Boogie — Native JMAP Email + Calendar Client for macOS
The native JMAP email + calendar client for macOS
Pure Swift JMAP client — not a web wrapper. Built for Stalwart Mail Server. Self-hosted, private, zero dependencies.
What's Built — Native JMAP Email + Calendar Features
Boogie is a native email client with integrated calendar, built specifically for JMAP servers like Stalwart. Here's the feature-complete implementation:
✉ Mail Features
- Compose, send, reply, forward
- Full-text search and sort
- Attachments with drag-and-drop
- HTML email rendering (WKWebView)
- Multi-account support (auto-discover)
- Signatures management
- Offline mutation queue
- 41 languages — covering 63% of the world's population
- Sparkle auto-updates with signed DMGs
- Siri Shortcuts (9 App Intents)
📅 Calendar Features
- Day, week, and month views
- Event editor with full CRUD
- JMAP Calendar sync with Stalwart
- JSCalendar format (RFC 8984)
- Integrated in the same app
- Not CalDAV — pure JMAP
⚙ Infrastructure & Architecture
- Code-signed Apple Development cert
- Zero external dependencies
- Privacy-first — no telemetry, no tracking
Why Boogie
A Native Apple Mail Alternative for Self-Hosted Email
For users running Stalwart or another JMAP server, Boogie is the native macOS Apple Mail alternative that actually speaks your server's protocol. Apple Mail connects via IMAP and SMTP — it cannot access JMAP calendars, push notifications, or batched sync. Boogie connects natively to your self-hosted JMAP server with no workarounds, no adapters, and no cloud relay.
What is JMAP?
JMAP (JSON Mail Access Protocol) is an open internet standard defined in RFC 8620 that modernises email by replacing IMAP with a stateless, JSON-based API. A single JMAP request can batch multiple operations — fetch mail, sync calendar events, push real-time notifications — over a persistent WebSocket connection, making it faster and more efficient than any IMAP implementation.
JMAP vs IMAP — Key Differences
- ♦Protocol design: IMAP is a stateful, text-based protocol from 1986. JMAP is a stateless JSON API standardised in 2019 (RFC 8620) that batches multiple mail operations into a single HTTP request.
- ♦Calendar support: IMAP handles only email; calendars require a separate CalDAV connection. JMAP includes calendar and contact sync (RFC 8984) in the same protocol, eliminating the need for CalDAV entirely.
- ♦Performance: IMAP fetches message metadata and bodies in separate round trips. JMAP retrieves everything needed in one batched request, reducing latency substantially on high-latency connections.
- ♦Push notifications: IMAP relies on polling or IDLE — a keep-alive connection that drains battery on mobile. JMAP delivers real-time updates via WebSocket, meaning new mail appears instantly without polling.
- ♦Mobile efficiency: IMAP was designed before mobile devices existed and is bandwidth-heavy. JMAP's JSON batching and delta sync transmit only changed state, making it significantly more efficient on cellular connections.
JMAP Email Client Comparison — Boogie vs Every Alternative
We surveyed every JMAP email client available today. Boogie is the only native macOS JMAP client with built-in calendar support. Here's how the landscape breaks down:
| Client | Platform | Native | JMAP Calendar | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie | macOS (iOS next) | ✓ | ✓ | Shipping |
| Fastmail App | All platforms | Electron | ✓ | Fastmail only (Electron) |
| Swift Mail | macOS | ✓ | ✗ | Fastmail only |
| Mailtemi | iOS / Android | ✓ | ✗ | Calendar planned |
| Parula | Win / Mac / Linux | Electron | WIP | In development |
| Twake Mail | iOS / Android / Web | Flutter | ✗ | Email only |
| Ltt.rs | Android | ✓ | ✗ | Proof of concept |
| OpenCloud | Web | Web | WIP | Planned for 2026 |
Fastmail's desktop app is an Electron wrapper around their web client, not a native application. Their JMAP Calendar API is not exposed to third-party clients.
Roadmap — 37 Releases Shipped, iOS & Android Expansion Next
| Phase | What | Effort | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1.x | Single-account mail + calendar, distribution, code signing | — | ✓ Done |
| v2.x | Multi-account, Swift 6, HTML sanitizer, signatures UX | — | ✓ Done |
| v3.x | smart sync, i18n, localisation | — | ✓ Done |
| Next | iOS & iPadOS | — | Next |
| Planned | watchOS companion | — | Planned |
| Evaluating | Android via Skip transpiler | — | Evaluating |
Open Standards — JMAP, Self-Hosted Email, No Vendor Lock-In
Boogie speaks JMAP (JSON Mail Access Protocol) — the modern, JSON-based IMAP successor that powers self-hosted and privacy-first email. No proprietary protocols. No cloud middleman. Your mail server, your data, your client.
