The NeoMutt Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about NeoMutt 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.
NeoMutt
The Insider’s Guide
Command-line mail reader forked from Mutt with extra features
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from NeoMutt’s own pages.
Made by The NeoMutt Project · 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 NeoMutt’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on NeoMutt’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
2.8
GPA, above 88 of the 122 other email apps we grade
NeoMutt is a command-line mail reader, or MUA, that began as a fork of Mutt with added features. The project says many old Mutt patches were brought up to date, tidied and documented, and that its Sidebar patch was adopted by upstream Mutt. Features such as Notmuch, NNTP and a trash folder are documented on its site.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about NeoMutt, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's all text and all config files, and there is no Windows build.
- 1
Best for reading mail in a terminal, with extra features
NeoMutt is a free terminal mail reader forked from Mutt, with a sidebar, header caches and Notmuch support.
- 2
It is free
NeoMutt has no paid plan at all. Free to download and build from source, or to install from distribution packages.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
Linux and macOS.
- 4
Fork of Mutt
Adds features to Mutt in the form of patches that were updated, tidied and documented, according to the project's home page.
- 5
Documented feature list
The features page lists items including Notmuch, NNTP, Sidebar, Lua, Fuzzy Search, Global Hooks and Multiple FCC.
- 6
Sidebar
The Sidebar patch was adopted by upstream Mutt, and NeoMutt documents sidebar intro and search options.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 88 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
NeoMutt is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
NeoMutt at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, Linux
- Made by
- The NeoMutt Project
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for reading mail in a terminal, with extra features
NeoMutt is a free terminal mail reader forked from Mutt, with a sidebar, header caches and Notmuch support. It's all text and all config files, and there is no Windows build.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free to download and build, or to install from a package. Nobody needs a server to run it. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole program is free, with no paid plan or limits. Donations are optional. |
| Features | B | Mail reading, a sidebar, header caches, NNTP, Notmuch and more, in a long documented feature list. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in reading mail, though you set it all up yourself. |
| Ease of use | D | It needs config files and a command line. You write the setup before you read a single message. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A program for computers only: Linux, BSD and macOS through package managers. No phone app, no 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 NeoMutt is for
- Fits if you live in a terminal and want your mail there too
- Works for people who like to edit a config file and keep it forever
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't want to write config files
- Not for you if you need a window with buttons, as it's text only
- Skip it if you use Windows, where only a Cygwin listing exists
- Watch out: support is GitHub, IRC and mailing lists, not a help desk
Good to know
Good for
- Terminal users who already know Mutt and want more features
- People who configure their mail client with text files and hooks
Worth knowing
- Text-only interface with no graphical window; configuration is by editing files.
- Packaging pages list Linux, BSD and macOS package managers; no Windows build beyond a Cygwin listing.
- Support is through GitHub, an IRC channel and mailing lists rather than a help desk.
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
NeoMutt is free to use.
Free to download and build, or to install from a package.
Free
$0
Free software; the site has a sponsor page for donations.
The free plan
Free to download and build from source, or to install from distribution packages.
Read from neomutt.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
Command-line mail reader forked from Mutt with extra features. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, keyboard-first, email client.
Mail reading, a sidebar, header caches, NNTP, Notmuch and more, in a long documented feature list.
- Fork of Mutt
- Adds features to Mutt in the form of patches that were updated, tidied and documented, according to the project's home page.
- Documented feature list
- The features page lists items including Notmuch, NNTP, Sidebar, Lua, Fuzzy Search, Global Hooks and Multiple FCC.
- Sidebar
- The Sidebar patch was adopted by upstream Mutt, and NeoMutt documents sidebar intro and search options.
- Header cache options
- Header cache compression and LMDB and Kyoto Cabinet backends are in the feature list for large mailboxes.
- Packaged for many systems
- The distro page gives install steps for Arch, Debian, Gentoo, Homebrew, MacPorts, NetBSD, NixOS and others.
Where it runs
- macOS
- Linux
What it works with
- Notmuch
- NNTP
- Lua
- LMDB
- Kyoto Cabinet
NeoMutt is made by The NeoMutt Project.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
88/122
Other email apps it is graded above
NeoMutt's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 88 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 97 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
NeoMutt 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 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. NeoMutt’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 88 of 122
- AFree plan and trialAbove 97 of 122
- BFeaturesAbove 79 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. NeoMutt 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
NeoMutt 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 88 of the 122 other email apps we grade.
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.
- It plugs into other products, Notmuch, NNTP and Lua among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. NeoMutt’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
Mutt, aerc, Thunderbird, Mailspring and Claws Mail
The 5 tools NeoMutt is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Mutt
Free
Small text-based mail client for Unix systems.
- Only NeoMutt lists a macOS app.
- 2.6GPA
aerc
Free
- 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.
- 2.4GPA
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.
- 2.8GPA
Claws Mail
Free
Lightweight GTK email and news client, free under the GPL.
- Only NeoMutt lists a macOS app.
- Only Claws Mail lists a Windows app.
- Claws Mail also covers inbox filtering.
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 NeoMutt free?
Yes. NeoMutt is free to use.
How much does NeoMutt cost?
NeoMutt lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does NeoMutt work on?
NeoMutt is available on Linux and macOS.
Does NeoMutt have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. NeoMutt is listed for Linux and macOS.
Does NeoMutt have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. NeoMutt is listed for Linux and macOS.
Is NeoMutt open source?
Yes. NeoMutt is open source, according to its own site.
What does NeoMutt integrate with?
NeoMutt's listing names Notmuch, NNTP, Lua, LMDB and Kyoto Cabinet. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes NeoMutt?
NeoMutt is made by The NeoMutt Project.
What are the alternatives to NeoMutt?
The closest alternatives to NeoMutt in our directory are Mutt, aerc, Thunderbird, Mailspring and Claws Mail.
How does NeoMutt compare with other email apps?
NeoMutt's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 88 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 11.
Is NeoMutt good value for money?
ToolGPA grades NeoMutt A for value for money. NeoMutt has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of NeoMutt?
NeoMutt 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 NeoMutt’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 NeoMutt 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 The NeoMutt Project. Prices change, so check neomutt.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
- NeoMutt, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/neomutt
- 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, "NeoMutt: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/neomutt
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/neomutt/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after NeoMutt, 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 NeoMutt’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. NeoMutt is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The NeoMutt Project. Prices and plans change: check neomutt.org before you buy.