Thunderbird vs Mailbird

by Gralio Feb 11, 2025

Thunderbird and Mailbird are email clients catering to different needs. Thunderbird prioritizes privacy and customization, while Mailbird focuses on a modern user experience and app integrations. Thunderbird's open-source nature and free access are its main advantages, while Mailbird offers better performance and integrations but comes at a cost.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 907 reviews and 60 websites, saving 5 hours, 32 minutes of reading.

Thunderbird

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Mailbird

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Thunderbird is a free and open-source email client software known for its focus on privacy and customization. It allows you to manage multiple email accounts, organize emails with tags and filters, and access calendars and contacts. Funded by donations, Thunderbird is part of the Mozilla family and prioritizes user privacy by not collecting data or selling ads. It's available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Mailbird is an email client that works on Windows and Mac computers. It allows you to access all of your email accounts, such as Gmail or Outlook, in one centralized inbox. Mailbird has a clean design and offers integrations with popular apps like LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Google Calendar. It also includes features designed to increase productivity, such as email tracking and speed reading.

Summary

Main difference

Thunderbird is better for organizations and individuals prioritizing a free, open-source, and highly customizable email experience. Mailbird is a better fit for users who value a modern interface, seamless app integrations, and enhanced productivity features, but are comfortable with a paid subscription.

Relative strengths of Thunderbird (compared to Mailbird)

Free and open-source, offering greater control and privacy.
Highly customizable with themes and extensions.
Supports offline access to emails and local storage.

Relative weaknesses of Thunderbird (compared to Mailbird)

Lacks a mobile app, hindering access on the go.
Can experience slow syncing issues with some email providers.
Recent UI changes have been met with mixed reactions from users.

Who should use Thunderbird VS. Mailbird

Thunderbird is a free, open-source email client perfect for privacy-conscious users. It shines with its customizable interface, multiple account support, and powerful search. While some users report slow syncing and dislike recent UI changes, many appreciate its offline access and open-source nature. Ideal for those seeking a free, robust email solution prioritizing privacy over a seamless mobile experience.

Mailbird is a user-friendly email client for Windows and Mac, offering a unified inbox, app integrations, and productivity features. Users praise its clean interface and fast performance but note occasional issues with integrations and multiple Microsoft accounts. Ideal for individuals and businesses seeking an efficient way to manage multiple email accounts in one place.

Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a free, customizable email client.
A good fit for industries prioritizing privacy and control, like healthcare, finance, and legal.

Best for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses.
Suitable for a wide range of industries, including Healthcare, Finance, E-commerce, and more.

Thunderbird and Mailbird features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Email tracking

Partially supported

Email tracking is possible via third-party add-ons.

Supported

Mailbird supports email open and click tracking.
Centralized email management

Supported

Thunderbird supports managing multiple email accounts and contacts in one app.

Supported

Mailbird centralizes email and contact management from multiple accounts in one app.
Seamless app integration

Partially supported

Thunderbird integrates with email and calendars, and extensions add further functionality.

Supported

Mailbird offers seamless integration with various apps like email clients, social media, and project management tools.
Multi-Mailbox Management

Supported

Thunderbird supports multiple email accounts and a unified inbox.

Supported

Mailbird supports managing multiple email accounts in one inbox.
Send, receive and manage emails.

Supported

Thunderbird can send, receive, and manage emails.

Supported

Mailbird can send, receive, and manage emails from multiple accounts.
Shared inbox

Partially supported

Thunderbird supports shared inboxes, but setup can be complex and may require workarounds.

Not supported

Mailbird does not offer a shared team inbox.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.72

Strongly negative sentiment
Customer Service

No data

+0.36

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.73

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.76

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.09

Neutral sentiment

+0.28

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.6

Rather positive sentiment

+0.47

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

No data

Thunderbird and Mailbird Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Strongly positive

We couldn't find a pricing page for Thunderbird.

Mailbird offers a free plan and two premium plans: a yearly subscription and a one-time purchase. The yearly plan is targeted towards business and professional users, offering advanced features. The one-time purchase plan also includes advanced features and lifetime updates can be added for an additional cost.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.72

See full Pricing page

Thunderbird and Mailbird review insights

782 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Free and open-source.
Easy-to-use interface for managing multiple email accounts.
Powerful search and filtering capabilities.
Customizable with various add-ons and extensions.
Stores emails locally for offline access.

