meli

Free plan LinuxMac

What meli is

meli is a free terminal email client for managing multiple accounts on Linux and macOS desktops. It can read mail from IMAP, Maildir, notmuch, mbox, JMAP and NNTP/Usenet sources; mbox access is read-only. Sending is supported through SMTP, a shell script or server-side submission where available. The interface includes threading, tabs, configurable shortcuts and themes, with settings stored in a plain-text TOML file that can be adjusted by account or mailbox. Optional SQLite indexing supports search, but the client does not directly search all email; the project suggests searching a mailbox populated by a notmuch query. HTML mail is displayed with w3m by default, though a different filter command can be configured. Listed security features include TLS and GPG signing, encryption and signature verification. A contact list is included, with read-only vCard and mutt alias support. Installation options include Cargo, distribution packages and several package managers, as well as prebuilt binaries. The project uses GPL-3.0.

Who it suits

meli suits desktop users who prefer a terminal-based client and need to handle accounts across the listed mail sources. It may appeal to users who want configurable text-file settings and optional indexed search.

What it does well

Supports IMAP, Maildir, JMAP and NNTP/Usenet
Offers configurable shortcuts, themes and tabs
Includes TLS and GPG security features
Available free under GPL-3.0

What to know first

mbox access is read-only
Cannot directly search across all email
HTML rendering uses w3m by default

Verdict

meli offers broad mail-source support and a configurable terminal interface, with useful security features. Its read-only mbox support and limited all-email search are important constraints to weigh.

Facts from meli's own pages

App coverage: desktop · github.com, 24 Sept 2026
Backend limits: The README describes mbox as read-only, while JMAP and NNTP are listed as functional. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Configuration: The client uses a plain text TOML configuration file and allows settings to be overridden per mailbox or account. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Contacts: meli has a contact list and read-only vCard and mutt alias file support. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Features: Features include email threading, configurable shortcuts and themes, TOML configuration, tabs, and optional SQLite index search. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · github.com, 24 Sept 2026
HTML mail: HTML rendering uses w3m by default, and users can configure a different HTML filter command. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Installation: The project lists installation through Cargo, Debian packages, AUR, OpenSUSE, Alpine, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Homebrew, MacPorts, and Nixpkgs. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Install options: The README lists Cargo, Debian packages, AUR, openSUSE, Alpine, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, and prebuilt Debian and static binaries as installation options. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
License: The repository identifies its license as GPL-3.0. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Mail sources: It supports IMAP, Maildir, notmuch, mbox, JMAP, and NNTP/Usenet; mbox support is read-only. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Product: meli is a terminal email client for multiple accounts. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Reading HTML: HTML email rendering uses w3m by default, and the HTML filter command can be changed in settings. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Search: SQLite index search is optional, and the README notes that notmuch does not support searching all email directly without a mailbox query returning everything. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Search limit: Searching across all email directly is unsupported; the README suggests searching within a mailbox populated by a notmuch query. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Security: The feature list includes TLS and GPG signing, encryption, and signature verification. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Sending: Email can be submitted through SMTP, a shell script, or server-side submission when supported. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Sending mail: Supported submission backends include SMTP, piping to a shell script, and server-side submission when supported. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The project points users to OFTC IRC, a Matrix bridge, mailing lists, and its issue tracker for discussion and bug reports. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026

Where meli stands on Freedom251

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