# Thunderbird Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Thunderbird the right Email Management solution for you? Explore 160 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/230507/Thunderbird/reviews/ --- Thunderbird 4.4 (160) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/230507/Thunderbird/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated July 20th, 2026 # Reviews of Thunderbird Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 3.7 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews SP Stuart P Product ManagerInformation Technology and Services, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I was using another free email client that would not let me use different ports for incoming and outgoing mail so when searching for another one thunderbird looked great and has been very good so far.“ August 23, 2025 RK Robert K draftingCivil Engineering, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “some extensions have bugs like send later“ March 13, 2025 Leandro A DeveloperComputer Software, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I use it as my main email client , both for personal use and for work , it feels comfortable .Big plus that they don't spam you“ December 2, 2025 JF Jamie F Lead TechnicianInformation Technology and Services, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I always when trying to select the top email accidentally click the column header and re-order the emails which is annoying, would be nice if you could lock it.“ October 25, 2023 Leandro A DeveloperComputer Software, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Also is open source and doesn't spam you“ December 2, 2025 SA Sara A EngineerInformation Technology and Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The settings interface is a bit confusing; in the future 365 email accounts may have issues to works as Thunderbird does not belong to Microsoft.“ June 25, 2024 MK Matt K ConsultantManagement Consulting, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Even when I've had ten or more email addresses to manage for different clients, it's been up to the job and easy to use.“ August 28, 2024 Brendan B CoachE-Learning, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I have had certain performance issues that I could not explain or fix.“ May 4, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 160 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Leandro A. Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Thunderbird Review" December 2, 2025 5.0 I use it as my main email client , both for personal use and for work , it feels comfortable .Big plus that they don't spam you Pros It offers great security , access and conectivity . Fast , light weight email client .Also is open source and doesn't spam you Cons The Ui it's a little outdated . Sometimes it is difficult to find the way to access some of its features. Switched from [Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/) The send you advertisements all the time .It's really annoying Review Source JF Jeffrey F. Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid email service especially to integrate with Protonmail Bridge" May 2, 2026 5.0 Really great! I also like that it has in the settings some options for extensions that will increase its capabilities Pros My favorite thing about Thunderbird is this it works with Protonmail which is my preferred email service Cons I guess I would like it to have some a few more options for color themes though it probably does have some and I just didn't know where to look Switched from [Microsoft Outlook](https://www.capterra.com/p/227138/Microsoft-Outlook/) Because Microsoft Outlook is way too complicated and can get frustrating and annoying and it takes up a lot of space on my computer Review Source IG Ireshyn G. Scientist Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Not the best email client" January 7, 2025 3.0 I opt to use other email clients over this as it is feature poor. Pros The product is free to use and relatively easy to setup Cons Many basic features from other email clients are missing and/or hidden. Review Source Hugo G. Software developer and support E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good email client, but could be improved" May 9, 2025 4.0 Overall pleased but I'll like to see it improved Pros If the best OSS email clients, it fast and almost without bug Cons Sometimes buggy, slow to open large email of big conversation with a lot of destinations, and conversation history is not always good (the thread construction I mean, being able to read send email and received in a unified way as in GMail) Alternatives considered [Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/) Reason for choosing Thunderbird Use your osn smtp/imap accounts, and it's free Review Source SP Stuart P. Product Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Amazing for a free product" August 23, 2025 5.0 I was using another free email client that would not let me use different ports for incoming and outgoing mail so when searching for another one thunderbird looked great and has been very good so far. Pros I suppose I like the combination of its quality and price-point, as I use a free version. It is a lot more robust than other free software Cons Some of the styling is a little bit lacking but I need to be fair and say I've not tried to look for settings to change it so maybe it's better to say default styling is poor. Switched from [eM Client](https://www.capterra.com/p/160239/eM-Client/) Setting up config between incoming and outgoing mail was fiddly Review Source NP Nicolas P. IT Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great solution dor maange your mail" May 9, 2025 4.0 Using thunderbird since several years in pro and personal use. Pros Very simple to use but could be configurated to have lots of stuff Cons As any other "plugable" software, be sure that any plugin don't create issue Alternatives considered [Microsoft Outlook](https://www.capterra.com/p/227138/Microsoft-Outlook/) Reason for choosing Thunderbird Thunderbird is under free version and very light compared to Outlook Review Source Stanley M. System Administrator Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Best Opensource Mail Client." November 7, 2022 5.0 I love the new modern look that ships with Thunderbird and the support for dark theme. Pros Am an opensource lover and the fact that thunderbird has been my mail client for years. Cons The email configuration can be made simple that what is being currently offered for custom domains. Alternatives considered [Mailbird](https://www.capterra.com/p/160517/Mailbird/) Reason for choosing Thunderbird