Take Back Your Email. Own Your Communications.
unitMail is an independent, self-hosted email system that gives you complete control over your email infrastructure. No more relying on Gmail, Outlook, or other cloud providers who can lock you out at any moment.
When you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or any cloud email provider, you're vulnerable to losing it all through lockouts. Your emails are:
- Scanned and analyzed for advertising purposes
- Stored on servers you don't control in jurisdictions you may not trust
- Subject to terms of service that can change without notice
- Vulnerable to account suspension with little or no recourse
Account Lockouts Happen:
- Google suspends accounts for "suspicious activity" with no explanation
- Microsoft locks accounts requiring phone verification you may not have
- Yahoo has suffered massive data breaches exposing billions of accounts
- Anthropic, universities, and businesses have had critical emails blocked by overzealous spam filters
When your email provider locks you out:
- You lose access to password resets for every online account
- Business communications are cut off instantly
- Years of correspondence vanish
- There's often no human to appeal to
A handful of companies control email for billions of people:
- Gmail: 1.8 billion users
- Outlook: 400 million users
- Yahoo: 225 million users
This concentration creates:
- Single points of failure - One outage affects millions
- Surveillance risks - Easy targets for government data requests
- Vendor lock-in - Switching costs are enormous
- Power imbalance - Users have no leverage
unitMail provides a complete, self-contained email system where you own everything:
| What You Control | How unitMail Delivers |
|---|---|
| Your Data | All email stored locally in SQLite database with FTS5 search |
| Your Server | Bundled gateway microservice runs on your hardware or VPS |
| Your Identity | Your domain, your DNS, your reputation |
| Your Privacy | No scanning, no ads, no data mining |
| Your Access | No one can lock you out of your own system |
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your Local System │
│ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
│ │ GTK Client │◄────────►│ Gateway Service │ │
│ │ (Your UI) │ Local │ (Your Server) │ │
│ │ │ Socket │ │ │
│ │ - Compose │ │ - SMTP Server │ │
│ │ - Read │ │ - Queue Manager │ │
│ │ - Search │ │ - DKIM Signing │ │
│ └────────┬─────────┘ └─────────┬────────┘ │
│ │ │ │
│ └───────────┬───────────────────┘ │
│ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ SQLite Database │ │
│ │ (Local Storage) │ │
│ └──────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
│ TLS Encrypted (Port 25/587)
▼
┌──────────────────────┐
│ Internet Email │
│ (Gmail, Outlook, etc)│
└──────────────────────┘
The Flow:
- Compose - Write email in the GTK desktop client
- Queue - Message queued locally with DKIM signature
- Send - Gateway delivers via SMTP to recipient's server
- Receive - Incoming mail received by your gateway on port 25
- Store - All mail stored in your local SQLite database
- Read - Access your email anytime, even offline
Standards-Based Compatibility:
- Full SMTP/IMAP protocol support
- Works with any email address (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication
- TLS encryption for all connections
Local-First Architecture:
- SQLite storage = Data sovereignty + portability
- FTS5 full-text search = Fast email search
- VPS gateway = Port 25 access (bypasses ISP blocks)
- Optional mesh network = Direct peer-to-peer email
No Vendor Lock-in:
- Open source (MIT License)
- Standard protocols
- Exportable data (MBOX, EML, PDF, Markdown, Plain Text)
- Single-file database backup with encryption option
unitMail is built exclusively for Linux, and here's why:
Native Integration:
- GTK 4 provides native look and feel
- systemd for reliable service management
- D-Bus for desktop notifications
- Kernel keyring for secure credential storage
Server Capabilities:
- Linux dominates the server market (96%+ of web servers)
- Best-in-class networking stack
- Postfix/SMTP ecosystem is Linux-native
- WireGuard VPN is a kernel module
Security Model:
- Fine-grained permissions (AppArmor, SELinux)
- Process isolation
- Transparent, auditable source code
- No telemetry or forced updates
Open Source Ethos: Linux users already understand:
- The value of controlling your own systems
- Why open source matters for trust
- How to self-host services
- The importance of digital sovereignty
Target Audience: unitMail is built for people who:
- Run their own servers
- Care about privacy
- Want to understand their tools
- Value independence over convenience
Not For Everyone: We're explicit: if you want zero-effort email, use Gmail. If you want ownership, use unitMail.
