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Best Free Email Client
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Other Language?
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In a Hurry?
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 Go straight to the Quick Selection Guide |
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Introduction
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With so many clients now in the cloud, rather than on the desktop, email clients have certainly taken a turn over the past few years. So, to differentiate themselves, the desktop clients have become more advanced and offer more and more features to keep customers interested. For most users finding a good email client can mean the difference between getting on with your work or hitting your head against a desk in frustration. Here's a list of the best email clients reviewed and compiled to save you from heart/headache. For ease of use I've split the review into two different categories, desktop and web-based. |
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Discussion
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Mozilla Thunderbird
Outlook Express users should seriously consider switching. You’ll be rewarded with a more advanced product with these features:
On top of that, the product is more secure than Outlook Express and, unlike the latter, is still being actively developed. Switching is made easier by the fact that Thunderbird looks and works similar to Outlook Express. Tools within Thunderbird also allow you to easily import your Outlook Express account settings and stored email. If you need assistance, there is an excellent guide from Mozilla available for download in the Quick Selection Guide section below. Opera (M2 Mail Client)
DreamMail
The main features are:
Another good feature is the option to create separate accounts for different users, this enables them to have their own email accounts in their profile and the ability to password protect it. Set up is fairly straightforward, you need to copy any POP or IMAP settings across, but this isn't a major problem. Adding web mail accounts is as easy as inputting your web mail address, plus your username and password. The only downside is that it lacks the true portability of a web-based email client, but if that's not something you're worried about then this would be a good option. Foxmail
IncrediMail
The user interface is well polished with basic animations that pop up when you recieve a new email or if you delete one. This is a nice touch but can get in the way, it can however be disabled. Incredimail supports Webmail accounts for GMail, Yahoo, AOL and Windows Live Hotmail.
However, you are required to select the tool-bar integration and have Incredimail as your default search engine before you can proceed. As a basic email client that can handle all of the main accounts, this is a very easy to set up and capable program, but it's limited by the need to upgrade for other main features. eM ClienteM Client is a popular client for Windows (XP - 7) that supports all popular webmails as well as POP3 and IMAP. Upon downloading you get a 30 day free trial, which grants you all the features, but the free license constricts you to only 2 email addresses per user. The user interface for eM Client is certainly very swish (I haven't said that in a while...), and certainly looks and feels premium when using. There are no ads, or gimicks, just a clean interface, not dissimilar to Outlook 2003. Intial setup is very easy, allowing you to import your accounts and settings from the clients already installed on your computer; and even manual setup was very easy, a nice interface to guide you through. eM Client is certainly one of the better looking clients availible for Windows however, the free version is held back by the account restriction to only two email addresses. |
Gmail
Let's get this one done first! Gmail, arguably the most popular webmail client at the moment, intergrating deeply into the Google ecosystem and offering more features than it ever has before. On that note, features wise, it has a lot that you would expect such as:
- works with both POP and IMAP
- arrange emails into folders by adding 'Labels'
- filters
- contacts and tasks can be added and amended.
You'll find you'll get a lot more out of Gmail if you use other Google products. For example, if you use Google+ (which, realistically, you don't, but hypothetically...) you can chat right in the Gmail window, you can also view your circles on the right hand sidebar. Another great feature is Google Labs which is a series of add-ons that you can use to customise your Gmail; it's a very nice feature for more advanced users and it's great to see this amount of customization in a webmail client.
Although Gmail is free, there are ads displayed at the top of the list of emails which is fairly unobtrusive, but can make things look a bit cluttered and at first for me when I tested it, a little confusing as I wasn't expecting it.
You get 10GB of space for free, but if you need more (again, realistically, you won't), Google offer monthly payment plans to get you more space, which can go up to 16TB.
Gmail is at its peak, but there are downsides, the adverts while discrete can annoy some users and the Google+ intergration can seem annoying if you don't use it; however, all that put aside, it's certainly a stylistic, elegant email client and offers a great number of features.
Outlook (The new Hotmail)
Microsoft's really gone all out with it's new metro Modern UI! It's taking all their products by storm, and Hotmail's next on the list. The new user interface is very simple, with the layout of Hotmail remaining largely intact, but with better visuals that newcomers should find more appealing. Setup is fairly simple (or if you have a Microsoft account already, non-existant), like Gmail it provides options to get your old emails forwarded to one email address or access them directly through POP3 support (no IMAP support, I'm afraid).
Some nice features include: being able to delete all emails by a certain sender, or even choosing how many emails from that sender to keep before automatically deleting old ones; automated replies for when you're away from your computer; as well as filters and folder; and all that jazz. Also, being able to import up to 4 POP3 accounts should keep most users satisfied. The built-in contact list 'People' is very modern, as is the calendar, but both put style over fuctionality as it can sometimes be difficult to access the advanced options.
On the down side, if you're not a fan of the UI, it is everywhere and while for the time being you can swap back to Hotmail view, I wouldn't expect that to stick around. Another downside is no IMAP support, but overall Outlook offers a better, cleaner refresh of Hotmail.
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Related Products and Links
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Thunderbird Extensions: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird
Webmail Plugin: http://webmail.mozdev.org/index.html
Guide for Migrating from Outlook to Thunderbird: http://opensourcearticles.com/introduction_to_thunderbird
Opera language files can be downloaded here: http://www.opera.com/download/languagefiles/
The vendors website has now acquired a poor WOT (Web Of Trust) rating. We have no reports of issues with the product itself which remains certified by the major download sites. This situation is currently under review.
