User Reviews
Thunderbird
Thunderbird is a full featured email program with built-in junk mail controls, message filters, address book, news groups and more. It offers a clean and easy to use (customizable) interface. Thunder ...
Average of 43 user ratings: 
- Apr 17, 2008
- For version:
- 2.0.0.9
Probably the best, being that is free 
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have used them all - or almost - and I confess the first time I tried Thunderbird I did not like it. However after close inspection of features and after using it, allways comparing with others, I have to admit this is a great email client for one - like myself - that do have several mail accounts on different servers. I only use it on an IMAP configuration and it works like a charm as I can not only keep the messages I want on the servers instead of having them on my machine, delete the ones I do not need and even receive a message on a server and forward it from a different one, transfer messages from one server to another, on the fly, etc. I use the portable edition and have it installed on a USB pen, is fast enough and very reliable. The management of messages is top notch, as is the management of the address book, either in groups or by individuals. As a free program, it must be considered the best of them all.
Review by: Greytata (2)
Read all 2 reviews by Greytata
- Sep 17, 2007
- For version:
- 2.0.0.6
Great mail client
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
1 great feature - 1 annoying feature Unlike OE, You can't split your address book into folders, that would help me as my address book has 330 entries. The one great feature is, more flexible email filtering rules that OE. Lets not forget the key feature, it's safer to use the preview pane that OE. I still haven't found an excellent email client. Combine OE and Thunderbird best features and you would have it.
Review by: HotShot (27)
Read all 27 reviews by HotShot
- Aug 12, 2007
- For version:
- 2.0.0.6
Unbeatable
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Without sounding critical, Snapfiles needs to post more recent reviews of this powerful free email client, the last being January 2007. A lot has happened since then. It is fully customizable, fast and accurate. The features and customizations are almost endless and should be more than enough to suit everyone's needs, both private and professional. The learning curve is not steep and easy to configure your own spam filter levels. I would recommend this email to anyone.
Review by: Eannes (5)
Read all 5 reviews by Eannes
- Jan 27, 2007
- For version:
- 1.5.0.2
Outlook users... get a clue!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
For the application-challenged... Get a clue! T'Bird is the current freebie champ in the e-mail category. If it's not working right on your computer it is most likely that YOU are the one who needs to clean up junk, config, and conflict problems on your system. A clean system will run this program Perfectly, and it will run rings around your beloved M.S. e-mail apps. Hundreds of experienced people in my user's group rank T'Bird as the premier mail app. If you're having a problem, go to the T'Bird forum and find out what it is that YOU are doing wrong which is causing such simple problems that even a novice should be able to figure out and correct. And T'Bird is FAR more secure than M.S. e-mail apps.
Review by: dirtnap (29)
Read all 29 reviews by dirtnap
- Jan 16, 2007
- For version:
- 1.5.0.2
Don't like it
- Interface: 2
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Thunderbird is slow and e-mails arrive at odd locations in the inbox. Most annoying is when composing, the cursor will occasionally grace me with its presence but usually not, or appear only for a while then vanish. Typed text will hang and then catch up. When replying to some e-mails, Paypal for example, the contents of the foregoing message will be immersed in ugly red dotted boxes making it difficult to cut and paste elements. I was told that to improve the speed I should routinely compact the folders - a great idea if it actually worked. Adding a hyperlink or an image to an e-mail is a cumbersome several click procedure. If you want a really annoying and frustrating e-mail client then Thunderbird is for you. Check it out.
Review by: Raverx (7)
Read all 7 reviews by Raverx
- Nov 22, 2006
- For version:
- 1.5.0.2
Best free mail program
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I am using thunderbird since the release of 1.0, and i am very happy with it. In the beginning there were some small problems, but at this moment everything works very well. I put some extension on there, like lightning (calender), and a address sidebar. For me there is at this moment no alternative.
