The 7 Best eM Client Alternatives in 2026 (Free and Paid)

Short answer: Thunderbird is the best free eM Client alternative: open source, with built-in PGP, a calendar and a Linux version. Canary Mail (ours) suits people who want AI and the same app on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. Mailbird is the closest match for app integrations on Windows and Mac, the new Outlook is free on Windows and Mac, and Mailspring and Evolution cover Linux.

Disclosure: we make Canary Mail, one of the apps below. We've said where it falls short too. Prices were checked on each developer's own site on October 6, 2026.

Why people look for an eM Client alternative

eM Client is a desktop email app for Windows and Mac from Prague, with a calendar, contacts and tasks built in. Most reasons to look elsewhere come from its licences:

• The free version is limited. It covers two email accounts on one device, for personal, non-commercial use only.
• One-time licences only cover the current version. The $29.95 Personal licence doesn't include future major versions (Lifetime Upgrades cost from $50 more) or the AI add-on, which comes with the $19.95 yearly plan.
• There's no Linux version. eM Client staff said on its forum in 2025 that a Linux port isn't justifiable for now, though they may look at it again after eM Client 11.

Who should stay with eM Client

eM Client does a lot for the price. Every plan, including the free one, has PGP and S/MIME encryption, its iPhone and Android apps are free, and it imports mail straight from Outlook and Thunderbird. If you want a one-time licence for a desktop app with a calendar and tasks, it may still be the right fit.

eM Client alternatives compared

The best eM Client alternatives in 2026

1. Canary Mail: Best for AI on every device

Canary Mail (ours) puts Gmail, Outlook, iCloud and IMAP accounts in one inbox, on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. It adds AI that writes replies and summarizes threads, an AI-sorted inbox, read receipts and PGP encryption. It has 2M+ users and has been featured by Apple on the App Store and Mac App Store.

• Who it's for: people who want one email app across their computer and phone, with AI built in
• Price: free plan for up to 2 devices; Growth $36 a year with AI writing and summaries; Pro+ $100 a year adds PGP; lifetime licences $100 (Growth) and $300 (Pro+); 7-day free trial, no card
• Accounts: unlimited, including on the free plan
• Downside: no Linux version, and PGP needs the Pro+ plan.

2. Thunderbird: Best free and open-source alternative

Thunderbird, from a Mozilla subsidiary, is the closest free match for eM Client: mail, calendar, contacts and tasks in one desktop app, with OpenPGP built in and S/MIME support. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and has added native Microsoft Exchange email support (EWS in 2025, Microsoft Graph in 2026).

• Who it's for: people who want eM Client's features without paying, or need Linux
• Price: free, funded by donations
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux; Thunderbird for Android; an iPhone app is in beta
• Downside: Exchange support covers email only so far, not Exchange calendars or contacts.

3. Mailbird: Best for app integrations

Mailbird is a Windows and Mac email app (one licence covers both) with a unified inbox and apps like WhatsApp, Google Calendar, Asana and Dropbox in a side panel. It can connect the AI app you already use, such as Claude or ChatGPT, and keeps your mail stored on your computer.

• Who it's for: people who live in their inbox and want their other apps next to it
• Price: free for 1 account; Premium $29.50 a year or $99.75 once (both sale prices; $59 and $399 list), or $199 once with lifetime updates; 14-day money-back
• Platforms: Windows and Mac; Android app in public beta
• Downside: Mailbird 2 stops getting updates at the end of 2026 (current owners get a free upgrade), and the prices above are promotional.

4. Microsoft Outlook: Best for Microsoft 365 users

The new Outlook for Windows is free and comes with Windows 11, and Outlook for Mac is free in the Mac App Store. Both work with Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and IMAP accounts, not just Microsoft ones. With a Microsoft 365 subscription you lose the ads and, on Personal and above, get Copilot in Outlook.

• Who it's for: people who already use Word, Excel or Microsoft 365
• Price: free with ads; Microsoft 365 Basic $1.99 a month removes them; Personal $9.99 a month adds Copilot
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and web
• Downside: the free version shows ads, and the new Outlook for Windows doesn't support classic COM add-ins.