- Email Composition - Rich text editor with formatting, attachments (25MB per file)
- Message Reading - Full reading pane with pop-out window, all text selectable
- Folder Management - Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Trash, Spam, Archive + custom folders
- Contact Management - Address book with PGP key storage and groups
- Search - Full-text search (FTS5) with advanced filters, saved searches, search history
- Queue Monitoring - Real-time delivery status with retry controls
- Multi-Select - Bulk operations with CTRL+Click and SHIFT+Click support
- Reply/Reply All/Forward - Full conversation support with quoting
- Print - Print emails with formatting via system print dialog
- Export - Export to Plain Text, Markdown, PDF, MBOX, or EML formats
- Backup & Restore - Encrypted backups with password protection and restore wizard
- Transport Encryption - TLS 1.2+ for all connections
- Storage - Local SQLite database with optional encryption
- PGP Support - End-to-end encryption with key management
- DKIM/SPF/DMARC - Automatic email authentication and DNS verification
- Theme Support - Light, Dark, or System theme
- View Density - Compact, Standard, or Minimal layouts
- Date Formats - Multiple date/time format options
- Column Widths - Resizable and persistent column settings
- Mesh Networking - Direct peer-to-peer via WireGuard (optional)
- Multiple Deployment Models - Self-host, VPS, or hybrid
- REST API - Full API access for automation
- Setup Wizard - Guided first-run configuration
Rich text editor with formatting toolbar, attachments, and signature support.
Configure your display name, email address, and signature.
Configure gateway URL, SMTP, and IMAP server connections.
PGP encryption, auto-sign, and two-factor authentication options.
Theme mode, view density, font size, and date format customization.
Desktop notifications and sound alert configuration.
Configure backup and export folder locations with encryption options.
Database path, optimization, and maintenance options.
Cache, logging, sync interval, and debug mode configuration.
- OS: Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 38+, Arch Linux
- CPU: x86_64 or ARM64, 1 GHz+
- RAM: 1GB minimum, 2GB recommended
- Disk: 5GB + space for email storage
- Dependencies: Python 3.11+, GTK 4.0+
- OS: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS recommended
- CPU: 1 vCPU minimum
- RAM: 1GB minimum
- Disk: 10GB SSD
- Network: Static IPv4, Port 25 open
- Cost: ~$5/month on Vultr, DigitalOcean, or Linode
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/unitmail/unitmail.git
cd unitmail
# Create virtual environment
python3.11 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
# Install dependencies
pip install -e ".[dev]"
# Run the client (database auto-initializes)
python scripts/run_client.pyCopy the example configuration:
cp config/settings.example.toml config/settings.tomlConfigure storage settings (optional - defaults work fine):
[storage]
data_dir = "~/.unitmail/data"
database_name = "unitmail.db"
backup_enabled = true# Unit tests
pytest tests/unit
# E2E tests with Playwright
pytest tests/e2e
# All tests with coverage
pytest --cov=src --cov-report=htmlunitmail/
├── docs/ # Documentation
│ ├── ARCHITECTURE.md
│ ├── REQUIREMENTS.md
│ └── TECHNICAL_SPECIFICATION.md
├── src/
│ ├── client/ # GTK desktop application
│ │ ├── ui/ # UI components (main_window, composer, settings, etc.)
│ │ │ └── widgets/ # Reusable widgets (folder_tree, search_bar, etc.)
│ │ ├── models/ # Data models
│ │ └── services/ # Business logic (backup, export, search, settings)
│ ├── gateway/ # Gateway microservice
│ │ ├── smtp/ # SMTP send/receive, queue, parser
│ │ ├── api/ # REST API routes
│ │ ├── crypto/ # DKIM, PGP, TLS encryption
│ │ └── dns/ # DNS verification (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
│ └── common/ # Shared code
│ ├── storage/ # SQLite storage module with FTS5
│ └── models.py # Shared data models
├── tests/
│ ├── e2e/ # Playwright E2E tests
│ └── unit/ # pytest unit tests
├── config/ # Configuration templates
├── scripts/ # CLI tools (run_client.py, run_gateway.py)
└── screenshots/ # Application screenshots
unitMail uses SQLite as its database backend, chosen for:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Single-file storage | Easy backup (just copy the .db file) |
| No server required | No external dependencies |
| FTS5 full-text search | Fast email search across all fields |
| ACID compliance | Reliable, transaction-safe storage |
| Built into Python | Zero installation overhead |
| Proven at scale | Used by email clients, browsers, phones |
- Messages table with full RFC 5322 support (Message-ID, threading)
- Attachments stored as separate records with metadata
- FTS5 virtual table for instant search across subject, body, sender
- Proper indexes for common query patterns
- Migration system for future schema updates
Best for most users. Your desktop client talks to a $5/month VPS that handles SMTP.