Open License and free to install and use meaning if you try it and it doesn't work for you you can always opt to change without any incurred cost. Switched from [Microsoft Outlook](https://www.capterra.com/p/227138/Microsoft-Outlook/) Cost of License. Review Source SS Sven S. Prokurist Food Production Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable, Well-Organized, and Easy to Use Email Client" April 1, 2026 5.0 The calendar integration works smoothly, and features like filters, folders, and tags make daily email management efficient. Thunderbird is lightweight but still powerful enough for professional use. Pros One of Thunderbird’s biggest strengths is how easy it is to handle several email accounts at once. The integrated calendar, contact management, tags, and filter tools make staying organized effortless, even in a busy workday. It performs reliably, respects user privacy, and allows a wide range of personalization through themes and add-ons, which makes it suitable for both personal and professional communication setups. Cons The only drawbacks I’ve noticed are that the interface design looks a bit outdated compared to modern email clients, and certain advanced functions require additional add-ons to be installed. Occasionally, updates may change how some extensions work, which can require a bit of time to readjust or reconfigure. Still, these are minor issues compared to the stability and usability Thunderbird offers. Switched from [Microsoft Outlook](https://www.capterra.com/p/227138/Microsoft-Outlook/) Because Microsoft Outlook got to expensive. Review Source Osvaldo B. Cinema operator Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Free and easy to use email manager." January 28, 2026 4.0 In general, my experience has been good, and I like this email manager tool. I never had any kind of trouble. Pros I use Thunderbird every day at work with my colleagues. We use it to manage all our work emails in a fully secure environment. Thunderbird is easy to use and offers valuable customer support. I appreciate the calendar integration and all the other features. Cons I would like to see a little more friendly interface, with the possibility to change the colours inside the pages, to make them easier to read. Review Source Brendan B. Coach E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Lightweight and powerful." May 4, 2025 5.0 I have used it for email daily. It offers all the features you might expect from a fairly lightweight email client. Pros Free, open, power, highly customizable email client. It outperforms every other email client I have used. Cons I have had certain performance issues that I could not explain or fix. These were resolved after I did a clean install of Windows (for other reasons). Review Source RK Robert K. drafting Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for multiple emails" March 13, 2025 5.0 Overall very impressed with it and love that i can use it for al my emails Pros Love that it can put all my email's in one place Cons some extensions have bugs like send later Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Content Editor Online Media Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Straightforward to set up and use" December 8, 2024 4.0 I'm generally very satisfied with Thunderbird. Pros It's super easy to set up and use. The UI is user-friendly and the app allows for multi-account setup. Cons There is no email or live-chat support available. Review Source AS Amy S. Stage Manager Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Managing Nonprofit Theatre Communications for Cast and Crew" August 14, 2021 5.0 As stage manager for a small, non-profit theatre troupe, I used Thunderbird to create and manage an email group for every production. I can easily copy and rename my list for a new production, edit out non-participants, and add new ones. Contact suggestion cuts my work in half, and assists me in recalling numerous names. When I need to quickly communicate a schedule change, script addition, or weather cancellation, a few letters in the address box bring up my email group list immediately. File folder organization is simple and practical, and allows me to manage productions past and present in detail. Pros Thunderbird simplifies our communication with director, cast and crew of every production. Group email lists are manageable and user-friendly. Cons I would appreciate the ability to easily export my group lists so that our director could personally address the group. Reason for choosing Thunderbird Thunderbird allows me to monitor multiple email accounts on one screen. Setup is a breeze. Adding accounts requires only an email and password; Thunderbird figures out the details I don't know. Review Source AS André S. Electrical Engineer Civil Engineering Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Thunderbird: a open-source free alternative to Microsoft's mail client." August 11, 2021 5.0 The best problem I solved was that I could run this program in another operating system such as Linux, without needing a powerful computer to run it. As a result, the interface responded really quickly. The second most important point is that it is completely free, meaning there is no locked feature behind a paywall. Pros By far the most important part is that is just works. You can easily install it on your computer (even easier on Linux) and get back to where you were at. As it is developed by the Mozilla team, it is completely open source and free, meaning you won't have to rely on Microsoft business model. And in case something doesn't feel right or there is a killer feature that is lacking, most often than not you can find an add-on that suits your needs, for free! Oh, and it is really lightweight! Cons As it is not affiliated with Microsoft, it lacks advanced features present by default in Outlook. The spam detection, when you first start using it is not that great. However, the more you mark e-mail as spam the more the app gets right, learning from its experience. Review Source KK Karambir K. CEO, IT Admin, Purchasing Decisions Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Thunderbird for Mac OS Provides an Affordable Email Solution" June 7, 2023 4.0 I am generally satisfied with Thunderbird and have been using it now for 4-5 years. It provides an affordable solution that is relatively easy to use. It doesn't always integrate well with Microsoft SSO email, but that is mostly due to the inflexibility of the IT decision-makers on the other end. Pros Having a free email client is essential for our small startup. Cons Event notifications popup and often do not close when I click dismiss or prompt me to update the event. This mostly