5. Spark: Best for a Smart Inbox and teams

Spark, from Readdle, sorts mail into a Smart Inbox that puts people above newsletters and notifications. The free plan covers unlimited accounts and basic team features like shared threads and comments; AI writing comes with Plus.

• Who it's for: people who want a tidier inbox, and small teams who share email
• Price: free; Plus $99 a year or $10 a month; Pro $199 a year
• Platforms: Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android
• Downside: AI and more advanced team features need a paid plan, and some mail processing happens on Spark's servers.

6. Mailspring: Best simple, lightweight app

Mailspring is an open-source (GPL-3.0) email app for Windows, Mac and Linux. The free version handles unlimited accounts, and version 1.26, released in October 2026, added a calendar. Pro adds read receipts, link tracking, send later and snooze.

• Who it's for: people who want a clean, simple desktop app, including on Linux
• Price: free; Pro $8 a month (you can try Pro features a few times a week for free)
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Downside: no mobile app, and Microsoft accounts connect over IMAP, not Exchange.

7. GNOME Evolution: Best for Linux with Exchange

Evolution is the GNOME desktop's mail, calendar and contacts app, with tasks and memos too. It's free software, supports PGP and S/MIME, and connects to Microsoft Exchange through its evolution-ews add-on.

• Who it's for: Linux users who want an all-in-one app like eM Client
• Price: free
• Platforms: Linux, through your distribution or Flathub
• Downside: Linux only, and it looks more traditional than the other apps here.

How to switch from eM Client

1. Add your accounts to the new app. Mail in Gmail, Outlook, iCloud or IMAP accounts stays on the server, so it appears in the new app on its own.
2. Move anything stored only on your computer. If you keep mail in local folders, drag it into a folder in one of your email accounts first so it syncs.
3. Check contacts and calendars. Ones stored in your Google, Microsoft or iCloud account come across with the account; ones stored only in eM Client need exporting separately.
4. Bring your encryption keys. If you use PGP or S/MIME, export your keys and certificates and import them into the new app.

How we chose

We looked at what people move to from eM Client: desktop email apps with multiple accounts, ideally a calendar, and a sensible price. We left out mail services like Zoho Mail, browser workspaces like Shift, team tools like Missive, and Superhuman, which only works with Gmail and Outlook and costs far more. Every price was checked on the developer's own site on October 6, 2026. For more options, see our guides to the best email clients for Windows and free email clients, or our head-to-head Canary Mail vs eM Client.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to eM Client?

Yes. Thunderbird is free and open source, with a calendar and built-in PGP. Mailspring, Spark, Canary Mail and the new Outlook all have free versions with unlimited accounts, and Evolution is free on Linux.

Which is better, Mailbird or eM Client?

Mailbird is better for app integrations and connecting an AI app like Claude or ChatGPT, and one licence covers Windows and Mac. eM Client includes PGP and S/MIME on every plan, has free iPhone and Android apps, and its free version allows two accounts against Mailbird's one.

Is eM Client better than Outlook?

It depends on what you need. Outlook is free on Windows and Mac (with ads) and adds Copilot with Microsoft 365 Personal. eM Client has PGP and S/MIME on every plan and sells one-time licences instead of only subscriptions.

How much does eM Client cost?

eM Client is free for personal use with two accounts on one device. Personal costs $19.95 a year (with the AI add-on) or $29.95 once for the current version; Business costs $24.95 a year or $39.95 once per device. Lifetime Upgrades for future versions start at $50.

Does eM Client work on Linux?

No. eM Client is for Windows and Mac. On Linux, Thunderbird, Mailspring and Evolution are the closest options.

What is the best free email client?

For most people, Thunderbird: it's free, open source and works on Windows, Mac and Linux. See our full list of free email clients for other picks.

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Sources

• eM Client pricing
• eM Client free licence
• eM Client Lifetime Upgrades
• eM Client forum: eM Client on Linux
• Thunderbird
• Thunderbird: native Microsoft Exchange email support
• Thunderbird: Microsoft Graph support
• Mailbird pricing
• Mailbird 2 winding down
• Microsoft: Outlook for Windows
• Microsoft: Outlook for Mac licensing
• Microsoft 365 plans
• Spark pricing
• Mailspring Pro
• Mailspring 1.26.0 release
• GNOME Evolution
• Canary Mail pricing