Home Desktop ◄──HTTPS──► VPS Gateway ◄──SMTP──► Internet
│ │
└── Email stored locally └── No email stored
For users with static IP and port 25 access.
Home Server (Static IP)
│
├── GTK Client
├── Gateway Service
└── SQLite Database
For groups wanting private, direct communication.
User A ◄──WireGuard──► User B ◄──WireGuard──► User C
│ │ │
└── All communication encrypted, no internet required
| Solution | Monthly Cost | You Own Your Data? | Can Be Locked Out? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | $0 | No | Yes |
| Google Workspace | $6+ | No | Yes |
| ProtonMail | $4+ | Partially | Yes |
| Self-hosted Postfix | $5+ VPS | Yes | No (but complex) |
| unitMail | $5 VPS | Yes | No |
Total Cost of Ownership:
- Domain: ~$12/year
- VPS: ~$60/year
- Total: ~$72/year for complete email independence
- GTK desktop client with full UI
- Gateway microservice with SMTP send/receive
- SQLite database with FTS5 full-text search
- Email composition, reply, forward
- Folder management (system + custom)
- Contact management with PGP keys
- First-run setup wizard
- Backup and restore with encryption
- Export to multiple formats (TXT, MD, PDF, MBOX, EML)
- Print functionality
- Multi-select with bulk operations
- Advanced search with saved searches
- PGP encryption support
- DKIM/SPF/DMARC authentication
- WireGuard mesh networking (UI ready)
- Playwright E2E tests
- Mobile clients (Android/iOS)
- Plugin architecture
- Multiple gateway providers
- Community contributions
- Migration tools (Gmail import)
We welcome contributions! Please read our development methodology in docs/DEVELOPMENT_METHODOLOGY.md.
# Fork and clone
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/unitmail.git
# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature
# Make changes and test
pytest
black src/
flake8 src/
# Submit pull requestQ: Can I still email Gmail/Outlook users? A: Yes! unitMail is fully compatible with all standard email providers.
Q: Do I need technical expertise?
A: Basic Linux command-line knowledge is required. If you can ssh into a server and run commands, you can use unitMail.
Q: What if my VPS provider blocks port 25? A: Most providers (Vultr, Linode, DigitalOcean) allow port 25 for legitimate use. Some require a support ticket.
Q: Is my email private? A: Your email is stored in a local SQLite database on your machine. The VPS gateway only relays messages—it never stores them.
Q: What about spam filtering? A: unitMail includes Rspamd integration for spam scoring and filtering.
Q: How do I back up my email?
A: Use the built-in Backup feature in Settings → Backup & Export. You can create encrypted backups with password protection, or simply copy the ~/.unitmail/data/unitmail.db file directly.
unitMail is released under the MIT License.
- Core: Open source, free forever
- Premium features: Optional paid add-ons (planned)
- Documentation: docs/
- Issues: GitHub Issues
- Discussions: GitHub Discussions
Built with:
- Flask - Web framework
- SQLite - Database engine
- GTK 4 - Desktop UI toolkit
- Playwright - E2E testing
- Postfix - SMTP server
unitMail was developed with the assistance of a multi-agent AI system powered by Claude. Each specialized agent contributed to different aspects of the application:
| Agent | Role | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| change-coordinator | Meta-Orchestrator | Task routing, conflict resolution, work prioritization |
| email-client-expert | Email Features | Core email functionality, draft editing, multi-selection, click handling |
| email-ui-expert | UI/UX Design | Column alignment, context menus, accessibility, visual design |
| db-email-integrator | Database | SQLite storage system, FTS5 search, schema design |
| performance-engineer | Optimization | Performance profiling, bottleneck detection |
| security-auditor | Security | Vulnerability assessment, OWASP compliance review |
| test-automation | Testing | Test infrastructure, coverage analysis, regression detection |
| user-simulation | UX Testing | Exploratory testing, user journey validation |
| gateway-specialist | Backend | SMTP/IMAP protocol integration |
| ci-cd-specialist | DevOps | Build pipelines, deployment automation |
change-coordinator
(Meta-Orchestrator)
│
┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
email-client email-ui db-email
-expert -expert -integrator
│ │ │
└─────────────────┼─────────────────┘
▼
test-automation
│
▼
user-simulation
The agent system follows a modular design principle where each component can be modified independently without affecting the overall system. All agents coordinate through the change-coordinator to ensure consistency and avoid conflicts.
unitMail: Because your email should belong to you.