Mailbird vs Thunderbird: Which Email Client Wins

Meet the Contenders: Thunderbird vs Mailbird

When comparing Mailbird vs Thunderbird, we're looking at two email clients with very different origins and philosophies.

Mailbird, launched in 2013 by Mailbird, Inc., was inspired by the sleek Sparrow email client for Mac and designed to be a modern Thunderbird alternative Windows users would love. Today, it's evolved into a polished email client available for both Windows and macOS.

On the other hand, Thunderbird has been around since 2003 and is now available across all major operating systems. Originally developed by the Mozilla Foundation, the Thunderbird email app is now managed by MZLA Technologies Corporation, a Mozilla Foundation subsidiary. Since the very beginning, Thunderbird has been free and open-source.

In fact, pricing represents one of the starkest differences between these clients. While Thunderbird remains completely free and sustained by donations, Mailbird follows a freemium model with several pricing tiers:

Despite its completely free price, Thunderbird has a slight edge when it comes to language support—the Mozilla email client supports 65 languages, whereas Mailbird offers support for "only" 24 languages. The broad language support reflects Thunderbird's community-driven development model and its focus on serving users worldwide.

Does all this mean that Thunderbird is good enough to make paying for Mailbird unnecessary? Not necessarily. While having a free email client like Thunderbird is fantastic, if email management is important to your daily workflow, investing in a paid client might make sense.

That's why, before suggesting Mailbird as a Thunderbird replacement or recommending Thunderbird as a solid Mailbird alternative, we need to dig deeper into their features, user interface, and overall performance.

Core and Extra Features

When comparing Mailbird vs Thunderbird in terms of core functionality, there's a significant overlap in what these email clients can do. For example, they both offer robust support for multiple email accounts, unified inboxes, message filtering, and folder management.

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As such, Mailbird and Thunderbird are equally capable of handling essential email tasks like composing messages with HTML formatting, managing contacts, organizing folders, and searching through emails.

📌 Where the two clients truly differentiate themselves is in their advanced features.

Mailbird has embraced modern innovations, particularly with its AI integration through ChatGPT, which can help draft emails and improve writing. It also includes a Speed Reader feature and seamless integration with popular apps like WhatsApp, Slack, and Google Calendar directly within the interface.

On the other hand, Thunderbird's major advantage lies in its extensive support for third-party extensions. Popular add-ons include ImportExportTools NG (for importing/exporting emails in various formats like EML, MBOX, and PDF), Send Later (for scheduling emails to be sent at specific times), QuickFolders (email organization and management), and CardBook (a comprehensive address book that supports the CardDAV standard).

🏆 Winner: Thunderbird edges ahead here, thanks to its extensive library of third-party extensions that can add virtually any functionality you might need.

User Experience

When it comes to user experience, Mailbird has consistently been praised for its intuitive interface since its inception. The client was designed with modern sensibilities in mind, featuring a clean layout that's easy to navigate.

You can choose between several layout options: a vertical preview pane that maximizes reading space, a horizontal split for traditional email viewing, or a simplified single-column view for focused reading.

The interface can be further personalized with customizable themes, including both light and dark modes, and even custom background images to make your email workspace truly your own.

I really enjoy Mailbird's implementation of a unified inbox view, which allows me to see all messages in one place while maintaining clear visual distinctions between different accounts. Best of all, the interface remains responsive and smooth even with multiple email accounts and thousands of messages.

Is Thunderbird good when it comes to user experience? It's getting there! While Thunderbird's interface was once considered dated, the email client underwent a major redesign in 2023 with version 115, which has significantly modernized its look and feel.

The refresh brought improved typography, cleaner layouts, and new viewing options like Card View, which displays each email as a distinct card for easier reading.

I particularly appreciate the new Quick Filter feature, which lets you instantly filter messages by status (unread, starred, or with attachments) directly from the main interface.

The customizable density settings are another great addition as you can now choose between Compact, Default, and Relaxed views to match your screen size and reading preferences, just like you can in Outlook and other best email clients.

That said, Thunderbird still maintains its characteristic power-user approach that gives users more granular control over their email environment through extensive customization options. To make it happen, some usability had to be sacrificed.

🏆 Winner: Mailbird because it offers a more polished and intuitive experience right out of the box.

Security and Privacy

When it comes to security features, both Mailbird and Thunderbird have what it takes to protect your email communications, so if you're wondering " "is Thunderbird secure?" or "is Mailbird safe?"—the answer is a definitive yes.

Both clients support essential security measures like SSL/TLS encryption for all server connections, spam filtering, two-factor authentication, and the ability to block remote content in emails that could be used for tracking.

One security feature that's supported by Thunderbird but not Mailbird is end-to-end encryption using both OpenPGP and S/MIME protocols out of the box. With it, you can encrypt your emails so that only intended recipients can read them even if they happen to get intercepted.

In terms of privacy, Thunderbird is a winner because its code is fully transparent and can be audited by anyone. Additionally, the Mozilla email client collects minimal user data, and what little it does collect is used solely for improving the application. You can even opt out of telemetry data collection entirely.

Mailbird, while also privacy-conscious, does collect some user data for feature usage analysis and license management. This includes information like feature usage statistics and computer specifications for bug reporting. However, they're transparent about their data collection practices and allow users to opt out if they prefer.

The good news is that following email security best practices is straightforward with either client, and both receive regular security updates to address any emerging threats.

🏆 Winner: Thunderbird, thanks to its open-source nature and support for end-to-end encryption.

Verdict: Thunderbird Is the Overall Winner

Thunderbird wins this comparison thanks to its customization options, security features, and completely free price tag. While it may require more setup time to get everything just right, the effort pays off in the form of a powerful and secure email client that can adapt to virtually any need through its extensive add-on ecosystem.

That said, Mailbird is still an excellent choice for users who prefer a more polished, ready-to-use experience over maximum flexibility. Its modern interface, seamless app integrations, and thoughtful design make it appealing for users who want their email client to work great from day one, even if it means paying for premium features.

Let me add comprehensive pros and cons lists for both clients:

Mailbird

Thunderbird