Claws Mail is a free and open-source, C/GTK-based e-mail client, which is both lightweight and highly configurable. Claws Mail runs on both Windows and Unix-like systems such as Linux, BSD, and Solaris. It stores mail in the MH mailbox format. Plugins allow to read HTML mail, but there is none to compose HTML messages.
Claws Mail is also a news client and RSS aggregator. Further features – integrated or supplied via plugins – include:
Development started in April 2001 as Sylpheed-Claws off the development version of Sylpheed, where new features could be tested and debugged. In August 2005 Claws Mail forked completely from Sylpheed.
What is Claws Mail?
Claws Mail by claws-mail.org is open-source Windows software in the email clients category. It ranks 9th by popularity among email clients in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2001. It is written in C. Besides Windows, it is available for GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, Unix-like operating system and cross-platform.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. The main installer is 34.2 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.1.1-1, released on December 8, 2022. The version history goes back to July 20, 2021: 4 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.9 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 11,046 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 14 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .eml. Similar programs include Proton Mail Bridge, Mailspring and Tuta Mail.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS
- Mature project (since 2001)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: Claws Mail is an open-source email client tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Quick response
- Graceful, and sophisticated interface
- Easy configuration, intuitive operation
- Abundant features
- Extensibility
- Robustness and stability
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is Claws Mail safe to download?
- The file is served by claws-mail.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
26A2E2D393AC5A8C0AC693D4D5B43579F9BF14705031B3DA488C2FD0C92E773D· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 4 versions ›4 versions over 1 year · about 2.9 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1.1-1Latest | December 8, 2022 | 34.2 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.1.0-1 | September 30, 2022 | 33.9 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 4.0.0-1 | August 8, 2021 | 29.8 MB | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 3.18.0-1 | July 20, 2021 | 36.7 MB | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id ClawsMail.ClawsMail -echoco install claws-mail -yscoop install extras/claws-mailclaws-mail-4.1.1-1-64bit.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install claws-mailflatpak install flathub org.claws_mail.Claws-MailInformation
- Publisher
- claws-mail.org
- Category
- Email clients
- Licence
- GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE v3 (GPLv3)
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- git.claws-mail.org
- Written in
- C
- Content rating
- 12+
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- GNU/Linux, BSD, macOS, Unix-like operating system, cross-platform
- Version
- 4.1.1-1
- Released
- December 8, 2022
- First release
- 2001
- Added to the catalogue
- July 20, 2021
- Versions listed
- 4
- Updates / year
- 2.9
- Chocolatey downloads
- 11,046
- Website
- claws-mail.org
- winget ID
- ClawsMail.ClawsMail
- Chocolatey package
- claws-mail
- Scoop package
- extras/claws-mail
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Claws Mail free?
Yes. Claws Mail is open-source software under the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE v3 (GPLv3) licence.
Is Claws Mail safe to download?
The download comes from claws-mail.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Claws Mail with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Claws Mail be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does Claws Mail support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit and 32-bit.
Does Claws Mail run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Claws Mail?
The versions page lists all 4 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 20, 2021.
What are alternatives to Claws Mail?
Proton Mail Bridge, Mailspring, Tuta Mail, eM Client and MFCMapi. The alternatives page compares them.