Review by: Victor73
First post
- Feb 22, 2006
- For version:
- 1.06
Descent client for single account
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 3
- Overall:
Worked fine with one account but I have three. Constant time outs and other problems made me look elsewhere. Would recommend if you only have 1 e-mail account if you have more could be problematic.
Review by: pcdebol
First post
- Feb 21, 2006
- For version:
- 1.06
Going without
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Going without any isp ended spam blocker-Thunderbird is an excellent e-mail program to help one get rid of junk mail by teaching the program. Thunderbird also will block images from websites so images just won't instantly be shown unless you want them to. Thunderbird is also free and made by the same company that makes Firefox, so you know its good and gonna continue to be good.
Review by: Sawyer (3)
Read all 3 reviews by Sawyer
- Feb 02, 2006
- For version:
- 1.06
Second password needed
- Interface: 1
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Installs and uninstalls easy. Does receive e-mail. Does not send e-mail, because of second password needed for outcoming e-mail.
Review by: Mike98 (12)
Read all 12 reviews by Mike98
- Nov 19, 2005
- For version:
- 1.06
Thunderbird good, but...
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 5
- Overall:
It stinks if you want to brand your emails with a background JPEG and signature. It's too hard. You should be able to: - Create multiple templates/signatures - Pick a default template for each email account, or each domain name - Click Write and auto-use the default template - Have option to use a special forwarding template for fwded emails You shouldn't have to add the template folder by hand, nor double-click on the template to create a new email, nor copy forwards to new emails. My perfect email program: - Does the above - Tames the inbox, like Thunderbird - Can specify the folder to store the mail - Can attach other mail files, like Outlook - Can run from USB memory card, like PortableThunderbird - When running via USB, downloads a copy from the mail server (does not delete) - Saves the email file(s) in encrypted format
- Nov 05, 2005
- For version:
- 1.06
Pretty good but...
- Interface: 4
- Features: 3
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Very good email program. Easy to use. Nice interface. Free - gotta love that. But, it's not the smallest program out there. Also, kind of slow at connecting to pop accounts. Mozilla needs to trim the size of this program down a bit. Overall though, I would most definitely recommend this.
Review by: jdg850 (2)
Read all 2 reviews by jdg850
- Sep 15, 2005
- For version:
- 1.06
Everything you need
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Thunderbird is a well designed program, and it feels great to use it. Smooth and easy---a great program and it's free to boot!
- Sep 01, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Underwhelmed
- Interface: 2
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 4
- Overall:
I've used Thunderbird on my office machine for a couple of months, and quite frankly I'm underwhelmed by it. As others have commented, it's bloated, has no 'killer' features, and is slow at retrieving mail from POP boxes. It just isn't in the same class as, for example, Pocomail, which I use on my home computer. I'm afraid Thunderbird just doesn't cut the mustard for me.
- Aug 31, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Need so much extensions just as firefox!
- Interface: 3
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 2
- Overall:
What kind of software is this? it uses 20mb of my harddisk space...and i still need extensions to add an email account for yahoo and hotmail... i straight away uninstall the program after install it not long...
Review by: Eason47 (2)
Read all 2 reviews by Eason47
- Aug 17, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Disappointing
- Interface: 4
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 2
- Overall:
I found Thunderbird mail client rather unstable. It confronts me with bug reports. Several times it let me down after composing new messages. And another thing: 13 MB is a lot of expensive mem and waiting 12 secs to show up is a lot of time. Calypso on the other hand asks no more than 2 MB and shows up in less than 4 secs. Sorry: Thumb down.
Review by: Nicholas (36)
Read all 36 reviews by Nicholas
- Aug 14, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Stick with outlook
- Interface: 1
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 2
- Overall:
Waiting 10 to 12 seconds for the Thunderbird program to load is a long wait just to check your inbox. Same problem when you click on an email link to send an email. I don't know where all the hype is comming from. Mozilla programs are slow and bloated.
Review by: thebuzz (2)
Read all 2 reviews by thebuzz
- Aug 12, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Basic mail/news - hardly worth the download.