The FoxMail English FAQ can be foundhere: http://www.hazeleger.net/psjs_faqs/index.html
Note: If after installing, the program comes up in Chinese, all you have to do is delete the file chinese.lgb in the installation folder.
Developer's website is in Chinese.
Gmail Blog http://gmailblog.blogspot.com
Help and Support http://mail.google.com/support/
Supports the following browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox 3.5+, Internet Explorer 7.0+, Safari 3.0+ (Only Google Chrome supports Desktop Notifications)
Help Centre www.incredimail.com/english/help/support.aspx
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Editor
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This software category is in need of an editor. If you would like to give something back to the freeware community by taking it over, check out this page for more details. You can then contact us from that page or by clicking here |
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Tags
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email client, thunderbird, webmail, outlook, email manager, gmail, hotmail, yahoo mail, contacts |
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Comments
TB 3 is junk. Asks for master password even if you don't use, and will not work without password that does not exist! Stay with 2.0
Pegasus mail is the oldest windows email system and one of the most capable and reliable. It does have its quirks - one of the hazards of pioneering. But for power and capability, nothing comes close for any platform. http://pmail.com
agree!
I used to think that Opera was the best for an integrated browser but since more of the Firefox extensions have become available for Seamonkey I much prefer this. The only possible drawback for some is that the latest Seamonkey won't copy & paste text if you have McAfee Site Advisor installed on your computer for use with another browser. Strange but true.
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
I prefer SpiceBird....I know it is still in beta, but it is a nice derivative of Thunderbird that comes with the Lightning add-on built into it. Give it a try and post back your comments. It has other functionality built into it including Google gadget capability. I think Thunderbird should take a long hard look at what Spicebird has accomplished in design and functionality.
Dreammail is reliable, fast and easy. It is now being developed again and there was another update a couple of days ago. Works on Windows 7.
The mozilla thunderbird client wouldn't work on my pc
Thunderbird works on everyone's computer, even those running Linux, unless some sort of system problem, security setting or misconfiguration is preventing it. If yaz wanna post a bit more detail here in the forum we'll try and figure out why yours wasn't happy.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum/general-computer-support/
Same here,thunderbird 3 will not work on windows 7 64 bit.trying to write emails the text is all scrambled up.version 2 works fine so cant be 64bit problem./
See Rik's post here:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum/freeware-installation-and...
I have Thunderbird 3 running on 7 Ultimate 64 bit with no problems.
Is it the 64 bit version? If so, perhaps you might to create a user contributed article and share it with us :)
Best regards,
Rik Mayell - Category Editor, Best Free Windows 7 / Vista 64 bit Software
I've used Thunderbird since 2003 or so but am growing a little tired of trying Thunderbird 3 every time someone tells me how wonderful it is. Testing with the portable version automatically tries to download and index the entire contents of my gmail account and there appears to be no way of turning off that so called "feature" and lightning, previously one of Tbird's most useful extensions, still doesn't work properly even after following numerous sets of instructions on how to sync the nightly build of lightning with gmail. The instructions do however tell how to make every calendar entry appear three times.
Dreammail beats them all, and is now being actively developed and updated.
Well like so many others, I have trashed V. 3. It is a dog.
Teemarsh
Updated or not I believe that Dreammail is still without a spell check which for a lot of people (me included) is a major consideration. Please correct me if I've got this wrong.
Has anyone tried or have experience with Eudora?
Spicebird, nice remake of Thunderbird, very buggy though. will wait for a more stable version.
There is an option to have T-Bird only sync every so many days, or only the most recent emails. Poke around and you should find it. I had the same problem, but have now fixed it.
I have been using T-Bird for weeks now on Win 7 64 bit. There is also a 64 bit version. Google for it.
Works just fine with my GMail.
Me too
An IMAP account should not require "syncing"
your comment stopped me in my tracks, then i remembered TinySpell which runs in the background of any text program checking your spelling as you type. I tried it on DreamMail and it works nicely. http://tinyspell.m6.net/
I went through this list of email programs and about 4 more (perhaps 8 in all) and so far am sticking with Dream Mail. It doesn't try to be everything under the sun (like Thunderbird-calendar, task list+ tons of add-ons), it's just an easy to use efficient and headache free program that does one thing very well. Best features, Intuitive, downright easiest to setup email accounts, easy on the eyes, low resource use so i keep it running all the time, portable version, lots of cool templates to bring back the fun in email.
Tried Thunderbird, was happy for along time, till i realized i was spending more time managing emails than I was with the content.
Thanks for posting this. I was actually aware of Tinyspell and had tried it with DreamMail but found it a bit limited. For now though I'm completely sold on Seamonkey. Apart from odd times using SRWare Iron I'm using both the browser and email components all day and can't fault either.
I've been using Eudora since the mid 1990's and currently use the last formal version that they released 7.1.0.9
Problem is that I am still to find an email client that comes even close to Eudora in functionality and certain features like attachment control that is important to me. I think I must have tried about half a dozen alternatives.... none have impressed me thus far :(
Try this new BETA release.
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Eudora_Releases
Basically it's Thunderbird ver 3.0b4, and I think that whilst Thunderbird is a decent product, it has a way to go before one could consider it a stable and mature product. I continue to watch Thunderbird closely.... but for now Eudora is still more robust and with a better feature set!
I loved Opera and swore by it, until I realized all my browsing problems were related to it. I was very sad, I really liked Opera, switched to any other browser and the sites worked, had to quit Opera. If they ever get the browser right, it will be the ultimate.
yes. using XP and the new version 7.01.09 refuses to start after the first time. have to re-boot to get it to launch. Have used Eudora for year and this is the first problems. plan to remove it as soon as I can find a suitable standalone replacement.