Evolution review (2026): is it any good?
GNOME's free mail, calendar and address book app
Evolution report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for the GNOME mail, calendar and contacts app
Evolution is a free, open-source GNOME app that puts mail, calendar and contacts together, with Exchange support. It runs on Linux only, and Exchange needs a separate optional package. Support is by mailing list, Discourse and IRC.
Who Evolution is for
- Fits if you use Linux and want mail, calendar and contacts in one app
- Works for people who need Exchange access from a Linux desktop
Who Evolution is not for
- Not for you if you use Windows, macOS or a phone, as only Linux is listed
- Watch out: Exchange access needs the separate, optional evolution-ews package
- Watch out: support is by mailing list, GNOME Discourse and IRC, not a help desk
- Skip it if you want an app-store install, as you get it from a distro, Flathub or source
Why Evolution 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 and open source with no paid edition. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright: the whole app, with no paid edition and no trial.
- BFeaturesMail, calendar and contacts together, Exchange support and Flatpak builds. Nothing on the pages shows a gap in the core email work.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You install from a distro or Flathub and connect your own accounts.
- DPlatforms and integrationsThe pages list Linux distributions and Flatpak only. No Windows, macOS, phone or web version.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Evolution's own pages on 12 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/evolution#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/evolution.svg" alt="Evolution: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Evolution stands among email apps
Evolution'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 platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Evolution 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. Evolution’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 51 of 70, level with 19
- AFree plan and trialAbove 55 of 70, level with 15
- BFeaturesAbove 45 of 70, level with 25
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 70, level with 48
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 70, level with 4
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 Evolution, or make your own?
Keep it
Evolution 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 make
- Calendar: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- A real app for Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Evolution’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 Evolution?
Evolution is the GNOME project's personal information manager, combining email, a calendar and an address book in one desktop application. It is free and open source, and is usually installed from a Linux distribution's packages or from Flathub. An optional add-on connects it to Microsoft Exchange servers.
Worth knowing
- The pages read list Linux distributions and Flatpak only; no Windows or macOS builds are mentioned.
- Support is by mailing list, GNOME Discourse and IRC, not a vendor help desk.
- Exchange access needs the separate, optional evolution-ews package.
Key features
- Mail, calendar and contacts together
- One application covers email, calendaring and an address book, rather than a mail client alone.
- Exchange support
- The optional evolution-ews package connects to Microsoft Exchange servers through Exchange Web Services.
- Flatpak builds
- Flathub carries the latest stable version, and Evolution can also be built and run in Flatpak on older distributions.
- Source and manual
- Source code is published as tarballs and in GNOME's GitLab, and a user manual is available online.
Evolution pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Evolution is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole application is free software with no paid edition.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Evolution | $0 | Free and open source; install from your distribution, Flathub or the source tarballs. |
Read from wiki.gnome.org on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Evolution before you buy.
Works with
Evolution alternatives
- Evolution vs Mailspring
Free plan · from $8/mo
Common questions
Does Evolution have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Evolution is listed for Linux.
Does Evolution have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Evolution is listed for Linux.
Is Evolution open source?
Yes. Evolution 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.