Mozilla Thunderbird is a free and open-source personal information manager primarily used as an e-mail client with a calendar and contactbook, as well as an RSS feed reader, chat client (IRC/XMPP/Matrix), and news client. Operated by MZLA Technologies Corporation, a subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation, Thunderbird is an independent, community-driven project that is managed and overseen by the Thunderbird Council, which is elected by the Thunderbird community. As a cross-platform application, Thunderbird is available for Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenIndiana, Android, and Linux. The project strategy was originally modeled after that of Mozilla's Firefox, and Thunderbird is an interface built on top of that web browser.
Thunderbird is a personal information manager (PIM) with e-mail, newsgroup, news feed, and instant messaging functionality, with calendar functionality inbuilt since version 78.0 and previously available from the Lightning calendar extension. Additional features are available from extensions, which allow the addition of features through the installation of XPInstall modules (known as "XPI" or "zippy" installation) via the add-ons Web site that also features an update functionality to update the extensions.
From the Wikipedia article “Mozilla Thunderbird”, CC BY-SA 4.0
What is Mozilla Thunderbird?
Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source email client program for Windows from Mozilla (developed by Mozilla Foundation). It ranks 13th by popularity among email clients in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2003. It is written in C++, C, and JavaScript. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Linux, Android, FreeBSD and NetBSD. Its interface is available in 60 languages.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and 32-bit as EXE (NSIS). Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 158.0.1, released on October 20, 2026. 137 versions are listed since March 30, 2021, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 25 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
Wikipedia has an article about it in 43 of our languages. On Windows it registers 3 file types, including .eml, .ics and .wdseml. Similar programs include Proton Mail Bridge, Tuta Mail and Mailspring.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 25 a year)
- Also runs on macOS, Linux and Android
- Mature project (since 2003)
- Interface in 60 languages
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Mozilla Thunderbird is an open-source email client tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Mozilla Thunderbird safe to download?
- The file is served by download-installer.cdn.mozilla.net; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
980331D65CB00D965F911E5F7E3E058C22B5F72A98853160A6D000C79FCB5DA6· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- 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 137 versions ›137 versions over 6 years · about 25 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 158.0.1Latest | October 20, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 158.0 | October 13, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 157.0.1 | October 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 157.0 | September 30, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 156.0.1 | September 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 156.0 | September 15, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 155.0.1 | September 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 155.0 | September 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Mozilla.Thunderbird -e"Thunderbird Setup 158.0.1.exe" /S /PreventRebootRequired=trueRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask thunderbirdInformation
- Publisher
- Mozilla
- Developer
- Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Messaging
- Category
- Email clients
- Licence
- MPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C++, C, and JavaScript
- Interface languages
- multiple languages, English, French, Afrikaans, Albanian, and Bulgarian +54 more
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- macOS, Linux, Android, FreeBSD, NetBSD
- Version
- 158.0.1
- Released
- October 20, 2026
- First release
- 2003
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 137
- Updates / year
- 24.6
- Website
- thunderbird.net
- winget ID
- Mozilla.Thunderbird
File types it opens (3)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Mozilla Thunderbird
See all ›-
Open source26.2K ↓ -
Tuta Mail362.261023.2Tutanota is an email client with a strong focus on security and privacy that lets you encrypt emails on all your devices.Open source50.1K ↓ -
Mailspring1.26.2Boost your productivity and send better email with Mailspring, the best mail client for Mac, Linux, and Windows.Open source7.7K ↓ -
MFCMapi26.0.26291.01Provides access to MAPI stores to facilitate investigation of Exchange and Outlook issues and to provide developers with a sample for MAPI development.Open source5.7K ↓ -
eM Client11.0.1054Fast email client with full Gmail, Hotmail and other services synchronisation. Best replacement for MS Outlook or Thunderbird. Free version for Home users.Free98.1K ↓ -
Open source★ 598 - Proprietary17.5K ↓
-
Open source11K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Mozilla Thunderbird free?
Yes. Mozilla Thunderbird is open-source software under the MPL-2.0 licence.
Is Mozilla Thunderbird safe to download?
The download comes from download-installer.cdn.mozilla.net; 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 Mozilla Thunderbird 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 Mozilla Thunderbird be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Mozilla Thunderbird 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 Mozilla Thunderbird?
The versions page lists all 137 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
What are alternatives to Mozilla Thunderbird?
Proton Mail Bridge, Tuta Mail, Mailspring, MFCMapi and eM Client. The alternatives page compares them.
_and_KDE_Plasma_6.png){kind=link}