Pelton review
A privacy-focused desktop client for offline mail, encryption, and keyboard-driven workflows.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pelton is a free, open-source desktop email client for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It connects to standard IMAP and SMTP mail providers, stores messages in a local SQLite database, and supports offline reading and full-text mailbox search. Its audience is desktop users who want local control over mail data, offline access, and a client that supports encryption workflows. Pelton is distributed under the GPL-3.0 license and does not route mail through servers operated by the project.
Its strongest area is the offline and privacy-oriented desktop experience. Local message storage, offline caching, pinned messages, and full-text search support work away from an active connection. PGP and S/MIME features cover signing, encryption, decryption, and verification. Scheduled sending and snoozing add message-management controls, while native notifications, PDF, image, and text previews, a command palette, and customizable keyboard shortcuts support daily desktop use. The MCP server also provides local agent access. These capabilities make Pelton a focused choice for users who value local mail handling and configurable workflows.
Pelton fits accounts and address books through IMAP, SMTP, and CardDAV, but its stated platform coverage is desktop-only and no mobile version is available. The published feature set does not describe a unified inbox or calendar tools, so users seeking a broader communications workspace may prefer a client with those capabilities. Choose Pelton for open-source desktop email, offline search, local storage, and built-in PGP or S/MIME support. Choose an alternative if mobile access, calendar functionality, or wider provider-specific integrations are central to your workflow.
Pelton pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Local SQLite storage with offline search, caching, and pinned messages
- PGP and S/MIME signing, encryption, decryption, and verification
- Scheduled sending, snoozing, shortcuts, previews, and desktop notifications
- Where it doesn't
- Desktop-only, with no mobile version
- Provider connectivity centers on IMAP, SMTP, and CardDAV
- No unified inbox or calendar tools are described
Pelton fact sheet, pricing and score →
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