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Thunderbird

MZLA Technologies Corporation Communication Open source

Thunderbird is a free, open source email client from the Mozilla family that brings mail, calendar and contacts together on desktop and Android.

Official links only, checked on September 30, 2026

Table of contents
  1. What Thunderbird is for
  2. Who is it for?
  3. Download Thunderbird safely

Thunderbird is an open source email program from the Mozilla family, developed by MZLA Technologies, a subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation. It is funded by donations from its users, which means no ads in your inbox and no selling of your data.

What Thunderbird is for

Thunderbird puts several email accounts in one window, with a unified inbox, filters, tags and fast search. It has a built-in calendar and address book, reads RSS feeds and supports end-to-end encryption with OpenPGP. Add-ons extend it further. On Android, the Thunderbird app, which grew out of K-9 Mail, brings the core of the experience to your phone.

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Who is it for?

Thunderbird is a good fit if you juggle several accounts, say personal, work and a club, and would rather use a proper program than webmail. It also appeals to privacy-minded users, since messages are stored on their own computer and the project does not rely on advertising. It works with most providers over IMAP and POP.

Download Thunderbird safely

Download Thunderbird from thunderbird.net for Windows, macOS and Linux, or from Google Play or F-Droid on Android. An iPhone version is in development but is not on the App Store yet. Steer clear of sites offering modified builds.

Our opinion

We like

  • Free, open source and ad-free
  • Several accounts in one unified inbox
  • Calendar, contacts and OpenPGP encryption built in
  • Extensible with add-ons

We like less

  • No iPhone app yet
  • Does not provide an email address, you need an existing account

Technical sheet

PublisherMZLA Technologies Corporation
LicenceOpen source
PriceFree
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android

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Jean Mathieu

Written by

Jean Mathieu

An engineer and passionate web writer since 2018, I combine technical expertise with a love for writing to share practical insights, news, and tips with the community.