Alternatives to Geary
GNOME's lightweight mail app
Geary ranks #20 of 22 in Email clients, with an Alt Score of 50. It is licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later, free and available on Linux. 7 of 11 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Linux desktop users on GNOME who want a native, lightweight email client integrated with GNOME Online Accounts rather than a browser-based webmail interface.
Geary is a free, open-source IMAP email client for the GNOME desktop that groups related messages into conversations instead of showing a flat inbox list. It includes fast full-text and keyword search, and a composer that supports both rich, styled text (images, links, lists) and plain, lightweight messages.
You connect an existing GNOME Online Account or add an IMAP/SMTP account directly, then browse your mail as threaded conversations in the main window and reply or compose new messages using the built-in composer.
Why people leave Geary
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How Geary compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Email clients checklist | Geary | eM Client | BlueMail | Canary Mail | The Bat! | Apple Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange) | ||||||
| Unified inbox | ||||||
| Snooze & send later | ||||||
| Tracking pixel blocking | ||||||
| PGP / encryption support | ||||||
| Conversation view | ||||||
| Offline mode | ||||||
| Rules & filters (local) | ||||||
| Calendar integrated | ||||||
| Multiple identities/aliases | ||||||
| Keyboard-first shortcuts |
Every fact and feature listed for Geary is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License LGPL-2.1-or-later verified 2026-07-12
<project_license>LGPL-2.1+</project_license>
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/raw/main/desktop/org.gnome.Geary.metainfo.xml.in.in -
Status active verified 2026-07-12
committed_date":"2026-05-28T16:33:44.000+00:00""
https://gitlab.gnome.org/api/v4/projects/GNOME%2Fgeary/repository/commits?per_page=1 -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-12
offers":{"@type":"Offer","price":"0","priceCurrency":"USD"}"
https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.Geary -
Platforms Linux verified 2026-07-12
operatingSystem":"linux""
https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.Geary -
Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange) Partial verified 2026-07-12
Compatible with GMail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook.com and other IMAP servers
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/raw/main/desktop/org.gnome.Geary.metainfo.xml.in.in -
Tracking pixel blocking Yes verified 2026-07-12
web bugs"."
Images and videos in email messages that are loaded from remote third-party services are not retrieved by default, to prevent third-party tracking via these
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/wikis/Privacy-Policy -
PGP / encryption support No verified 2026-07-12
Add support for obtaining a GPG key, etc
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/work_items/6 -
Conversation view Yes verified 2026-07-12
Conversations allow you to read a complete discussion without having to find and click from message to message.
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/raw/main/help/C/overview.page -
Offline mode Yes verified 2026-07-12
This allows it to quickly access and display your email at all times, including when offline.
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/wikis/Privacy-Policy -
Multiple identities/aliases Yes verified 2026-07-12
you can add and remove additional sender email addresses, edit your email signature, and various other settings.
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/raw/main/help/C/accounts.page -
Keyboard-first shortcuts Partial verified 2026-07-12
Geary has keyboard shortcuts for most common operations.
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/raw/main/help/C/shortcuts.page
FAQ
Yes. eM Client, BlueMail and Canary Mail have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
FairEmail, Evolution and Mailspring — every license claim links its source.