{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "mailbird",
            "name": "Mailbird",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.getmailbird.com/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/mailbird",
            "tagline": "Desktop email client that unifies Gmail, Outlook and IMAP accounts",
            "summary": "Mailbird is a desktop email client for Windows and Mac that combines Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and IMAP accounts in one workspace. Its site says it is free to download for Windows and Mac, and its pricing page lists paid plans.",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "freemium",
            "price_note": "Free to download for Windows and Mac; pricing page lists paid plans",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "One workspace for Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and IMAP",
                "Free to download for Windows and Mac",
                "Covers several accounts in one desktop app"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Desktop only, with no phone app on its site",
                "Closed source, so the code cannot be checked"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Mailbird is a desktop email client for Windows and Mac. Its site says it unifies Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and IMAP accounts in one workspace. The site notes that Mailbird is free to download for Windows and Mac, and it lists support and a business offering.\n\nMailbird's pricing page lists plans, and it notes minimum macOS versions for its Mac app. The product is closed source. It suits people with several work and personal accounts who want one desktop app for all of them. Its site lists only Windows and Mac apps, so people who need phone or Linux clients should compare it with eM Client, Spark or Mailspring."
        },
        {
            "slug": "thunderbird",
            "name": "Thunderbird",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.thunderbird.net/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/thunderbird",
            "tagline": "Free desktop email app with calendar and contacts",
            "summary": "Thunderbird is a free desktop email app for Windows, Linux and macOS, with calendar and contacts built in. It is open source and run by a project that is supported by donations. The site says the app does not collect or store personal data unless the user asks it to.",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos",
                "linux"
            ],
            "pricing": "free",
            "price_note": "Free to download and use; supported by donations",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "MPL-2.0",
            "source": "https://github.com/thunderbird",
            "strengths": [
                "Free desktop app with calendar and contacts",
                "Project says it does not collect personal data",
                "Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Phone use needs a separate app, Thunderbird for Android",
                "Desktop-first, so it is less useful away from a computer"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Thunderbird is a desktop email client for Windows, Linux and macOS. Its homepage describes an email, calendar and contacts app, and it is free to download and use. The site describes it as easy to set up and customize.\n\nMail is handled on your own computer, and the project says it does not collect or store personal data unless users ask it to. Thunderbird is supported by donations and volunteers, and its source is open. It is a traditional desktop client, so it suits people who want a stand-alone app for several accounts. Phone use needs a separate app, Thunderbird for Android, and a browser-based mail service may be simpler for shared inboxes."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only Thunderbird runs on Linux.",
        "Thunderbird is open source; Mailbird is not.",
        "Mailbird: free plan, paid upgrades. Thunderbird: free."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "email-clients",
            "name": "Email clients",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/email-clients",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "mailbird",
                    "rank": 9,
                    "score": 79.5,
                    "verdict": "Combines Gmail, Outlook, Exchange and IMAP accounts in one Windows or Mac workspace, free to download. It has no phone app on its site and is closed source.",
                    "best_for": "Several work and personal accounts on a desktop",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS",
                        "phone_app": false,
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Free to download, paid plans"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "thunderbird",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 91,
                    "verdict": "Free, open source and includes calendar and contacts on Windows, Linux and macOS. It has no phone app of its own, and Thunderbird for Android is a separate project.",
                    "best_for": "Free desktop email with calendar and contacts",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS, Linux",
                        "phone_app": false,
                        "open_source": true,
                        "cost": "Free"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "thunderbird",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/mailbird-vs-thunderbird",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/mailbird-vs-thunderbird.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}