MailMate

A keyboard-driven IMAP email client for macOS with Markdown composing and powerful search.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About MailMate

MailMate is an IMAP email client for macOS from Freron Software, a small Danish developer. It is built for people who handle a lot of mail and prefer the keyboard: extensive shortcuts, plain-text and Markdown composing, smart mailboxes with complex conditions, drill-down search, tagging, OpenPGP and S/MIME signing and encryption, and flexible integration with other apps. It follows email standards closely and stores mail locally, which makes it fast with very large archives. The interface looks old-fashioned compared with Apple Mail or Spark, and it does not support Exchange (other than over IMAP), Gmail-specific features or mobile devices. Licensing is unusual: during the trial it runs fully, a subscription supports ongoing development and keeps all features unlocked, and if you stop paying the app eventually switches to a reduced Free Mode instead of stopping. Development has been slow, with version 2 in beta for years.

Best for: Mac power users who want keyboard control, Markdown and advanced search.

What works

Markdown composing and extensive keyboard shortcuts
Very powerful smart mailboxes and search
OpenPGP and S/MIME built in

Why people leave

Mac only, with no mobile app
Dated interface
Slow development pace

Top MailMate alternatives

See all 5

1
Apple Mail
Free and built in, with a more modern interface and iPhone sync.
66.5
2
NeoMutt
Even more keyboard-driven and scriptable, in the terminal.
62.6
3
Airmail
A customisable Apple client with mobile apps.
59.6
4
Thunderbird
Free open-source client with OpenPGP and add-ons, on any desktop.
57.2
5
Mimestream
A modern native Mac client if your mail is on Gmail.
55.3

Why people left MailMate

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MailMate: common questions

Is MailMate free?

MailMate has a free plan and paid plans.

Is MailMate open source?

No, MailMate is not open source. Open-source alternatives include NeoMutt and Thunderbird.

What platforms does MailMate run on?

MailMate is available for macOS.

What are the best alternatives to MailMate?

The highest-ranked MailMate alternatives right now are Apple Mail, NeoMutt and Airmail. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 MailMate alternatives

MailMate facts

4 of 4 verified

Platform: macOS (IMAP accounts); Checked Oct 25, 2026freron.com(opens source in a new tab); “MailMate is an IMAP email client for macOS”
Encryption: OpenPGP and S/MIME; Checked Oct 25, 2026freron.com(opens source in a new tab); “cryptographic encryption/signing (OpenPGP and S/MIME)”
Markdown: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026freron.com(opens source in a new tab); “Markdown integrated email composition”
After subscription ends: Switches to Free Mode; Checked Oct 25, 2026freron.com(opens source in a new tab); “Free Mode : When/if you stop the subscription then MailMate will (eventually) switch to its Free Mode.”