Fastmail
Build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Fastmail, build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure. The hard boundary is mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support
- mail hosting and deliverability
- push on every platform
- advanced team collaboration
- provider-specific AI and search
Why people still pay
People still pay for Fastmail because an email client can be rebuilt; operating a trusted mail service with excellent deliverability cannot. The recurring cost buys IMAP quirks, OAuth, MIME, threading, search, attachments, offline sync, notifications, secure storage, and provider changes, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- existing IMAP and SMTP mailbox
- OAuth client credentials where required
- desktop keychain access
- local disk space
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model mail accounts, message IDs, threads, folders, and pending actions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Project rule, behavior: Support one IMAP and SMTP account with credentials stored only in the OS keychain.
Project rule, recovery: Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, IMAP, SMTP, and OAuth where available. Model mail accounts, message IDs, threads, folders, and pending actions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Phase 2, implement
Support one IMAP and SMTP account with credentials stored only in the OS keychain.
Phase 3, implement
Implement standards-based threading, folders, labels, archive, snooze, drafts, and search.
Phase 4, review and output
Render HTML email in a locked-down sandbox and block remote images by default. Add export, local cache reset, account reconnect, diagnostics, and safe logging.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A reconnect must not duplicate mail; after an ambiguous send response, retain pending status until the provider confirms it. State the practical limit: mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support.
Build me a focused email clients and hosted mail workflow for the personal core of Fastmail. Requirements: - Use Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, SQLite, IMAP, SMTP, and OAuth where available. Model mail accounts, message IDs, threads, folders, and pending actions; keep stable source IDs and timestamps. - Paid product context: Build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure. Build only this DIY scope: Connect an existing mailbox, index messages locally, provide a fast focused inbox, and send through the account's normal SMTP service without running public mail infrastructure. - Support one IMAP and SMTP account with credentials stored only in the OS keychain. - Implement standards-based threading, folders, labels, archive, snooze, drafts, and search. - Render HTML email in a locked-down sandbox and block remote images by default. Send multipart messages with attachments and preserve a local copy of every draft. Add export, local cache reset, account reconnect, diagnostics, and safe logging. - Use a desktop window with source import, a work list, and result export. Required input or access: existing IMAP and SMTP mailbox; OAuth client credentials where required. Keep credentials in .env. - Recovery: Record delivery failures and retries by message ID; never duplicate a send after restart. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A reconnect must not duplicate mail; after an ambiguous send response, retain pending status until the provider confirms it. - Out of scope: mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support; mail hosting and deliverability. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Alternatives to building your own
MMailspringA fast unified desktop inbox with local search; workflow extras still cost money.open source↗all 6 free alternatives to Fastmail →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Fastmail pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| individual | $6/user | $5/user | 1 user; 60 GB total storage (50 GB mail/calendar/contacts + 10 GB files).Annual price is $60/year; 24- and 36-month prepayment options are also offered. |
| duo | $10 | $8 | 2 users; 120 GB total storage (60 GB per person).Annual price is $96/year; 24- and 36-month prepayment options are also offered. |
| family | $14 | $11 | Up to 6 users; up to 360 GB total storage (60 GB per person).Annual price is $132/year; 24- and 36-month prepayment options are also offered. |
| basic (business) | $4/user | — | 6 GB per user (5 GB mail/calendar/contacts + 1 GB files).Business accounts can mix plans; an exact annual USD rate was not exposed in the retrievable public pricing table. |
| standard (business) | $6/user | — | 60 GB per user (50 GB mail/calendar/contacts + 10 GB files).Business accounts can mix plans; an exact annual USD rate was not exposed in the retrievable public pricing table. |
| professional (business) | $10/user | — | 150 GB per user (100 GB mail/calendar/contacts + 50 GB files).Business accounts can mix plans; an exact annual USD rate was not exposed in the retrievable public pricing table. |
free tierno free tier; up to 30-day free trial
billingmonthly, annual, 24-month and 36-month prepayment; personal annual rates shown above; cancel/change anytime, but unused prepaid time is not refunded
hidden costsTaxes are extra; paid storage upgrades are available up to 300 GB per user but public add-on prices were not shown; registering a custom domain costs extra if you do not already own one.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Fastmail
Can you build your own Fastmail with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Fastmail, build a clean client for an existing mailbox without running public mail infrastructure. The hard boundary is mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support, plus mail infrastructure, integrations, and client polish.
What does the Fastmail build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Connect an existing mailbox, index messages locally, provide a fast focused inbox, and send through the account's normal SMTP service without running public mail infrastructure. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support; mail hosting and deliverability; push on every platform. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Fastmail prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Fastmail project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Fastmail?
mail hosting, spam filtering, domains, calendars, contacts, deliverability, and support; mail hosting and deliverability; push on every platform; advanced team collaboration; provider-specific AI and search. People still pay for Fastmail because an email client can be rebuilt; operating a trusted mail service with excellent deliverability cannot. The recurring cost buys IMAP quirks, OAuth, MIME, threading, search, attachments, offline sync, notifications, secure storage, and provider changes, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Individual plan is $6/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Fastmail?
Mailspring: A fast unified desktop inbox with local search; workflow extras still cost money. Thunderbird: A mature client for almost any mailbox; the interface has survived more redesign cycles than most startups. Apple Mail: A capable existing-mailbox client already installed on Apple devices; Windows and Android remain uninvited. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/fastmail/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.