Desktop email clients are slowly becoming extinct due to the rapid developments in web-based email services. Interestingly, most web-based email services offer enough features compared to desktop-based alternatives.

If you only need an email client to handle one or two personal accounts, then a free email client will likely serve you just fine. Let's look at some of the market's best free desktop email clients.

1. Email Account Integration & Management: Thunderbird

Thunderbird email client for desktop

Thunderbird is a free, open-source email client, perfect for power and casual users alike. Let's take a look at some of its features:

  • Interface: It has a clean look and feel, though it may seem a bit dated compared to the other email clients in this list. Overall, the interface is easy to use—no unnecessary distractions or extraneous features slow down your workflow.
  • Multiple-channel collaboration: It has some great chat collaboration features built in with popular integrations such as IRC, Matrix, and XMPP that help you keep up with work and personal interactions.
  • Smart Folders: Thunderbird is very flexible, allowing you to use Quick filters for organizing your emails and managing them in folders by accounts. You can handle multiple accounts in one place. You can also make use of tags to categorize messages.
  • Email management: Other handy features include attachment reminders for outgoing messages, setting up message filters, auto-responding to emails, and several other nifty tips and tweaks. It also has a tabbed email feature allowing you to view emails in separate tabs.

In addition, you can get access to helpful features such as an RSS reader and calendar features.

It is likely that Thunderbird won't get any new features in the near future, but it is still usable for everyday personal use. Thunderbird is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you use Linux, you should pick Thunderbird, too, as it's one of the best Linux email clients.

Download: Thunderbird (Free)

2. Modern and Intuitive Design: Mailbird

MailBird email client for Desktop

Mailbird is an attempt to optimize your desktop email client experience. It's slick and modern, and there's much to like about it. Note that it's still a freemium app, so the free version is restricted in some ways.

  • Interface: Mailbird offers a beautifully sleek and modern design coupled with a minimalist interface. It syncs easily with any IMAP or POP email service and offers lightning-fast search and indexing.
  • Third-party integrations: With super smart app integrations like Dropbox, Google Calendar, and many more, Mailbird is the ultimate communication interface for your email needs.
  • Efficient inbox management: Mailbird is an email client built for power users. It lets you combine multiple mail accounts into a unified inbox and access your mail from anywhere. In addition, you can set up attach custom attachment file sizes.
  • Powerful customization capabilities: With customization options to change the look of your inbox—from color schemes to backgrounds to folder arrangements—you can make even the most boring inbox look attractive. You can also customize the reading pane for your convenience.

If you upgrade to a Business subscription, you'll get unlimited accounts and a unified inbox. You'll also be able to set up reminders and enable the Snooze feature for emails.

Download: Mailbird (Free, premium version available)

3. Productivity Suite: Rambox

Rambox is a productivity tool that lets you get work done easily and is a near-perfect option for business users. With its tabs, unread count badges, and extra functionality, running multiple collaboration apps and emails in one single interface makes sense. Some of the notable features of the app are:

  • Productivity and collaboration: You can access a powerful suite of tools for getting things done—from time management and scheduling to collaboration capabilities like group chat and voice calls (with Whatsapp, Telegram, or other tools).
  • Custom accounts: You can add custom accounts of your own. Each account you add will run in its own tab.
  • Multi-platform support: It allows you to access your emails, files, contacts, and bookmarks from anywhere. The master password feature ensures that your accounts are protected.
  • You also have the option to hibernate any accounts you're not using at the moment. The app works on a freemium model. You can opt for the free version or upgrade to the Pro or Enterprise version starting at $7 per month. The application is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Download: Rambox (Free, premium version available)

4. All-in-One Email App: eM Client

inbox-features-em-client

The eM email client is far from your average email client. It features everything you would expect from an efficient and feature-rich email app. Let's take a closer look at what the platform has to offer:

  • Productivity-oriented: The app provides complementary tools such as a calendar, note-taking capabilities, and to-do lists for task management.
  • Integration with third-party apps: You can import emails from supported third-party email services such as Google Workspace, OneDrive, iCloud, Mac OSX Server, Outlook, Office 365, and more with the eM client app. You can also integrate Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other supported apps to manage your scheduled online meetings.
  • Multi-language support: With the eM app, you can use the built-in translation tool to decipher emails in other languages, thanks to multi-lingual support.
  • Save time with custom draft templates: You can use the Quick Text feature to create templates to help you draft emails faster.
  • Email management: You can use the Snooze feature to delay notifications for incoming messages, automatically wait for replies to important emails, and recall sent emails using Undo Send. However, this feature is available with an upgrade.
  • Calendar, contacts, and task management: It offers rich contacts functionality, syncing, and note-keeping capabilities, along with other features like calendar integration.

It supports contacts view in card view as well as list view. You can set up email tracking and view your entire communication history with a specific contact and any attachments exchanged in the course of your emails. Emails are encrypted for secure transmission, and you can easily set up their dedicated PGP encryption as well.

The free version of eM Client is limited to two email accounts. However, you can always access the entire suite of features by signing up for the Pro version.

Download: eM Client (Free, premium version available)

5. Simple and Minimalist: Windows Mail

Email dashboard in the Windows mail app

The Windows Mail app is the default email client for Windows desktop devices. It includes features such as easy shortcut access to your emails right from the taskbar, keeping track of recent emails, and staying on top of schedules in a searchable calendar view. Here's a quick look at what it can do:

  • You can integrate Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Office 365, Microsoft Exchange, and POP/IMAP accounts.
  • The Focused inbox helps you filter important emails into a different inbox automatically.
  • The app offers custom themes to personalize your inbox. On Windows 11, you can manage your contacts and tasks by integrating the People and Microsoft To-Do apps.

The Mail app is completely free to use and is built-in for Windows.

Download: Windows Mail (Free)

6. Inbox Zero: Clean Email

Features and dashboard in the Clean Email app

Clean Email is a handy application that can clean, sort, and categorize the emails in your mailbox to achieve Inbox Zero. It offers a free 14-day trial, but you'll need to upgrade to access its features, which are listed below:

  • Filter emails: You can use Clean Email to review and filter unwanted emails with just a few taps.
  • Unsubscribe from emails: Get rid of unnecessary notifications and emails in seconds using the Unsubscriber feature.
  • Set up filters: With the Auto Clean feature, you can set up rules so that only messages that match specific criteria are added to your primary inbox or moved to specific folders.

Download: Clean Email (Paid, free trial available)

The Best Email Clients for Your Desktop PC

There are plenty of available desktop email apps available, but choosing one that suits your needs can be challenging.

Mailbird and eM Client came out at the top of our list when compared on the grounds of usability, features, and design. Their designs are clean while remaining attractive and well-organized.

However, if these don't fit your fancy, any of the others we've recommended will do the trick. All in all, these are some great choices for email clients on desktop PCs.