WHY N@IL? · OUR ADVANTAGES COMPARED.
Friendly. Streamlined. Free.
Project folders, private mail notes, a viewer for 232 file extensions and encrypted backups: N@il brings together the work around your emails. Free for personal and business use.
In your language: German, English, Russian, French, Turkish and Spanish as display languages. Local spell checking for these languages with the corresponding Windows proofing languages installed; up to two at once.
N@il has grown. Current feature baseline: 1.2.9. The editorial comparison below retains its baseline of 24 October 2026, with the sources and ratings recorded at that time. Discover the new everyday helpers ↗
View: all four email clients.
| Where N@il stands out | N@il Comparison baseline · 1.1.4 | Outlook Classic Microsoft 365 / Windows | Outlook New New Outlook for Windows | Thunderbird Desktop for Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project folders in the mail appFrom inbox to project. | One folder. Everything in context.Details & evidenceLocal project file with correspondence, file versions and notes, plus linked tasks, appointments and contacts. Shared team synchronisation is not promised. | Organisation + OneNote | Organisation + OneNoteDetails & evidenceEmails can be sent to OneNote and organised in notebooks there. Availability depends on account and setup. | Folders + tags |
| Private notes right at the emailThoughts stay with the message. | Right there. Just for you.Details & evidenceMultiple private notes on the local email copy, editable and searchable. Notes are not sent with the email. | Notes via OneNote | Notes via OneNote | Mail notes via an add-onDetails & evidenceXNote++, for example, adds notes to messages. Check add-on compatibility and additional permissions beforehand. |
| Integrated file viewerUnderstand the attachment straight away. | 232 file extensions. One Focus Viewer.Details & evidencePDF, Office, images, IFC/3D, STEP/IGES, DXF, data, archives and more. Depending on the format: preview, data, source or container view; not 232 specialist applications. Variants, codecs, passwords and sizes may impose limits. | Common attachment previewsDetails & evidencePreviews for Office files, images and text. Office previews require suitable installed Office versions; further previewers are possible. | Attachment previews availableDetails & evidencePreview and opening in suitable applications; Office files depend on account and setup. | View PDFs directly |
| Backups with a planA good way back. | Encrypted. Scheduled. Checked.Details & evidenceManual and automatic local backups with a separate password, verification and retention rules. The app must be running for automatic backups; missing messages/attachments can hold up a run. | PST exportDetails & evidenceMail, contact, calendar and task data can be backed up as PST. Microsoft describes regular full backups as a manual process; AutoArchive is not an equivalent full backup. | PST export available | Export profile as ZIPDetails & evidenceExport accounts, messages, address books and settings. According to the guide, the export tool supports up to 2 GB; larger profiles can be copied separately. |
| Recover individual itemsRecover an email. Keep working. | Recover selected dataDetails & evidenceSearch an encrypted backup and recover individual emails, contacts, appointments or tasks as new local copies after preview. Your current data is not replaced by an old profile. | Open or import PSTDetails & evidenceExported mail and PIM data can be imported again via PST. The documented workflow uses Outlook data files. | PST features under development | Import toolDetails & evidenceProfiles and data areas such as messages, address books and calendars can be selected and imported. ZIP files larger than 2 GB require another import method. |
| One local search for emails, files & mail notesOne thought. Several places to find it. | One local searchDetails & evidenceMessages, attachment names, already indexed file content and private notes in one interface — per mailbox or across mailboxes. Files that have not been downloaded are not downloaded automatically for this purpose. | Emails + attachmentsDetails & evidenceSearch messages and many attachment types, with filters and search operators. Scope depends on factors including index and account type. | Emails + attachmentsDetails & evidenceSearch features for messages and many attachments; available filters differ in part from Classic. | Global message searchDetails & evidenceCross-account search with filters for people, folders and dates. Extensions can add further search areas. |
| Local MCP access for your own assistantsN@il works with your tools. | Local MCP server includedDetails & evidenceThe desktop app and MCP share the same functional core. Read-only by default; writing requires permission and sending requires additional confirmation. Local setup required; remote MCP is disabled. | APIs, add-ins & Microsoft MCP | Web add-ins & Microsoft MCP | MailExtensionsDetails & evidenceOfficial extension APIs provide access to messages, accounts and contacts, among other things. A specific agent workflow requires a suitable extension or integration. |
| Kindly with local AI directly in the appYour AI can stay with you. | Kindly + Ollama. Directly connected.Details & evidenceKindly can work with Ollama on your own computer: summarise, prepare replies and revise selected text. The Ollama connection is built in. You need to set up Ollama, a suitable model and suitable hardware. Supported cloud connections are optional and require permission. | Copilot as a cloud service | Copilot as a cloud service | Ollama via ThunderAIDetails & evidenceThe additional ThunderAI add-on connects local Ollama models to Thunderbird. Set up the add-on, model server and model; check compatibility and required permissions beforehand. |
This selection deliberately shows N@il advantages according to the published criteria for each workflow. It is not a complete feature comparison, an independent hands-on test or an overall verdict on the products. Features not examined are not considered absent. Account type, version, licence, extensions and administration affect the scope. Additional apps and extensions are identified. External email, cloud and AI services may cost extra.