occurs if I am responding to the prompt after the event as opposed to before. Reason for choosing Thunderbird I don't recall. The various forums recommended Thunderbird, as I recall. Review Source Gustavo B. Director Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great alternative to Outlook" April 23, 2022 5.0 Thunderbird is a great management system for emails, it is easy to use, and represent a great alternative for any company looking to reduce in terms of licenses. Pros Open Source ( free to use) Good Email Management System Easy to install and deploy Cons It does not offer any cloud based system that might allow the software to be used away from where it was installed and configured. Reason for choosing Thunderbird Thunderbird is open source and can handle the workload just as good as Microsoft Outlook. Review Source SL Stephen L. Senior Lecturer Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent Desktop Email Client" September 30, 2021 4.0 Thunderbird is excellent desktop client for users that require advanced control over their email. Pros These days many email clients are entirely online which has advantages but it also comes with some disadvantages. You need to be online to view and respond to email and you need to trust that your email provider will store your email for you and never prevent you from accessing it. Thunderbird resolves these issues because it runs locally on your machine. Connectivity is only required when sending and downloading email. You email is archived locally and the size of the archive is only limited by your available hard drive space. Thunderbird also integrates well with providers like Gmail. I use it to keep a local copy of my Gmail. Thunderbird is free, open source and comes with many add-on which often additional functionality. Cons Thunderbird updates often break existing add-ons and there is a delay until these add-ones are updated to work with the latest version. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer GM Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "For a mail programme it doesn't get more standard and trustworthy then this." July 8, 2022 5.0 Pros It handles my mail without any real issues and has been doing so for many years so ...it even handles Very big mailboxes easily. Some extensions needed for some basic things even but all work pretty much perfectly. Cons Recently upgrades have broken plugins more often which is annoying. Review Source Rocio C. Customer Support Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Free to use and highly customizable" August 26, 2022 4.0 For many years I used Thunderbird as my primary email server for business purposes. It is a very complete tool and free to use but I currently use other more up-to-date tools. Pros It allows you to customize many aspects of the inbox, as well as the templates and privacy and security options. Cons Its use is less widespread than that of other email servers. Review Source SP Shane P. Security system engineer Computer Networking Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Thunderbird email software review" November 3, 2023 2.0 Overall Thunderbird was an okay software if you're just starting out but as your company grows I suggest investing in something better. Pros I like the fact that Thunderbird was free and worked for the most part. Cons I dislike the fact that Thunderbird was more of a home use and not a business quality email client. Review Source MP Marcus P. Director Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent & Free Email Application" August 2, 2021 5.0 Our overall experience has been very positive, if you are looking for a trustworthy and free solution that can basically cater to all intermediate needs, then Mozilla Thunderbird is definitely the solution of choice. Pros Setting up new email accounts with various providers is a seamlessly simple task. Quick configurations work very well and there are more advanced settings for more complicated setups. As a free to use program it has all the features and functionality that you would require. Adding Google Calendars and setting up meetings can be integrated and performed within seconds. Cons Some more advanced features such as automated reply suggestions as well as further security configurations can enhance the capabilities of the program. Other than that, it is a great product. Review Source DK Dev K. Design Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Desktop Email Application" January 16, 2024 4.0 This is probably the email you want if you want desktop email. It'll be around forever and it'll always work. Pros This is a best-of-class, open source and Free Software desktop email client that works very well with all necessary email protocols. Cons It is clunky and the UI less polished or trendy than some other applications - for me this is a good thing. Reason for choosing Thunderbird Free Open software, it'll be around forever and won't disappear or make arbitrary design changes. Review Source RAS Rachelle Anne S. Administrative Staff Consumer Goods Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Thunderbird Review" June 22, 2024 5.0 Pros We use this to email different departments within our company. This set up can avoid sending messages to wrong accounts outside the company. Cons I have no any problem in using this tool. Review Source AL Ad L. Director Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "good alternative email client if you do not want to use Microsoft Outlook both paid or free" August 17, 2021 2.0 Fast, no costs. Good alternative if you want to use a mail client instead of the more intuitive webmail portals. Pros its pretty fast in performance. The layout/visual is easy to understand since it is basic email layout (pretty similar as gmail) Cons Since it is open source you are bound to support from other users. The opening of tabs is something i personally do not like. Maybe others users are liking it more than i do. Don't like the visual. It has a rather childish menu bar layout in black and white. Review Source MM Murtaza M. Assistant Manager IT Restaurants Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simply the best eMail App" December 10, 2021 5.0 Pros It is very simple and easy to use free email software. I was unable to install Windows Mail on a Windows 8 laptop so I opted for Thunderbird since then I have never ever urged or thought about going back to Outlook or Mail. Everything is so simple in thunderbird, there are a bunch of addons available. My fav addon Quickfolder which makes thunderbird more visualized and mails easily to find. Cons 1\. It's not available on iPhone. 2. PST import was bit tricky Review Source Similar Products Featured