Alot

Free plan Linux

What Alot is

Alot is free GPL-3.0 software for Linux desktops that provides a terminal-based mail user agent for the notmuch mail system. Its modular, command-prompt interface is an alternative to notmuch’s Emacs mode. Alot can work with multiple sending accounts through a sendmail shell command and open separate terminal windows for asynchronous composition, forwarding, replies, and group replies. Keyboard maps, color and layout themes, Python event hooks, and contact lookup commands are configurable. The client can print or pipe messages and threads, and its status bar can show notification popups. Through GnuPG, it can construct signed and encrypted PGP/MIME mail when a gpg-agent is running. Alot relies on notmuch for its mail index and external tools for mail handling; it does not fetch, send, or edit mail itself. Inline HTML needs a mailcap entry for an external renderer such as w3m. Questions and contributions are handled through Libera.Chat IRC and GitHub.

Who it suits

Alot fits Linux users who prefer terminal email and want extensive keyboard, theme, and hook customization. It is intended for notmuch-based workflows using external mail tools.

What it does well

Free GPL-3.0 software
Offline desktop mail interface
Supports multiple sending accounts
Configurable keyboard maps and themes
PGP/MIME signing and encryption

What to know first

Requires notmuch and other dependencies
Sending works only through sendmail
Does not fetch mail itself
Inline HTML needs an external renderer

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Alot	Free software under GPL-3.0	Free

As github.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Alot is a focused terminal client for users already working with notmuch. Its customization and offline operation are useful, but setup depends on external indexing, sending, rendering, and encryption tools.

Facts from Alot's own pages

App coverage: desktop · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
Composition: It can open terminal windows for asynchronous mail editing and supports forwarding, replying, and group replies. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Customization: Users can configure keyboard maps, colour and layout themes, Python event hooks, and contact lookup commands. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Dependencies: Alot depends on notmuch and urwid, among other listed libraries and Python bindings. · alot.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Email retrieval: The FAQ says Alot does not fetch, send, or edit mail itself; it uses notmuch for the mail index and relies on external tools for mail handling. · alot.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Encryption: Alot supports constructing signed and encrypted PGP/MIME mail through GnuPG and requires a running gpg-agent for GPG use. · alot.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
HTML rendering: Inline HTML rendering requires a mailcap entry for an external renderer such as w3m. · alot.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Interface: It provides a modular, command-prompt-driven interface as an alternative to the Emacs mode shipped with notmuch. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Mail handling: Alot can print or pipe messages and threads and offers a configurable status bar with notification popups. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Mail sending: Alot supports multiple accounts for sending mail through sendmail. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Offline access: Yes · github.com, 20 Sept 2026
Purpose: Alot is a terminal-based mail user agent for the notmuch mail system. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Sending limitation: Sending mail is supported only through a sendmail shell command. · alot.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The project invites questions and suggestions in the #alot IRC channel on Libera.Chat and through GitHub issues or pull requests. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026

Where Alot stands on Freedom251

Email clients#104 of 142