- Interface: 2
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 2
- Value: 2
- Overall:
This is a very basic mail/newsreader lacking a lot of features you will find on more developed programs. If you are looking for a good newsgroup program this is not it. If you want a basic email client this will work, but I would wait until Thunderbird can be upgraded to the latest version/build without downloading the whole program. The download is too big for a program that offers so little. Even more so if you have to redownload for any upgrades.
Review by: spreland (9)
Read all 9 reviews by spreland
- Aug 01, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Saving and backing
- Interface: 4
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
The one thing every email program MUST -is say MUST- have is decent backing up of mails automatically at a place that cannot be destroyed if PC gets down. It MUST be user friendly and read and get at with common textsoftware. This is what definitely LACKS in thunderbird. To much gimickking us alas needed to get at mails that in fact are basically texts!![ NETSCAPE had at least an easy outlet by looking up mail, and it was easily installable in such a way that all mails were saved on a separate partition.} So make that the first priority in next editions!!! Rien Buter
Review by: Rienus
First post
- Jul 03, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Recommended, but...
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but A LOT of people who use this are also using Firefox as their main browser, right? If so, then why not use the Mozilla package instead? I don't understand why one would choose to use the Firefox/Thunderbird combo instead of the Mozilla Suite. Now don't get me wrong. Both Firefox and Thunderbird are good, but when used together they don't compare to Mozilla, which by default offers more features such the quick-launch option (which has gotten REAL fast with the 1.7.8. release), an IRC client, HTML editor (Composer), and a far better help system.
Review by: EM_745 (32)
Read all 32 reviews by EM_745
- May 28, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Great!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Thunderbird is a fantastic email client, because it is so quick and runs so smoothly, there is nothing really much more to say, because what more do you want? Receiving emails should ideally be fast and hassle free, and Thunderbird helps to accomplish this. I have had no problems whatsoever. I really like the way the address book is set out as well.
Review by: digipaws (17)
Read all 17 reviews by digipaws
- May 26, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Very nice, but . . .
- Interface: 5
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
A great program, but if you like control of your email and profile data bases like I do, this email client is not for you. There is no other program (I know of), that reads .msf files (Thunderbirds default file extension). A text editor works, but as a database file, all messages for that category are stored in that one file. Thunderbird imports all your email data from your default email client and creates a "duplicate" of all your data (but with the .msf extensions), in another folder. There is no way to set your default email data folder; so you have no control over where to store your data. If you decide to go back to Outlook Express or another email client, there is no way to retrieve and incorporate your new data back into your Outlook Express default data folders. Overall, this is a very nice program with more spam control features than Outlook Express. If you're not interested in having this data control, Thunderbird is one of the best!
Review by: BarryFox (16)
Read all 16 reviews by BarryFox
- May 26, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Best for windows best for linux
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have used Thnderbird as my only email client on both Windows and Linux for some years. It is now in its official release form and early development bugs bugs are all gone. On more than once it has blocked Kak type worms from running scripts hidden in html emails invading my windows system. For backing up Mozbackup (MS Windows only) works very well and has saved my bacon on after an HD crash --- just three clicks and the setup, address books emails all restored. Did I mention the Spam filter ? --- excellent perhaps not quite as effective as K9 or SpamPal but it is built in and very good. Other extras include Themes and extensions but you can discover those for yourself after you install.
Review by: Btrident (15)
Read all 15 reviews by Btrident
- May 16, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Very nice
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Easy to use and a clean gui. Up-to-date. Need i say more?
Review by: soupb0ne (3)
Read all 3 reviews by soupb0ne
- May 04, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Thunderbird + backup
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
For emails it is easy to migrate from Outlook including importing your address book. You can also import any emails that you have in Outlook. Set Thunderbird as your default mail application and forget about Outlook. Set up for Hotmail accounts using Hotmail Popper works, I use the Freeware version which continues to work. Backing up, use Mozilla BackUp, this is Freeware and is listed on SnapFiles. I use it to back up both FireFox and Thunderbird settings. Mozilla Backup will also save/restore all of you emails. Thunderbird is meant to compliment FireFox but can be used with other Web Browsers (DeepNet Explorer for one).
