Side by side
Mailpile vs MailTime
Both stand on email clients. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Mailpile offers self-hosted email management with search, organization, and encryption-focused features. Its ongoing rewrite and unavailable downloads are important considerations before deployment.
Visit Mailpile
Free plan AndroidiPhone
MailTime focuses on mobile email organization, with broad provider support and optional AI drafting. Its free plan covers the core app, while unlimited AI use has separate monthly or yearly subscriptions.
Visit MailTimeThe facts
| Mailpile | MailTime | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Android, iPhone |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | See the plans |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | MailTime |
| Website | mailpile.is | mailtime.com |
| On email clients | #58 of 142 | #62 of 142 |
Mailpile: what it does well
- Free and open source
- Self-run software with no ads or spying
- Fast search with tags and classifiers
- Web, command-line, and developer interfaces
- Supports local mail and remote IMAP
What to know first
- Current release is listed as “tbd”
- Legacy codebase is no longer updated
- Downloads are temporarily unavailable
- Project is undergoing a rewrite
MailTime: what it does well
- Unified inbox for multiple email providers
- Conversation-bubble email view
- AI drafts with tone and length controls
- Free plan available
- TLS transfer and AES-256 encryption at rest
What to know first
- No calendar tools
- AI draft context is transferred to generative AI providers
- Email passwords cannot be changed in-app
- IMAP must be enabled when disabled
Alternatives to Mailpile Alternatives to MailTime The whole list