Key takeaways

Linux offers multiple email clients, yet this fresh option ranks highest for me.
Aerion delivers a clean interface, straightforward operation and minimal resource use.
The program handles multiple accounts, remains free and stays fully open source.

Geary served as my go-to email client for years due to its light footprint, straightforward design and contemporary look. Yet certain quirks kept surfacing.

When paired with a tiling window manager, the interface sometimes misbehaves based on window placement. Narrow windows cause an opened message to fill the whole view instead of preserving the list and sidebar. On Pop!_OS the window occasionally fails to appear until the command is reissued. These quirks are not fatal but remain frustrating.

News of a fresh cross-platform client for Linux, macOS and Windows prompted immediate testing.

Aerion is the open-source program in question. Built with Linux in mind, it emphasizes privacy, speed and efficiency. The layout is intuitive, allowing immediate use without any adjustment period. Backed by 3DF, a Hong Kong IT firm focused on technical operations across Asia, the project publishes its code on GitHub for full transparency.

The feature set stays modest to avoid overload. Core functions include support for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, ProtonMail Bridge, Fastmail, Zoho, AOL, GMX, Mail.com and standard IMAP or POP accounts. Additional tools cover rich-text formatting, theme choices, inline or separate compose windows, read receipts, optional remote images, signatures, contact management, archiving, spam handling, focus mode, filters and removal of tracking elements.

This balanced list keeps the app practical yet uncluttered.

The interface takes center stage

The modern UI feels native on any platform. Three panes display accounts, message lists and content. Settings allow selection of native title bars, language and theme. Focus mode collapses the view to the single open message and is toggled via the icon beside the print button.

Multiple accounts appear in the sidebar, and an All Inboxes option unifies everything without switching.

Installation steps

Although still in pre-release, Aerion has proven stable during use.

macOS and Windows users download the installer from the official site and run the wizard. Linux users employ Flatpak with the command flatpak install --user io.github.hkdb.Aerion. After setup, accounts are added and the clean, responsive client is ready.