Review by: LJSWales (30)
Read all 30 reviews by LJSWales
- May 02, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Of course you can backup thunderbird email !!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
.. Not just your email, but your all your T'Bird accounts, and their server settings. I just did it 2 or 3 days ago - and it worked flawlessly. I have Thunderbird 1.0 on a WinXP machine. All I had to do was backup a folder named "Thunderbird" in the user namepplication Data path. It's not "drag and drop", but it's not any more complicated than copying a folder.
Review by: iminj1
First post
- Apr 16, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
I cannot recommend it yet
- Interface: 1
- Features: 1
- Ease of use: 1
- Value: 1
- Overall:
Although this program shows promise, I cannot recommend it yet. It still has numerous bugs, the most serious of which is the complete inability to backup e-mail. You cannot export the messages to a folder on your hard drive, and if you make a backup of the files as instructed, you will never get it to work properly, so you lose your e-mail. This is absolutely unacceptable. I love the Firefox browser, but Thunderbird is simply not ready for prime time yet. After they fix the bugs and add basic functions like drag and drop export of e-mail, then it will be an excellent choice, and not one second before. Don't risk it with anything you want to keep. Note: I tried to give an honest rating above, since there are many things to like about this program, but they would not allow me to do so and not recommend it.
Review by: Denise2003
First post
- Mar 24, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Great features, bad reliability
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I've used Thunderbird on 3 computers, multiple installs(would use for a while, then uninstall). Each and every time, I've had to go back to OE due to a fatal error that the dev cannot track down. The latest was email was downloading, but not showing up. It was stated that this was from malformed headers in emails being downloaded, but nobody could tell me how to fix this. this last problem cost me over 300 emails lost to the wind. I loved the program, but it will be a few versions before I try again. I can't afford to lose any mail, and it's happened more than 5 times with Thunderbird.
Review by: schwim
First post
- Mar 22, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Best absolute considering shareware too!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This program is an authentic masterpiece and it's the best in absolute considering shareware programs too!! AWESOME!!! Tom
Review by: poffarbacco (6)
Read all 6 reviews by poffarbacco
- Mar 03, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Great email freeware!!!
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I have been looking for an alternative email program which is less cumbersome than Outlook...I just wanted an email program which stores my emails and address book. I was hesitate about Thunderbird but after downloading it, I was pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed on how well this program was developed. It has so many great features including support for multiple email accounts which is must. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an alternative email program to Outlook. Kudos to the developers.
Review by: golfbum99 (3)
Read all 3 reviews by golfbum99
- Feb 12, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
A great mail client
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
While perhaps not appropriate for really heavy email users, this program has anything the home email user could possibly want. Far more powerful filter and organization tools than outlook express, and far better security. Easily skinned and customized to match your particular working style.
Review by: thomthowolf (9)
Read all 9 reviews by thomthowolf
- Jan 28, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Seriously, why would you use anything else?
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I became a Thunderbird convert last fall, and I'll never go back to the suckage that is Outlook. This program is gorgeous, easy to use, customizable, FREE, and more secure than anything put out by Mirco$uck. It can be run from a removable media device, so you can take your email client on the go if you need to. It's open source, so you can tweak the code if you want. It's the perfect companion for Firefox (which you should definitely use instead of IE for your everyday browsing needs). You simply can't beat this client at any price.
Review by: Kidaavani
First post
- Jan 25, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Thunderbird is a gem not to be ignored.
