Postcard is a new open-source email client for GNOME, built by a solo developer using AI coding tools and modeled visually after Geary. Written in Python with GTK4/libadwaita, it uses imaplib/smtplib for networking, SQLite for search, WebKitGTK for HTML rendering, and libsecret for password storage. It supports IMAP/SMTP (no POP or EWS), Gmail via GNOME Online Accounts, multiple accounts without a unified inbox, and basic composing features, but lacks PGP, a calendar, and filters. The developer is upfront about AI's role, contrasting with Flathub's ban on AI-assisted submissions and Codeberg's rejection of vibe-coded projects, and users are advised to trial it cautiously since it's under active, rapid development. It's distributed as a Flatpak outside Flathub via a dedicated repo.
Questions this post answers
What is Postcard and what tech stack does it use for GNOME email?
Postcard is a new open-source email client for GNOME built by a solo developer using AI coding tools. It's written in Python with GTK4/libadwaita, uses imaplib and smtplib for networking, a local SQLite index for search, WebKitGTK for rendering HTML, and libsecret for password storage. It visually resembles Geary with a three-column folder/list/reading layout. Developers evaluating new GTK email clients can follow projects like Postcard as they mature on daily.dev.
Does Postcard email client support a unified inbox or Exchange accounts?
No, Postcard does not currently support a unified inbox for viewing mail from multiple accounts together, and Exchange Web Services support is not planned by the developer. It supports IMAP and SMTP providers, including Gmail via GNOME Online Accounts, but has no POP support, PGP/GPG, calendar, or client-side filters. Track feature gaps like this in emerging Linux email clients through daily.dev before switching.
How do I install Postcard email client on Ubuntu since it's not on Flathub?
Postcard is distributed as a Flatpak outside Flathub because Flathub banned AI-assisted app submissions. Add its dedicated repo with 'flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists postcard https://postcard.gxanshu.in/postcard.flatpakrepo' then run 'flatpak install postcard in.gxanshu.postcard', or use a .flatpakref file from the project's GitHub releases page. Find install steps for niche Linux apps like this whenever you're testing new GNOME software on daily.dev.