The Kanmail Blog

Notes on email
& getting it done.

Guides, comparisons, and opinions on email, kanban, and getting your inbox under control, from the team behind Kanmail.

Kanban vs. Inbox Zero: Which Method Fits You?

Kanban vs inbox zero, compared properly: what Merlin Mann actually meant, what kanban borrows from Toyota, and how to pick the method for your workload.

Kanban for Email: The Definitive Guide

Your inbox is a to-do list pretending to be a filing cabinet. The complete guide to kanban for email: the columns, the workflows, and how to actually do it.

Running a Shared Team Inbox with Kanban

How to run a shared team inbox like support@ or hello@ as a kanban board on plain IMAP, what that honestly can't do, and when to buy a proper helpdesk instead.

IMAP vs the Gmail API: Why Clients Break Labels

Some Gmail clients mangle your labels. Others refuse to sell anything but a subscription. Both trace back to the same engineering choice: IMAP or the Gmail API.

Best Email Clients for Linux in 2026

The best Linux email clients in 2026, honestly compared: Thunderbird, Evolution, KMail, Geary, Claws Mail — plus the only kanban-board client on Linux.

The Case Against Subscription Email

Renting an email client means paying forever to read your own mail — and losing the app the day you stop paying. The case for buying your email software once.