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is truly a beautiful program to use, and is undoubtedly the best for those of us with small children where the computer is in the midst of a family environment. The ability to hide unwanted or unsavory images in spam mail is a great asset, and the intelligent junk mail feature is also a boon. I would like to see the address book enhanced so that it could be a true replacement for the one supplied by Microsoft - accessible by various applications; word processors etc. Although much of the program is intuitive an improved 'help' file would be beneficial, but a great product nevertheless - get it!
Review by: slthorp
First post
- Jan 22, 2005
- For version:
- 1.0
Nice alternative to outlook...
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Eventhough I still use outlook as my default email client, I think thunderbird is nice if you don't have outlook. Better than other third party client like eudora (however you spell it)
Review by: homeflash (63)
Read all 63 reviews by homeflash
- Nov 19, 2004
- For version:
- 0.9
Best
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
No email client tops thunderbird
Review by: webmaster (2)
Read all 2 reviews by webmaster
- Nov 14, 2004
- For version:
- 0.8
Good client
- Interface: 4
- Features: 2
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Mozilla has built a very nice client. It is straight forward and easy to configure. Though there is one thing lacking...the use of stationary. I use several and can not do without. Mozilla DOES however, have a small, yet inconvient, method to use stationary. If you are looking to get away from MS...Mozilla is THE way to go!!
Review by: hrwasp (63)
Read all 63 reviews by hrwasp
- Nov 13, 2004
- For version:
- 0.8
Thunderbird
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 4
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Quite a very good program and easy to use but the program "mailinfo" can't run on it......That's why i'm quite disappointed .....I really love "mailinfo" cause with that program, I'm being inform when and where the sender view my e-mail so in that case, I'm not worried that my e-mail is going lost.
Review by: Kennysimpp (27)
Read all 27 reviews by Kennysimpp
- Nov 10, 2004
- For version:
- 0.8
Outstanding!
- Interface: 4
- Features: 4
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I was using what I think is the best overall email client on the market (Poco Mail), but I have switched to Thunderbird after giving it a pretty detailed tryout. It only lacks a couple of Poco's cool features, and considering the forty-buck price difference, making the permanent switch was not hard at all. This program does everything most users would need, and if there's something it doesn't do for you, you can either write a plug-in yourself or suggest it to someone who can, and voila! The speed, junk filtering, blocking of HTML until you say it's OK, and overall ease of use make this a serious threat to ANY other client available today. Get it while it's free; I can't imagine a program this well done can stay free for very much longer (though it would be very nice if it did!).
Review by: Toulinwoek (25)
Read all 25 reviews by Toulinwoek
- Aug 17, 2004
- For version:
- 0.7.3
Superb
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is such a sweet gem of a mail client.Clean looking and easy to use,plus you can alter the look and feel to suit yourself.I cannot find a thing to say against it,I use it all the time in preference to OE.
Review by: derekr54 (2)
Read all 2 reviews by derekr54
- Jul 25, 2004
- For version:
- 0.7.2
Useful features
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 3
- Value: 5
- Overall:
Adaptive (learning) junk mail filter is of some use, colour (important, to do etc) labeling of types of messages, intelligent auto-complete, possibility to easy view all headers, etc. is enough to try this e-mail client. The biggest problem is that switching back to another client from Thunderbid hard, but possible.
Review by: IvanIcin (5)
Read all 5 reviews by IvanIcin
- Jul 17, 2004
- For version:
- 0.7.2
Bye bye outlook express
- Interface: 4
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
This is a great email program and the spam filter is easy to set up and so long spam!
Review by: Crawford
First post
- Jul 17, 2004
- For version:
- 0.7.2
Bye-bye outlook
- Interface: 5
- Features: 5
- Ease of use: 5
- Value: 5
- Overall:
I was reluctant to switch to Thunderbird at first, now I'm glad I did. It has a nice feature that let's prevents junk email from displaying a website unless you say it is ok (I love this) it's skinnable, has plenty of plugins. It works well with Firefox -- which I switched to because of IE security issues, plus it has tabs... It really doesn't hurt to try it.. especially when all it cost is a little time...
Review by: Lord_Doom
First post