Miss Windows Mail and Calendar?
Vaimail picks up where they left off: every mailbox in one inbox, your calendar and contacts right next to it — free, without ads, and without anyone else's cloud in between.
Screenshots show demo data: every name, address and contact is made up.
What happened to Mail and Calendar
Microsoft replaced the built-in apps with the new Outlook. For many people it isn't the same thing.
The old apps stopped syncing
Since December 31, 2024, Mail and Calendar can't send or receive mail or events. Windows points you to the new Outlook instead.
Free Outlook shows ads
Free Outlook.com, Hotmail and Gmail accounts see ads at the top of the inbox. Turning them off takes a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Your other mail goes through Microsoft
To add Gmail, iCloud or another IMAP mailbox, new Outlook syncs a copy of your mail, contacts and events to Microsoft's data centers.
A web page in a window
New Outlook is built on web technology, and working offline is still limited compared with the old app.
Everything you liked, still here
Vaimail is a native Windows app made for the way the old Mail and Calendar worked — just more of it.
One inbox for every account
Gmail, Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo and any IMAP mailbox. Settings are found from your address.
Calendar next to your mail
Google, Microsoft and iCloud calendars in day, week, month and year views. Answer invitations right in the message.
Contacts too
Address books from Google, iCloud and Outlook.com, synced both ways and searchable.
Light and quick
Opens instantly, waits in the tray and shows new mail as Windows notifications with Reply and Archive.
Works offline
Read what you've received. Whatever you do offline, and the mail you send, goes out when you're back online.
Your mail stays yours
No server of its own, no ads, no analytics. Passwords stay in the Windows Credential Locker.
Vaimail and the other Windows mail apps
Checked in October 2026 on the vendors' own sites. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
| Feature |  Vaimail | New Outlook | Spark | Thunderbird | eM Client | Mailbird |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | YesFree, any number of accounts | PartlyFree with ads; ad-free from $1.99/mo | YesFree; Plus $99/yr for AI and teams | YesFree, open source | PartlyFree for 2 accounts; from €24.95/yr | PartlyFree for 1 account; from $4.03/mo |
| No ads in the inbox | YesNever | NoAds on free Outlook.com, Hotmail and Gmail accounts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mail goes straight from your provider to your PC | YesNo server of its own | NoGmail, iCloud and IMAP accounts are synced through the Microsoft Cloud | PartlyReaddle's server keeps account access for push and sending later | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A real Windows app | YesNative WinUI, light and dark like Windows 11 | NoA web app in a window (WebView2) | NoBuilt on Electron (web technology) | PartlyDesktop app with its own look | PartlyDesktop app with its own look | PartlyDesktop app with its own look |
| Unified inbox | YesPlus a shared trash and spam | PartlyAll Accounts view, rolling out in 2026 | YesSmart Inbox | PartlyUnified folders, set up by hand | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar and contacts in the same app | YesGoogle, Microsoft and iCloud | Yes | PartlyCalendars from Google, Microsoft and iCloud only | YesIncluding CalDAV | Yes | PartlyNo iCloud or CalDAV calendars |
| Works offline | YesRead everything; actions and sent mail wait for the connection | PartlyPartly, still being added | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| POP3 mailboxes | NoIMAP only | Yes | NoIMAP only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps for Mac and phones | NoWindows only | Yes | Yes | YesMac, Linux, Android | YesMac | YesMac |
When another app may suit you better
Vaimail doesn't do everything. Here's where it's honest to send you elsewhere.
- Your mailbox only offers POP3
- Vaimail works over IMAP. Thunderbird or eM Client still support POP3.
- You need the same app on a Mac or phone
- Vaimail is Windows only. Spark and Thunderbird have apps for other systems.
- Your company's Microsoft 365 blocks IMAP
- Vaimail needs IMAP and SMTP turned on for the mailbox. If your admin keeps them off, use Outlook.
Switch in three minutes
- 1Get Vaimail from the Microsoft StoreIt's free and updates itself.
- 2Add your accountsType your address — the settings are filled in for you. Your mail stays on your provider's servers, so there's nothing to import: it simply downloads.
- 3Make it your default mail appSettings → Default mail app, and email links open a new message in Vaimail.
Questions
Does Windows Mail and Calendar still work?
No. Microsoft ended support on December 31, 2024: since then the apps can't send or receive mail or sync events.
Is Vaimail really free?
Yes: no ads, no subscription and no limit on accounts.
Do I need to move my mail?
No. With IMAP your mail lives on your provider's servers. Add the account in Vaimail and your folders download by themselves.
Does Vaimail send my mail anywhere?
No. Vaimail has no server of its own: mail, events and contacts go only between your PC and your own mail providers. See the privacy policy.
Which mail services work?
Gmail, Outlook.com and Microsoft 365, iCloud, Yahoo and any mailbox with IMAP and SMTP. Calendars and contacts sync with Google, Microsoft and iCloud.
Get your mail and calendar back
Vaimail is free on the Microsoft Store.
Outlook, Windows and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft. Spark, Thunderbird, eM Client and Mailbird are trademarks of their owners. Vaimail is an independent app and is not affiliated with any of them.