MZLA is sending out the first Early Bird beta invites for Thundermail in May, a new email service built for Thunderbird users who want an address that doesn’t rely on Google or Microsoft. The April update on the official blog breaks down where the project stands and what’s coming next.

Email first, everything else later

Community surveys over the past few months made one thing clear: users want a solid email service, not a stack of side features. MZLA took the hint and poured resources into Thundermail, keeping Appointment (calendar management) and Send (secure file transfers) as parallel but secondary projects. The team also adjusted the starting price downward after community feedback flagged a mismatch between expectations and what was originally planned.

What’s changing on the platform

Much of the recent work has focused on setup. A new connection flow is in development that makes it simpler to add a Thundermail account to the desktop client, including the option to use a QR code. The dashboard got a refresh with a cleaner interface, and the most-used settings like app passwords, custom domains, and aliases are now available right from the first login.

On the infrastructure side, Stalwart, the mail server powering Thundermail, received an update that improves spam detection and reduces the chance that legitimate messages end up in junk folders.

It’s also worth noting the webmail is moving faster than expected. It wasn’t supposed to ship anytime soon, but development is outpacing the original plan and MZLA is aiming to get something usable out sooner.

Appointment and Send

Even though the focus is on Thundermail, the other services are moving forward. Appointment got backend reliability improvements and better calendar event handling. Send went through a visual overhaul to fit better into the Thunderbird Pro ecosystem, along with security improvements and ongoing work on encryption key management.

Not on the waitlist yet? Sign up at tb.pro/waitlist.