws Mail pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Claws Mail is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole application is free software under the GPL.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Claws Mail | $0 | Free under the GPL; install from a distribution package or the source tarballs. |
Read from claws-mail.org on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Claws Mail before you buy.
Works with
- GnuPG
Claws Mail alternatives
- Claws Mail vs Mailspring
Free plan · from $8/mo
- Claws Mail vs MailMate
Free trial · from $10/mo
Common questions
Does Claws Mail have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Claws Mail is listed for Linux and Windows.
Does Claws Mail have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Claws Mail is listed for Linux and Windows.
Is Claws Mail open source?
Yes. Claws Mail 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 12, 2026.