Alternatives / Gmail

Gmail Alternatives in 2026: Open Source & Privacy-Focused

These options cover different parts of Gmail: email clients and workspaces, hosted encrypted email, collaborative inboxes, and self-hosted mail infrastructure. A client provides the interface; a provider or mail server handles delivery, storage, spam filtering, and DNS configuration.

Written by Maxime DERAME

Last updated: September 25, 2026

Email client or email provider?

An email client is the interface used to read and send email, such as webmail or a desktop and mobile app. An email provider operates the underlying SMTP service, mailbox storage, spam filtering, delivery reputation, and DNS records such as DKIM, SPF, and DMARC. Gmail provides both. Macro Mail primarily provides a client and workspace and needs existing accounts or mail infrastructure. Tuta operates a hosted service but does not publish a complete self-hostable server stack. Twake Mail publishes an open-source client and mail-server infrastructure.

Self-hosting email

Self-hosting email is harder than running many other applications. A functioning mail server requires SMTP, DNS and MX records, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, reverse DNS, spam filtering, delivery reputation, TLS, backups, queues, and abuse prevention. A self-hosted interface alone does not provide a working mailbox; a client still needs an email provider or server behind it.

JMAP and IMAP

Twake Mail is built heavily around JMAP rather than relying solely on IMAP. JMAP is a modern HTTP and JSON-based protocol for mail synchronization, with standardized APIs for email, mailboxes, search, changes, file blobs, and push-style synchronization. The backend also provides IMAP compatibility and SMTP.

Privacy-focused hosted email

Tuta focuses on encrypted email, calendar, and contacts and avoids advertising and tracking. Its encryption model is why it does not provide standard IMAP access: ordinary third-party clients cannot reproduce its encryption workflow, so users need Tuta's own applications. Tuta's public GPL-3.0 repository primarily covers clients; the company operates the hosted service infrastructure.

Collaborative and AI-powered email

UnInbox organizes messages around shared team inboxes, assignments, internal comments, workflow statuses, and replies from addresses such as support@ or sales@. Macro Mail connects email and attachments with contacts, CRM information, tasks, documents, and team conversations, positioning it as an AI-powered workspace rather than a conventional mailbox.

Comparing project popularity

GitHub stars are not directly comparable across these projects. Tuta's public repository primarily covers its client; Twake Mail separates its client and backend into different repositories. Consider repository scope and maintenance alongside star counts.

Why look for a Gmail alternative?

People look for Gmail alternatives to use open-source software, reduce advertising and tracking, self-host, use end-to-end encryption, configure custom domains, collaborate on shared inboxes, or gain more control over email data. Gmail bundles the mail server, web app, spam filtering, storage, mobile apps, contacts, search, and integrations; open-source options often separate these pieces.

Tuta

Privacy-focused hosted email, calendar, and contacts

Hosted email service with end-to-end encrypted email, calendars, and contacts, no advertising or tracking, custom domains, and web, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux clients. Public client source is GPL-3.0; the complete mail service backend is not available as a public self-hostable stack.

7.9KGPL-3.0 clientHosted service

Pricing: Hosted service with free and paid plans; full server stack is not publicly self-hostable.

End-to-end encrypted email, calendar, and contacts
No advertising or tracking, with custom domains
Desktop, mobile, and web applications; European provider
Complete service is not self-hostable
Public repository primarily covers client applications
No standard IMAP or third-party mail clients

View on GitHub

Macro Mail

AI-powered email client and collaborative workspace

AGPL-3.0 email client and workspace combining multiple accounts and a unified inbox with chat, documents, tasks, CRM data, shared search, attachment search, AI drafting, and agents. The project states that it can be self-hosted under its license.

4.4KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Open-source self-hostable project; hosted services may be offered separately.

Multiple accounts and unified inbox for email, messages, mentions, and tasks
Keyboard-first workflow with AI drafting and agents
Connects email with tasks, chat, CRM, documents, and shared search
Broader than a conventional email client
More team-focused than Gmail
Requires existing email accounts or mail infrastructure; AI adds complexity

View on GitHub

UnInbox

Collaborative email and shared inboxes for teams

AGPL-3.0 email platform for teams with shared inboxes, assignments, internal comments, workflow statuses, multiple addresses, custom domains, public API, and SMTP support. Local development and self-hosting documentation are available, while production mail configuration requires additional setup.

1.8KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Open-source self-hosted project; production mail infrastructure must be configured.

Shared inboxes, assignments, internal comments, and workflow states
Multiple addresses, custom domains, public API, and SMTP
Self-hostable codebase for team collaboration
Business-focused rather than personal Gmail
Production self-hosting requires additional mail setup
Smaller and less mature ecosystem than established providers

View on GitHub

Twake Mail

Open-source JMAP email client and mail-server platform

AGPL-3.0 professional email platform developed by LINAGORA, with a Flutter client and backend derived from and extending Apache James. It supports JMAP, IMAP compatibility, SMTP, filtering, labels, delegated mailboxes, encryption, anti-spam, self-hosting, and Twake collaboration integrations.

713AGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Open-source self-hostable platform; mail infrastructure and operations require expertise.

Open-source client and backend with JMAP and IMAP compatibility
SMTP, filtering, labels, shared and delegated mailboxes
Encrypted mailbox support, anti-spam, web/mobile apps, and self-hosting
Much smaller community than Gmail
More infrastructure and email administration to operate
JMAP ecosystem is smaller than IMAP and product is less consumer-focused

View on GitHub

Compare Gmail alternatives

Alternative	Type	License	Status	GitHub popularity	Self-hosted
Macro Mail	AI email workspace	AGPL-3.0	Open source	~4.4k	Yes
Tuta	Encrypted email service	GPL-3.0 client	Open-source client / hosted service	~7.9k	No complete public server
UnInbox	Collaborative email	AGPL-3.0	Open source	~1.8k	Yes
Twake Mail	Email client + server	AGPL-3.0	Open source	~618 client / ~95 backend	Yes

Which one should you choose?

Want privacy-focused hosted email

Tuta offers hosted encrypted email, calendar, contacts, custom domains, and desktop, mobile, and web applications without advertising or tracking.

Tuta

Want an open-source mail stack

Twake Mail publishes both its AGPL-3.0 Flutter client and backend infrastructure, built heavily around JMAP and extending Apache James.

Twake Mail

Want to self-host mail and the user-facing client

Twake Mail provides client and mail-server components; operating email still requires DNS, deliverability, spam, security, and backup administration.

Twake Mail

Want an AI-powered email workspace

Macro Mail combines multiple email accounts with AI drafting and agents, tasks, chat, CRM data, documents, and shared search.

Macro Mail

Want keyboard-first multi-account workflows

Macro Mail emphasizes keyboard-driven inbox management and a unified inbox across multiple email accounts.

Macro Mail

Need a collaborative team inbox

UnInbox supports shared inboxes, assignments, internal comments, workflow statuses, and replies from team addresses.

UnInbox

Want end-to-end encrypted hosted email

Tuta makes encryption central to its hosted service, including email, calendar, and contacts; it does not offer standard IMAP access.

Tuta

Want modern JMAP-based email

Twake Mail uses JMAP heavily and provides both a JMAP client and compatible mail-server infrastructure.

Twake Mail

Want a traditional Gmail replacement

Tuta is closest to a complete consumer-facing hosted email service; Twake Mail is closer to a self-hostable open email platform. Macro and UnInbox take more specialized approaches.

Tuta

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