Calm pastel shades, clear views and Kindly as a little companion: N@il should feel pleasant even on busy days. Email, files and project context come together in one interface.
“Streamlined” means uncluttered controls and short paths in everyday work. The best way to experience it is yourself.
Explore original N@il app views ↗Warning checks are not a virus scan. Cache encryption, S/MIME message protection and the optional desktop PIN serve different purposes and are configured separately. These statements describe N@il; they are not a security ranking of other products.
View protection features and requirements ↗N@il is a German product by NALVRA. The provider is René Matis in Cologne. If you would like support, choose STAR SUPPORT, KINDLY START training or an ENTERPRISE START pilot.
Service packages are paid, optional additional services. Personal and business use of N@il does not require a support package.
View support and getting-started packages ↗ · Provider and usage rightsOUR RECOMMENDATION AS THE PROVIDER
When an email turns into real work, N@il is particularly useful: view documents directly, capture thoughts at the email and bring everything together in a project folder. A unified local search keeps the context at hand; encrypted backups give you your own way back.
Try N@il for free ↗Bring a project email, an attachment and your next task. Try how the viewer, notes and project folder work together. The N@il licence is free for businesses, too. If you would like help, we support onboarding, training and pilots.
View support for getting started ↗The stars are an editorial assessment by NALVRA, the provider of N@il. This page selects only workflows where N@il is rated higher than the three comparison products under the published criterion for that workflow. Ties and comparisons without sufficient evidence are not included. There is no weighting, average score or winner award.
The stars describe the specific documented workflow in each row, not general product quality, security or market leadership. Additional apps, services and extensions are considered as such. Other solutions and broader capabilities may exist; the selection does not imply an overall lead.
View all values, explanations and sources as underlying data (German) ↗The documented path to project context is assessed: 2 = folders/tags, 3 = additional notebook, 4 = dedicated project storage, 5 = integrated project file with emails, file versions, notes and links to tasks, appointments and contacts.
3 = notes through an additional app or add-on; 4 = native notes attached to a message; 5 = native private mail notes also discoverable in unified search. General notes modules are not automatically mail notes.
2 = documented PDF/basic preview; 3 = common document/Office attachment previews; 4 = additional file and container classes; 5 = broad integrated catalogue including technical models, data and containers. Stars count format classes, not speed or rendering quality.
2 = manual export of mail/PIM data; 3 = manual profile export; 4 = built-in backup schedule; 5 = additionally password-encrypted backups, integrity checks and managed retention. External backup software is not assessed.
2 = import a profile or selected data areas; 3 = work with exported mail archives; 4 = import multiple PIM data types; 5 = built-in wizard with individual selection, preview and new local copies from encrypted backups.
3 = cross-mailbox message search with filters; 4 = additionally search attachment content; 5 = emails, attachment names/indexed content and private mail notes in one unified local search interface. No speed comparison.
3 = additional service, API or custom extension; 4 = integration access included directly; 5 = included local MCP access with separate read/write permissions and additional send confirmation. This local starting point is assessed, not overall platform capabilities.
The documented entry into local AI within the mail app is assessed, not model quality: 3 = integrated cloud service; 4 = local models through an additional mail add-on; 5 = direct local model connection in the mail app without an additional mail add-on. Local workflows require a local model server and suitable hardware.
N4 · Internal feature verification: N@il statements were checked against the interface, function registry and implemented operations in local source version 1.1.4: project files and file versions, private mail notes, Focus Viewer, backup scheduling and individual recovery, local search, local MCP, Kindly and direct Ollama connectivity. Separately described protection features were checked against cache encryption, security checks and external-image permissions. This documents implemented scope; it does not replace exhaustive testing of all devices, file variants or mail providers. Displayed and installable product versions may differ.
Compiled on 24 October 2026. N@il: source version 1.1.4. Competitors: manufacturer documentation and the explicitly identified developer description of an add-on; no comprehensive installation tests of our own. Microsoft's feature matrix gives 23 September 2026 as its update date. Where Microsoft PST help pages differ, the newer feature matrix is used. Check add-on compatibility before setup.
232 counts unique file extensions with an available view or source view, not 232 full specialist applications. The format catalogue lists the view types. Future developments are listed separately on the Discover more.
Outlook and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft; Thunderbird is a trademark of the respective Mozilla/Thunderbird rights holders. The names identify the compared products. NALVRA is responsible for this comparison and is the provider of N@il.
Information about changed features or sources: support@nalvra.de.
