The default Mail app on Mac leaves a lot to be desired. It lacks many of the customizations and professional features that users need from an email app. Don't worry, though. The Mac ecosystem is full of excellent email apps from third parties And it gets the job done. Among them, Mailspring and Thunderbird are two of our most recommended options for replacing the Mail app on macOS. But Mailspring vs. Thunderbird: Which is better? Let's find out.
The good news is that both Mailspring and Thunderbird are free to download and use. Mailspring is an open source project, while Thunderbird runs on donations. Mozilla used to fund Thunderbird, but the company no longer supports the email client.
Common platform availability
Both Mailspring and Thunderbird have you covered with cross-platform availability on Windows and Mac. Mailspring also supports Linux, something Thunderbird currently lacks.
user interface
In terms of the user interface, Mailspring has done an excellent job with a modern user interface. It's not as good as the default Mail app, but it follows macOS design guidelines to give it a better look than a third-party app.
The Theming engine is one of the best email engines we've seen from an email client. Aside from the standard dark theme, the app also supports several other themes from the Appearance menu in Preferences. What's more? You can even create your own theme from the same menu.
Thunderbird seems a bit outdated in comparison. However, the app does offer multitasking with a tab-based user interface (more on that later).
For customization, you can change the text and accent color from the default blue to any color you want from the Preferences menu.
Email configuration
One of the most important aspects of email implementation is building your email list.
Starting with Mailspring, it's as standard as any email app can get. The app features a standard text editor for changing fonts, adding emojis, links, bullet points, and more.
The good part is that you can Create an email template From the email compose menu. This is useful for those who send general emails and only want to make minor changes to their email responses.
Another useful addition is the option to send the email later. Click the "Send Later" button next to the "Send" button at the bottom and select the appropriate date and time to send the email.
Thunderbird is in a similar boat. It doesn't miss a send later, but it packs a useful security feature. If you're sending confidential emails, you can encrypt the email and even use encryption technology like OpenPGP or S/MIME.
Additional features
One of the reasons many people abandon the default email app is its lack of features. Mailspring shines here with tons of options to take your email experience to the next level.
First, Mailspring offers a unified inbox to view all your emails from different accounts in one place. Search is one of the best we've seen. It quickly retrieved the emails we were looking for.
If you accidentally sent an email with a spelling mistake, you can quickly undo the email as well.
Thunderbird places a greater emphasis on security. The email client includes several built-in security features, such as Do Not Track and Remote Content Blocking.
As mentioned earlier, the email client features a tab-based multitasking interface. For example, you can keep your email open in one tab and open tasks, calendar, and other emails in multiple tabs.
Another integration
Mailspring has a built-in rule function. You can create multiple rules for any Gmail or Outlook account and sort emails based on them.
Mailspring also supports multiple keyboard shortcuts for macOS. Go to the Preferences menu and speed up navigation in the app with built-in shortcuts.
Thunderbird has a calendar add-on. It looks quite old-fashioned, but it gets the job done by displaying or creating new events.
price
Both email clients are open source and free to download. When you download Thunderbird, the app may ask you to make donations to support the community (as it is no longer supported by Mozilla).
For Mailspring, you can pay $8 per month and unlock additional features, send later, undo send, and much more.
Manage emails like a pro
Both Thunderbird and Mailspring are feature rich compared to With the Mail app on macOSMailspring focuses more on add-ons, while Thunderbird has the security component nailed down. Mailspring vs. Thunderbird: Which is better? And which one would you choose? Vote in the comments section below.
