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Open Source Email Client with Exchange Support: The Best

Ever considered using an open source email client with exchange support? 

Free and open-source email clients have proliferated in recent years.

Precisely, because they allow you more freedom and control over how you process your mail. 

Open Source Email Client with Exchange Support

‘Yet what if you want something that integrates nicely with Microsoft Exchange? 

That’s where a free, open-source email client with Exchange support can really turn the tables!

These types of email clients don’t just help you handle your emails.

They also make it easy to sync calendars, contacts, and even tasks with Exchange servers. 

That way, you can get everything you need all in one place without any trouble. 

And in workplaces that use Exchange a lot, having an email client that works with it smoothly makes team collaboration simpler and boosts productivity across the board.

What is an Open Source Email Client?

Open source email clients are email management programs written from code that is in the public domain.

This means that anyone can read it, modify it and share it. 

This openness fosters collaboration and trust, allowing programmers all over the world to refine the code.

Why Use Open Source Email Clients?

Here are some key benefits:

1. Cost-Effective: Most free, open-source mailers are also free, so it saves money for users and organizations.

2. Customization: You can hack the software to do just what you want, and include feature sets that are not even included on commercial alternatives.

3. Community Support: With active users comes bug fixing, patching and new features, and the software stays current.

4. Interoperability: They tend to play nicely with many other systems, too, in the sense that it’s easy to communicate between platforms.

5. Enhanced Security: The code is then subject to hundreds of pairs of eyes, which means that vulnerabilities are detected and fixed before they could ever be in closed-source programs.

Now, before we drift so far, let’s familiarize ourselves with Microsoft Exchange.

Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft Exchange is the number one email package for businesses. 

Microsoft exchange

This is because it always gets the message through and has a lot of cool features. 

Here’s a quick overview:

1. Email Hosting: Offers consumers with big mailboxes (at least 50 GB, up to 100 GB) to store plenty.

2. Shared Calendars: So team members can see what everyone else is working on, and it’s really convenient to schedule meetings.

3. Data Loss Prevention: Protects sensitive information from accidental sharing outside the organization.

4. Integration with Microsoft Tools: Plays better with Active Directory and SharePoint for user management and collaboration.

Benefits of Using Exchange-Supported Email Clients

Improved Team Collaboration: Access shared calendars and mailboxes to enhance teamwork.

Accessibility: See emails and calendars from anywhere and stay in touch.

Efficient Email Management: Features like conversation view simplify handling large email volumes.

Strong Security: Advanced security measures protect sensitive messages.

Centralized Control for Admins: Simplifies user and settings management for IT teams.

Top Open-Source Email Clients with Exchange Support

A decent number of freeware email clients support Microsoft Exchange.

Let’s look at some of the favorites and what they bring to the table.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird

Features:

Mozilla Thunderbird has been around for years and for good reason. 

It’s feature-rich, with support for several email protocols, a customisable interface and hundreds of add-ons. 

Even more excitingly, in 2023, Mozilla announced that it would be possible to use Microsoft Exchange in Thunderbird through its Exchange Web Services (EWS). 

The implication for users is that they will shortly be able to log in directly to Exchange servers. 

Right now, Thunderbird’s Exchange support is in development. 

They are focusing on simple things, like sending and receiving email, but calendar and contacts are coming soon.

Setup: 

To get Exchange working on Thunderbird, you’ll need to download the Daily or Beta builds from the Thunderbird website. 

On the Daily build, you just have to sign in an Exchange account and select ‘Exchange Web Services’ during setup. 

If you’re using the Beta version, you’ll have to enable the experimental feature in the configuration editor first, then add your Exchange account.

Exchange Compatibility: 

Thunderbird’s full Exchange functionality is still in a beta state, but it is progressing well.

But it’s worth knowing that Microsoft will sunset EWS for cloud-based accounts in October 2026, so future compatibility may be problematic.

Evolution

Open Source Email Client with Exchange Support

Overview: 

Evolution is another open-source email client that is very popular, especially with users of the GNOME desktop. 

It’s a comprehensive personal information manager (or PIM) that bundles email, calendar, task and contacts into a single application, and is a particular hit with business users.

Setup: 

Evolution natively supports Microsoft Exchange as well, making it a simple setup. 

Just enter your email and password when you configure your account, and Evolution takes care of the rest—no need for additional plugins!

Exchange Integration: 

Evolution is great if you need deep Exchange integration. 

It also features synced calendars and contact lists, perfect for teams that work on Microsoft Exchange to stay in contact and in line.

KMail

KMail

One of the Kontact suites, KMail is famous for its powerful email management, and handles protocols such as IMAP and POP3. 

