I have been in search of a killer electronic mail app, and this is likely to be it

I do most of my emailing from my iPhone using Apple Mail. On my MacBook, I use Apple Mail once more, however I’ve all the time struggled to discover a solid email client for Windows. For those who do most of your emailing on Home windows, you may know the wrestle of looking for an excellent electronic mail consumer.

Outlook is bloated (and stuffed with adverts when you’re utilizing it totally free), Microsoft has killed off Home windows Mail, and browser-based purchasers are messy at finest. Thunderbird was my open-source alternative for years, however in 2025, I really feel it appears to be like somewhat dated and packs too many options I’ve by no means wanted to make use of.

What I needed was easy: a clear, trendy, quick, and free electronic mail consumer for Home windows that does not bury me in muddle or adverts. After spending a while making an attempt out totally different e-mail purchasers, I’ve lastly discovered my favourite: meet Betterbird.

What’s Betterbird?

An up to date Thunderbird

Betterbird is a fork of Mozilla Thunderbird, constructed by its builders with one purpose: fixing what Thunderbird will get improper. Thunderbird remains to be extensively used and actively maintained, however its legacy design and sluggish replace rollout usually weigh it down. Betterbird, then again, takes the identical open-source basis and makes it sharper, quicker, and simpler to make use of.

The mission describes itself as a “higher Thunderbird,” and, after utilizing it for some time, that is exactly what it feels prefer to me.

Why Betterbird stands out

No adverts and no pointless options

The place Outlook pushes adverts and additional providers, Betterbird focuses on the necessities. It is a cross-platform electronic mail consumer that runs on Home windows, Linux, and macOS, however it feels particularly refreshing on Home windows, the place first rate free purchasers may be troublesome to search out.

The very first thing chances are you’ll discover is Betterbird’s efficiency. It launches shortly, handles a number of inboxes with out lag, and makes navigating between folders and calendars painless. It takes the Thunderbird core and trims a few of the fats.

Including accounts in Betterbird is quick and easy. From POP to IMAP and Change, all main providers are supported — in contrast to Outlook, which generally forces you thru a number of complicated re-authentication hoops. For those who’re coming from Thunderbird, the expertise will really feel acquainted, however the enhancements — like cleaner account administration and fewer bugs — will probably be instantly noticeable.

Options that matter

No bloat

Whereas Betterbird in all probability will not win any design awards for minimalism, the app does handle to strike a steadiness that Thunderbird by no means totally managed. The structure is clear, totally customizable, and responsive. There’s correct darkish mode assist, together with the flexibility to tone down blinding white emails so that they’re simpler on the eyes.

Themes are additionally supported, so you possibly can tweak the interface to your liking. For those who’re used to Gmail-style shortcuts, don’t fret — you possibly can map them immediately in Betterbird. It feels trendy sufficient to be recent, with out making an attempt to reinvent the e-mail app.

All of the necessities are coated by Betterbird, like scheduled sending, labels, filters, and guidelines. For those who want calendars or process lists, they’re built-in, however they do not dominate the interface. Every characteristic feels sensible, moderately than bolted on, which is the sensation I get after I use Thunderbird these days.

Really free and open-source

With energetic updates and neighborhood assist

Betterbird does not disguise its performance behind paywalls, nor does it muddle your inbox with adverts. It is totally open-source software program, funded by consumer donations, and pushed by the philosophy that electronic mail ought to be a dependable and accessible software.

I discover this to be a refreshing distinction to Microsoft Outlook, which feels extra like a funnel into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, which holds fundamental multi-account assist hostage except you pay to improve. With Betterbird, every thing you see is what you get, it packs full performance from the second you employ the installer.

Certainly one of Thunderbird’s largest criticisms has been the tempo of updates. Butterbird tackles this by releasing fixes and refinements way more shortly. Bug fixes that will take months in Thunderbird are likely to arrive a lot sooner in Betterbird, which, for me, makes it really feel extra polished on a day-to-day foundation.

All of this is not to say that Betterbird is ideal. As a result of it is a fork, it could actually generally really feel prefer it’s ready for Thunderbird’s subsequent large transfer earlier than it could actually adapt. Documentation can be thinner in comparison with Thunderbird, so chances are you’ll often have to dig by means of boards for solutions to your issues. And whereas the UI is cleaner than Thunderbird, it isn’t as minimal as trendy Mac-style electronic mail purchasers. For those who’re anticipating Apple Mail simplicity, Betterbird nonetheless leans towards Microsoft power-user territory.