The Evolution Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Evolution 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.
Evolution
The Insider’s Guide
GNOME's free mail, calendar and address book app
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Evolution’s own pages.
Made by GNOME Project · checked Nov 12, 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 Evolution’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Evolution’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 48 of the 70 other email apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Evolution, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It runs on Linux only, and Exchange needs a separate optional package.
- 1
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.
- 2
It is free
Evolution has no paid plan at all. The whole application is free software with no paid edition.
- 3
It runs on Linux
Linux.
- 4
Mail, calendar and contacts together
One application covers email, calendaring and an address book, rather than a mail client alone.
- 5
Exchange support
The optional evolution-ews package connects to Microsoft Exchange servers through Exchange Web Services.
- 6
Flatpak builds
Flathub carries the latest stable version, and Evolution can also be built and run in Flatpak on older distributions.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 48 of 70
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Evolution is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Evolution at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Linux
- Made by
- GNOME Project
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free and open source with no paid edition. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright: the whole app, with no paid edition and no trial. |
| Features | B | Mail, calendar and contacts together, Exchange support and Flatpak builds. Nothing on the pages shows a gap in the core email work. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You install from a distro or Flathub and connect your own accounts. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | The pages list Linux distributions and Flatpak only. No Windows, macOS, phone or web 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 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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Linux desktop users who want mail and calendar in one app
- People who need to reach an Exchange mailbox from Linux
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.
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
Evolution is free to use.
Free and open source with no paid edition.
Evolution
$0
Free and open source; install from your distribution, Flathub or the source tarballs.
The free plan
The whole application is free software with no paid edition.
Read from wiki.gnome.org on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Linux
GNOME's free mail, calendar and address book app. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, calendar, email client.
Mail, calendar and contacts together, Exchange support and Flatpak builds.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Linux
What it works with
- Microsoft Exchange
Evolution is made by GNOME Project.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
48/70
Other email apps it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 55 of 70
- BFeaturesAbove 45 of 70
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 70
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 70
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Evolution 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
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Thunderbird, Claws Mail, Betterbird and Mailspring
The 4 tools Evolution is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Thunderbird
Free
Free, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
- Only Thunderbird lists Windows, macOS and Android apps.
- Thunderbird also covers tasks.
- 2.8GPA
Claws Mail
Free
Lightweight GTK email and news client, free under the GPL.
- Only Claws Mail lists a Windows app.
- Evolution also covers calendar.
- Claws Mail also covers inbox filtering.
- 3.0GPA
Betterbird
Free
A fork of Thunderbird with extra features and bug fixes.
- Only Betterbird lists Windows and macOS apps.
- 2.4GPA
Mailspring
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source desktop email client for Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Only Mailspring lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Evolution also covers calendar.
- 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 Evolution free?
Yes. Evolution is free to use.
How much does Evolution cost?
Evolution lists one plan. Evolution: $0.
What platforms does Evolution work on?
Evolution is available on Linux.
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.
What does Evolution integrate with?
Evolution's listing names Microsoft Exchange. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Evolution?
Evolution is made by GNOME Project.
What are the alternatives to Evolution?
The closest alternatives to Evolution in our directory are Thunderbird, Claws Mail, Betterbird and Mailspring.
How does Evolution compare with other email apps?
Evolution's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 48 of the 70 other email apps we grade, and level with 6.
Is Evolution good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Evolution A for value for money. Evolution has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Evolution?
Evolution 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 Evolution’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. 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.
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 GNOME Project. Prices change, so check wiki.gnome.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Evolution, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/evolution
- 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, "Evolution: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/evolution
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/evolution/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Evolution, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 74 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- GMX Mail Insider's GuideFree webmail with 65GB storage, aliases and a mail collector3.2 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 Evolution’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. Evolution is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by GNOME Project. Prices and plans change: check wiki.gnome.org before you buy.