Email clients
Mozilla Thunderbird privacy rating
Open-source desktop email client for Windows, macOS and Linux with calendar, contacts and built-in OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption.
Summary
Mozilla Thunderbird scores 86 out of 100 (grade B) on the email clients criteria. It meets 6 of 8 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales, OpenPGP support, connects directly, blocks remote content and works with any provider. It partly meets no trackers or telemetry and independent audit. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.
Score 86 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
- Yes
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Partial
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
Sends first-party telemetry to Mozilla by default, which can be turned off in settings.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Funded by user donations. No ads.
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Partial
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
Cure53 audited Thunderbird and Enigmail, but only a summary is public and the audit is more than three years old.
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Yes
OpenPGP support Weight 2 of 3
Can the app encrypt and sign mail with OpenPGP, built in or through an official add-on?
OpenPGP and S/MIME are built in.
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Yes
Connects directly Weight 3 of 3
Does the app connect directly to your mail server, without passing mail or passwords through the vendor's servers?
Connects directly to mail servers. Mail, contacts and account details stay on the device.
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Yes
Blocks remote content Weight 2 of 3
Are remote images and tracking pixels blocked by default?
Remote content is blocked by default.
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Yes
Works with any provider Weight 1 of 3
Does the app work with any standard IMAP and SMTP provider?
Works with any IMAP, POP3 and SMTP provider.