Looking for the Postbox email client?
Last reviewed
You are probably in the wrong place, and here is the short version: the Postbox desktop email client for macOS and Windows was acquired by eM Client in October 2024 and is no longer sold or developed. This site is a different product that happens to share the name.
What happened to Postbox
Postbox was a paid desktop email client for macOS and Windows, built by Postbox, Inc. It launched at the TechCrunch 50 conference in 2008 and was originally based on Mozilla Thunderbird, using the Gecko engine (Wikipedia).
On 22 October 2024 Postbox, Inc. announced it had been acquired by the makers of eM Client, and that the Postbox client would no longer be sold or developed (Postbox announcement, eM Client announcement). Support for existing users ran until 22 December 2024, and the Postbox Help Center remained available until 22 December 2025 — a date that has now passed.
An already-installed copy still runs. It gets no updates, though, so operating-system releases and changes to mail provider authentication will break it eventually, and nothing will be shipped to fix it.
What Postbox users are switching to
| Client | Cost | Why people choose it |
|---|---|---|
| eM Client | Paid, free tier | The successor its own vendor points to. Its setup wizard detects a Postbox installation and imports accounts, compatible settings and rules, and contacts. |
| Thunderbird | Free, open source | The client Postbox was originally built from. Unlimited accounts, unified inbox, add-ons, and the closest thing to the original architecture. |
| Mailbird | Paid | Windows and Mac desktop client with a unified inbox across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and IMAP accounts. |
These are desktop clients, like the Postbox you are looking for. None of them is this site, and this site earns nothing from listing them.
What this Postbox is
This Postbox is a free web app built by Anuj Shetty that connects several Gmail accounts to one combined inbox, so you can read, search, star, archive, reply and send across all of them without switching Google accounts. It was first released in 2026 and has no connection to Postbox, Inc.
It solves a narrower problem than the desktop client did. If what wore you out about Postbox was specifically juggling several Gmail accounts, this may suit you. If you wanted a full desktop mail client, it will not:
| Postbox (desktop, discontinued) | Postbox (this web app) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued October 2024 | Active, maintained by one person |
| Cost | Paid licence | Free, no paid tier |
| Runs as | Desktop app, macOS and Windows | Website, any modern browser |
| Mail accounts | Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, POP | Gmail and Google Workspace only |
| Works offline | Yes, mail stored locally | No. Mail is fetched from Gmail when you open it |
| Unified inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Power features | Smart folders, tabs, templates, add-ons | None of these. Read, search, send, star, archive |
| Your credentials | Stored by the app on your machine | Google OAuth token, encrypted server-side; no password asked for |
One more limit worth knowing before you try it: Gmail’s read and send permissions are restricted scopes, which require Google verification and a third-party security assessment. Until that completes, a deployment runs in Google’s Testing mode — only listed test users can connect, and access expires every seven days. That is explained in full on the FAQ.
Common questions
Is the Postbox email client discontinued?
Yes. Postbox, Inc. was acquired by the makers of eM Client on 22 October 2024, and the Postbox desktop email client is no longer sold or developed. Support for existing users ran until 22 December 2024, and the Postbox Help Center stayed online until 22 December 2025.
Can I still use Postbox after it was discontinued?
An installed copy of the Postbox desktop client keeps working for now, but it receives no updates. Over time, macOS and Windows releases and changes to mail provider authentication are likely to break it, and no fix will come, so it should be treated as temporary.
What should Postbox users switch to?
eM Client is the successor its own vendor points to, and its setup wizard imports Postbox accounts, settings and contacts. Thunderbird is the free, open-source client Postbox was originally built from. Mailbird and Canary Mail are other paid desktop alternatives.
Is this website the Postbox email client?
No. This Postbox is an unrelated free web app by Anuj Shetty that connects several Gmail accounts to one combined inbox. It shares only the name with Postbox, Inc.’s desktop client, and has no connection to that company, its code, its licences or its support.