It doesn’t come with native support for Microsoft Exchange, but you can use plugins or other Kontact modules to do a very good job of handling Exchange business.

Other Clients

There are other open-source email clients that deserve a mention. 

There’s Claws Mail for instance, which is small and fast but may need some tweaking to get the full Exchange experience. 

There is also Mailspring, which is very modern-looking and -feeling, with some good user-friendliness features, but which lacks native ActiveSync support for Exchange accounts, yet.

Comparing Email Clients: Which One’s Right for You?

To get a sense of the broad and technical characteristics of some of the most popular, here’s a friendly comparison. 

Comparing Open-Source Email Clients with Exchange Support

When choosing an open-source email client, there are a few big factors to think about—security, ease of use, and whether it supports Exchange. 

Here’s a closer look at Thunderbird, Evolution, and KMail:

FeatureThunderbirdEvolutionKMail
SecurityOpenPGP support; TLS encryptionTLS encryption; uses Seahorse for PGPBasic security; PGP support via plugins
User-FriendlinessCustomizable, but might feel a bit old-fashionedIntegrated PIM; user-friendlyPart of Kontact suite; moderate learning curve
Exchange SupportEWS support in development; basic email availableFull Exchange support through EWSLimited support; requires setup
ProsHighly customizable; strong community; freeSeamless with calendars and contactsIntegrates well with KDE apps; flexible
ConsInterface can feel outdated; complex for newcomersFewer third-party add-onsNeeds extra setup for Exchange; less intuitive

How to Set Up Exchange on Open Source Email Clients.

Now, let’s set up an Exchange account in open-source email applications like Thunderbird and Evolution. 

Setting Up Exchange in Thunderbird

1. Install Thunderbird: First of all, you’d better have the current version of Thunderbird installed on your computer.

2. Open Thunderbird: Open the application and prepare to create an account.

3. Add Your Account: 

Go to Tools > Account Settings.

Click on Account Actions and choose Add Mail Account.

4. Enter Your Login Details: Type your name, your email address, your password, and click Continue.

5. Select Exchange Option:

If your domain has an Autodiscover record, Thunderbird will automatically locate your Exchange server.

If it asks, choose Exchange/Office365 as the connection type. You might need the Owl add-on for complete Exchange functionality.

6. Manually Configure Server Settings (if necessary): 

Incoming Server: outlook.office365.com

Port: 993 (IMAP)

Outgoing Server: smtp.office365.com

Port: 587

Connection Security: SSL/TLS for incoming, STARTTLS for outgoing.

Authentication Method: Normal Password.

Finish Setup: Hit Done to complete the setup.

7. Adjust Outgoing Server Settings:

Go to Account Settings > Outgoing Server (SMTP).

Ensure that the right SMTP server is chosen, and change the authentication method if necessary.

Setting Up Exchange in Evolution

1. Install Evolution: Check that Evolution is installed on your system.

2. Open Evolution: Start the application.

3. Add Account: 

From the welcome screen, click on Mail Account and Next.

4. Enter Account Information: 

Fill in your name, email, and password.

Choose Exchange Web Services (EWS) as the account type.

5. Configure Server Settings: 

//outlook.office365.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx.

Set the authentication to NTLM or Basic (the latter is basically the same but less secure).

6. Finish Setup: Click through to finalize your setup.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting Tips

Open Source Email Client with Exchange Support

Authentication Errors: If you’re having trouble logging in, make sure your username includes your domain (like domain\username) and that your password is correct.

Connection Issues: Check that internet connection is working and check that Exchange server is not filtered by firewall.

Folder Sync Problems: If some folders aren’t syncing, check that you’re subscribed to those folders in your account settings.

Sending Errors in Thunderbird: And, if emailing you, check the outgoing server settings and make sure you have the correct SMTP server with the correct authentication.

Limited Features in Thunderbird’s EWS Support: And Thunderbird’s Exchange support is also in its infancy, meaning some of its features could be spotty or experimental. Oh well, hopefully something will be produced that makes it better.

Conclusion

Whether as part of your working or personal life, choosing an email client is a good way to simplify your digital existence. 

An open source email client with exchange support (Thunderbird, Evolution, and KMail) offers flexibility, customization, and data control. 

Equipped with Microsoft Exchange support, these clients allow for simple management of email, calendar and contact details. 

Thunderbird is improving its Exchange compatibility, Evolution is very well supported and is easy to use, and KMail works well but might need more configuration for Exchange.

Consider your security, convenience, and Exchange needs. 

In selecting an open-source email client, you increase productivity and promote a community based on open and innovative technology.

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