Betterbird

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

What Betterbird is

Betterbird is a free desktop email application for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is a fine-tuned soft fork of Mozilla Thunderbird and follows Thunderbird Extended Support Releases. The project focuses on improving the Thunderbird experience through bug fixes and added features. It provides a unified inbox, scheduled sending, and calendar tools. Mail views include multi-line messages, vertical tabs, account colors, and additional window layouts. Search accepts complex terms and regular expressions. You can change message threading, attach recent files, and display attachments above messages. Betterbird supports add-ons installed from addons.thunderbird.net, and the project says 98% of Thunderbird add-ons also run in Betterbird. It is designed to share a profile with the matching Thunderbird ESR version, although Thunderbird does not recognize Betterbird search terms. The project says it sends no telemetry or crash reports. Profiles on network drives are only partly supported, and Dropbox profiles do not work.

Who it suits

Betterbird suits desktop email users who want Thunderbird-based features on Linux, macOS, or Windows, including advanced search and customizable mail views.

What it does well

Free software with a free plan
Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
Unified inbox, scheduling, and calendar tools
Supports complex search and regular expressions
Works with most Thunderbird add-ons

What to know first

Network-drive profiles are only partly supported
Dropbox-folder profiles do not work
Thunderbird cannot recognize Betterbird search terms
Free support excludes individual troubleshooting

Limits

Betterbird is free software with no warranty. Profiles on network drives have only partial support, and profiles in Dropbox folders do not work.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Betterbird	Free software; Mozilla Public License; no warranty	Free

As betterbird.eu lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Betterbird website
Choose the Linux, macOS, or Windows desktop version
Install Betterbird on your computer
Configure the mail servers for your accounts
Install compatible add-ons from addons.thunderbird.net
Use the matching Thunderbird ESR profile if desired

Verdict

Betterbird adds search, view, message-handling, and scheduling options to a Thunderbird-based desktop email client. Check profile compatibility and support limits before switching.

Questions

How much does Betterbird cost?

The Betterbird plan costs nothing. It is free software under the Mozilla Public License and has no warranty.

Which platforms are supported?

Betterbird supports Linux, macOS, and Windows as a desktop application.

Will Thunderbird add-ons work?

The project says 98% of add-ons that run in Thunderbird will run in Betterbird, and they can be installed from addons.thunderbird.net.

Where does email content go?

Email content is sent to the mail servers configured by the user, not to Betterbird, Mozilla, or unrelated external servers.

Can Betterbird share a Thunderbird profile?

It is designed to share a profile with the matching Thunderbird ESR version, but Thunderbird does not recognize Betterbird complex search terms.

Is support included?

The team helps with bugs but does not provide ordinary account setup, profile management, configuration, or individual troubleshooting support for free.

Facts from Betterbird's own pages

App coverage: desktop · betterbird.eu, 20 Sept 2026
Calendar tools: Yes · betterbird.eu, 20 Sept 2026
Code signing: The project says Windows binaries have been signed with a code-signing certificate since February 2026. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Compatibility: Betterbird is designed to share a profile with the matching Thunderbird ESR version, though Thunderbird does not recognize Betterbird complex search terms. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Data handling: Betterbird says email content is sent to the user's configured mail servers and not to Betterbird, Mozilla, or unrelated external servers. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · betterbird.eu, 20 Sept 2026
Integrations: The project says 98% of add-ons that run in Thunderbird will run in Betterbird, and add-ons can be installed from addons.thunderbird.net. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Limits: The project says profiles on network drives are only partly supported and profiles in Dropbox folders do not work. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Mail handling: Features include changing message threading, attaching recent files, and showing attachments above the message. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Mail views: Betterbird includes a multi-line message view, vertical tabs, account colors, and additional window layouts. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Platforms: Downloads are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac; current Mac builds are not notarised. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Product: Betterbird is a fine-tuned soft fork of Mozilla Thunderbird that follows Thunderbird Extended Support Releases. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Purpose: The project aims to improve the Thunderbird user experience by fixing bugs and adding features. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Search: Betterbird supports complex search terms and regular expressions in search terms. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Security: The project says no telemetry or crash reports are submitted, while add-on updates and blocklists are downloaded from Mozilla sites. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Security updates: The project warns against using old versions because they have unpatched security vulnerabilities. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Scheduled sending: Yes · betterbird.eu, 20 Sept 2026
Source code: The project administers a public GitHub repository for its Betterbird changes to Thunderbird. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Support: The team helps with bugs but says it cannot provide ordinary account setup, profile management, configuration, or individual troubleshooting support for free. · betterbird.eu, 11 Oct 2026
Unified inbox: Yes · betterbird.eu, 20 Sept 2026

Where Betterbird stands on Freedom251

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