# Claws Mail

> GTK-based Email client

**Wikidata**: [Q1099163](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1099163)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claws_Mail)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/claws-mail

## Summary
Claws Mail is a free, open-source email client built using the GTK toolkit. It is designed to be fast, lightweight, and user-friendly, supporting multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Unix-like systems.

## Key Facts
- Founded on May 11, 2001, as a fork of Sylpheed
- Latest stable version is 3.16.0, released December 17, 2017
- Licensed under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
- Available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and various Unix-like systems
- Uses GTK as its graphical toolkit
- Has a dedicated IRC channel at irc://irc.libera.chat/claws
- Features a plugin architecture for extended functionality
- Includes built-in support for multiple email protocols and encryption

## FAQs
### Q: What operating systems does Claws Mail support?
A: Claws Mail runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, BSD, and other Unix-like operating systems, making it cross-platform compatible.

### Q: Is Claws Mail free to use?
A: Yes, Claws Mail is free software distributed under the GPL-3.0-or-later license, allowing users to freely run, study, modify, and distribute it.

### Q: What makes Claws Mail different from other email clients?
A: Claws Mail is known for being fast, lightweight, and highly customizable through its plugin system, while maintaining a simple and user-friendly interface.

## Why It Matters
Claws Mail represents an important option in the ecosystem of email clients, particularly for users who prioritize speed, efficiency, and customization over feature bloat. As a free software project, it embodies the principles of open-source development, allowing users to modify and adapt the software to their specific needs. Its cross-platform compatibility ensures accessibility across different operating systems, while its plugin architecture enables users to extend functionality without compromising the core application's performance. In an era where many email clients are becoming increasingly complex and resource-intensive, Claws Mail maintains a focus on simplicity and efficiency, making it particularly valuable for users with older hardware or those who prefer a streamlined email experience.

## Notable For
- Being a fast and lightweight GTK-based email client
- Maintaining a simple, user-friendly interface while offering extensive customization through plugins
- Supporting a wide range of email protocols and encryption standards
- Having a dedicated community and active development since 2001
- Providing a consistent experience across multiple operating systems

## Body
### Development History
Claws Mail was created in 2001 as a fork of Sylpheed, with the goal of adding new features and improving the user experience. The project has maintained active development for over two decades, with regular releases and updates.

### Technical Architecture
The email client is built using the GTK toolkit, which provides a consistent look and feel across different platforms. It employs a plugin architecture that allows users to extend functionality without modifying the core application, maintaining system stability and performance.

### Features and Capabilities
Claws Mail supports multiple email protocols including POP3, IMAP, and SMTP. It includes built-in support for GnuPG encryption and SSL/TLS connections. The client offers features such as message filtering, folder management, and support for multiple accounts.

### Community and Support
The project maintains an active community through its mailing lists, IRC channel, and bug tracker. Users can access documentation through the official website and participate in development through the source code repository.

### Distribution and Availability
Claws Mail is available through various package managers and distribution channels, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux packages. It can also be compiled from source code or installed via Flatpak.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Claws Mail",
  "description": "GTK-based Email client",
  "url": "https://www.claws-mail.org/",
  "applicationCategory": "EmailClient",
  "operatingSystem": ["Windows", "macOS", "Linux", "BSD"],
  "license": "GPL-3.0-or-later",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0"
  },
  "creator": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Claws Mail Development Team"
  }
}

## References

1. Free Software Directory
2. [The claws-mail Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/claws-mail/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
3. [Claws Mail 3.13.0 unleashed!!. 2015](http://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2015-October/014358.html)
4. [Claws Mail 3.13.1 unleashed!!](http://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2015-December/015084.html)
5. [Source](http://sourceforge.net/p/claws-mail/news/2005/03/sylpheed-claws-gtk2-196-unleashed/)
6. [Claws Mail 3.13.2 Unleashed!!](http://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2016-January/015492.html)
7. [Claws Mail 3.14.0 unleashed!!](http://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2016-August/017029.html)
8. [Claws Mail 3.14.1 unleashed!!](http://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2016-November/017786.html)
9. [Releases](http://www.claws-mail.org/releases.php)
10. [Latest Claws Mail Releases](https://www.claws-mail.org/releases.php)
11. [Claws Mail - Releases](https://www.claws-mail.org/releases.php)
12. [Claws Mail – Releases](https://www.claws-mail.org/releases.php)
13. [Claws Mail 3.17.4 unleashed!!. 2019](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2019-July/024445.html)
14. [Claws Mail 3.17.5 unleashed!!. 2020](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2020-February/025599.html)
15. [Claws Mail 3.17.6 unleashed!!!. 2020](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2020-July/026383.html)
16. [Claws Mail 3.17.7 unleashed!!. 2020](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2020-September/026971.html)
17. [Claws Mail 3.17.8 Unleashed!!. 2020](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2020-October/027205.html)
18. [Claws Mail 3.18.0 and 4.0.0 unleashed!!!. 2021](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2021-July/028299.html)
19. [Claws Mail 4.1.0 and 3.19.0 unleashed!!!. 2022](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2022-April/029774.html)
20. [Claws Mail 3.19.1 / 4.1.1 unleashed!!!. 2022](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2022-October/031163.html)
21. [Claws Mail 4.2.0 and 3.20.0 Unleashed!!!. 2023](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2023-November/032391.html)
22. [Claws Mail 4.3.0. / 3.21.0 Unleashed!!!. 2024](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2024-June/033051.html)
23. [Claws Mail 4.3.1 unleashed!!!. 2025](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2025-February/033944.html)
24. [Claws Mail 4.4.0 unleashed!!!. 2026](https://lists.claws-mail.org/pipermail/users/2026-March/034710.html)
25. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
26. [Source](https://sourceforge.net/projects/claws-mail/files/Claws%20Mail/)
27. Quora
28. [Source](https://packages.debian.org/source/bookworm/claws-mail)
29. [Source](https://guix.gnu.org/en/packages/claws-mail-4.1.0/)
30. [Source](https://lists.claws-mail.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/users)