Clean and modern user interface.
Unified inbox for multiple accounts.
Fast performance and efficient email handling.
Helpful and responsive customer support.

Users dislike

Slow syncing with servers, sometimes taking hours.
Occasional errors saving sent messages or drafts.
Email templates with visual elements often don't render correctly.
No mobile app creates an inconsistent experience across devices.
Recent UI changes and updates are not well-received by some users.

Lifetime licenses not honored for version 3.0 upgrade.
Difficult to manage multiple Microsoft accounts.
Limited customization for signatures; only one per account.
App integrations can be buggy and unreliable.

Thunderbird and Mailbird Ratings

No data

Company health

Employee growth

2% increase in the last year

No change in the last year

Web traffic

7% increase in the last quarter

2% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

September 2004 - $2M

No data

Which product best handles multiple Microsoft email accounts?

Thunderbird is better for managing multiple Microsoft email accounts. While both products offer multi-account management, Mailbird users specifically report difficulty managing multiple Microsoft accounts. Thunderbird has no such reported issues and is generally praised for its multi-account handling.

How do Thunderbird's open-source features impact long-term security?

Thunderbird's open-source nature allows for community-based scrutiny of the code, potentially leading to faster identification and patching of security vulnerabilities. The transparency of the codebase also reduces the risk of hidden backdoors or undisclosed tracking mechanisms, which can be a concern with closed-source software. Furthermore, the open-source model fosters community-driven development, meaning security improvements can come from a wider range of contributors, potentially leading to more robust and adaptable security in the long term.

What are the advantages of Thunderbird?

Thunderbird's advantages include being free and open-source, prioritizing user privacy, and offering extensive customization options through add-ons and extensions. It also allows for local storage of emails, enabling offline access. This makes Thunderbird a strong choice for cost-conscious users and those concerned about data privacy who value flexibility and offline availability.

What are the disadvantages of Thunderbird?

Thunderbird suffers from slow server synchronization, occasional issues saving drafts or sent emails, and problems rendering emails with visual elements. It lacks a mobile app, creating an inconsistent experience across devices, and recent UI changes have been unpopular with some users.

Alternatives to Thunderbird and Mailbird

eM Client

eM Client is an email client for Windows and macOS, offering a combined inbox for your emails, calendars, contacts, tasks, and chats. Supporting major services like Gmail and Outlook, eM Client allows easy data importing from other email clients. A free version is available after a 30-day trial, with the option to upgrade to a paid version at any time.

Front

Front is a customer service platform designed to help businesses manage customer interactions efficiently. It offers a shared inbox that combines email, chat, social media, and other channels into one place. This allows teams to collaborate, automate tasks, and access customer information easily. Front also provides analytics and insights to help businesses improve their customer service operations and measure performance. It's suitable for businesses of all sizes looking to streamline customer support and enhance team collaboration.

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is an email and personal organization software. It allows you to manage emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks in one place. Outlook integrates with other Microsoft Office tools, making it easy to share files and collaborate with colleagues. It's a popular choice for businesses of all sizes due to its comprehensive features and seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based subscription service that provides access to familiar applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, alongside cloud services like email, online storage, and teamwork tools. Offering a range of plans for businesses of all sizes, it allows users to work from anywhere with an internet connection, collaborating on documents in real time and improving productivity through its suite of integrated apps. Microsoft 365 aims to be a central hub for communication, content creation, and data management for modern businesses.

Drag

Drag transforms your Gmail inbox into a collaborative workspace for your team. It allows you to manage emails, tasks, and even WhatsApp messages from a single, centralized location. With features like shared inboxes, automated workflows, and real-time performance tracking, Drag aims to streamline communication and improve team efficiency for various departments like Sales, Customer Support, HR, and Operations. It integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace and offers a free trial for those interested in exploring its capabilities.

BlueMail

BlueMail is a free email app available on all major platforms. It allows you to manage unlimited email accounts from different providers in one place. BlueMail also offers a calendar feature to manage your schedule. For businesses, BlueMail for Teams provides a platform for team communication and collaboration. They prioritize user privacy and security, ensuring that users have control over their data.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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