Built specifically for Stalwart Mail Server, the most complete JMAP implementation available. Stalwart Mail Server supports JMAP for mail, calendars, contacts, and files — and Boogie is the native desktop client that makes those self-hosted email capabilities accessible and user-friendly.
JMAP protocol support includes Fastmail, Migadu, Cyrus, and other servers. If your mail server speaks JMAP, Boogie can connect to it.
Your Data Stays on Your Server
Boogie collects no telemetry, sends no analytics, and routes no traffic through any cloud intermediary. Your email, calendar events, and credentials are stored locally on your Mac or on your own JMAP server — never on ours. The app operates fully offline with a local database, syncing to your server only when you choose to connect. No account required. No data harvested. No exceptions.
Global Language Support — 41 Languages Including RTL and CJK
Boogie ships with 41 website languages and 41 in-app languages, including RTL Arabic, CJK scripts, and Devanagari. Among native JMAP desktop clients, no other app comes close to this localisation depth.
| Client | Website | App | RTL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie | 41 | 41 | ✓ | 6 scripts, ~4.5B speakers |
| Twake Mail | 2 | 6* | ✗ | 6 at 90%+; 27 of 48 have zero translation |
| Ltt.rs | 1 | 13 | ✗ | Community translations, Android only |
| Fastmail | 1 | 36 | ? | Web interface only, not a standalone app |
| Swift Mail | 1 | 1 | ✗ | English only |
| Parula | 1 | 1 | ✗ | English only |
| Mailtemi | 1 | 1–2 | ✗ | English only |
* Twake Mail lists 48 languages via Weblate, but only 6 are substantially translated (90%+). 27 languages have zero translation. Source: hosted.weblate.org/projects/linagora/teammail
App Languages (41)
English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, Greek, German, Korean, Arabic (RTL), Hindi, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Thai, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Swedish, Afrikaans.
~13,500 translated strings per language.
Website Languages (41)
All 41 languages are available in both the app and the website.
Website localisations guide users in their native language before they download.
Why Language Support Matters
Frequently Asked Questions
What is JMAP?
JMAP (JSON Mail Access Protocol) is a modern, open email standard defined in RFC 8620 that replaces the aging IMAP protocol. It uses efficient JSON over HTTPS, supports real-time push via WebSockets, and handles email, calendars, and contacts in a single unified API — making it significantly faster and more bandwidth-efficient than IMAP.
What is Stalwart Mail Server?
Stalwart Mail Server is an open-source, self-hosted mail server written in Rust that implements the most complete JMAP specification available, including support for mail, calendars, contacts, and file storage. It is designed for privacy-conscious individuals and organisations who want full control over their email infrastructure without relying on third-party cloud providers.
Does Boogie work with Fastmail?
Yes. Boogie connects to any server that implements the JMAP standard, including Fastmail, Migadu, and Cyrus — not just Stalwart. JMAP session discovery is handled automatically, so you only need to provide your server URL and credentials to get started.
How does Boogie compare to Apple Mail?
Apple Mail uses IMAP and SMTP — protocols from the 1980s and 1990s. Boogie speaks JMAP exclusively, giving you real-time push notifications via WebSocket, integrated calendar sync without CalDAV, and an architecture built for self-hosted servers rather than cloud providers. For users running Stalwart or another JMAP server, Boogie offers capabilities that Apple Mail cannot provide.
Is Boogie coming to iOS?
iOS and iPadOS support is the next planned platform after macOS. The codebase is designed for cross-platform Swift, making the port straightforward. A watchOS companion app and Android support via the Skip transpiler are also on the roadmap.
Does Boogie support offline email?
Yes. Boogie maintains a local database of your email and queues outgoing changes — compose, send, delete, move — when your connection is unavailable. Changes are synchronised with your JMAP server as soon as connectivity is restored, giving you a reliable offline experience without data loss.
What are Boogie's system requirements?
Boogie requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). The app is code-signed with an Apple Development certificate and notarized for Gatekeeper compatibility. No additional runtime, framework, or dependency installation is required — the app is fully self-contained.
Why does Boogie use JMAP instead of IMAP?
IMAP was designed in 1986 for slow, intermittent connections and has accumulated decades of extensions and workarounds. JMAP is a stateless, JSON-based protocol that batches multiple operations in a single request, delivers real-time updates via WebSocket, and handles calendars alongside email in one API. For a native macOS client built from scratch, JMAP is the correct foundation — not a legacy protocol retrofitted for modern use.