Setting up eM Client — Windows and macOS

eM Client is a commercial mail client (there’s a free version for 2 accounts / private use) with a modern look and feel — many Outlook switchers feel at home. Platforms: Windows and macOS.

From our experience: a good choice if you want Outlook functionality but don’t want to buy Office or use the new Outlook. The Pro license costs about €60 one-time.

Prerequisites

• eM Client downloaded from emclient.com and installed
• Mailbox exists
• If 2FA is active: app password generated (applies to IMAP/POP3/SMTP)

Creating the first account

1. Open eM Client.
2. On first start, the account setup wizard appears. Otherwise: Menu → Accounts → +.
3. Choose Automatic setup.
4. Fields:
   • Email address: full mail address
   • Password: mailbox / app password
5. Next.

eM Client automatically tries various server configurations — with correct autodiscover configuration it finds the right values immediately.

Manual setup

If automatic setup fails:

1. Choose Manual setup (link at the bottom of the setup dialog).
2. Account type: IMAP.
3. Fields:

Field	Value
Incoming server	mail.xaweho.de, port 993, SSL/TLS
Username	full mail address
Password	mailbox / app password
Outgoing server (SMTP)	mail.xaweho.de, port 587, STARTTLS
SMTP authentication	”My incoming server uses the same credentials”

Next. eM Client tests the connection.

If the setup offers you “Exchange” or “Exchange ActiveSync”: don’t pick it. We don’t offer Exchange protocols — the way to go is IMAP for mail plus CalDAV/CardDAV for calendar and contacts (next section). You won’t have to wait for new mail either: eM Client keeps an open connection via IMAP IDLE, so new messages hit the inbox practically instantly.

Connecting calendar and contacts (CalDAV/CardDAV)

Calendar, contacts and tasks come from SOGo via CalDAV/CardDAV — giving you everything in one client, synced both ways:

Calendar (CalDAV)

1. Menu → Accounts → + → CalDAV.
2. URL: https://mail.xaweho.de/SOGo/dav/<deine-mailadresse>/Calendar/
3. Log in with your mailbox credentials.

Contacts (CardDAV)

1. Menu → Accounts → + → CardDAV.
2. URL: https://mail.xaweho.de/SOGo/dav/<deine-mailadresse>/AddressBook/
3. Log in.

Both sync in both directions.

Exporting / importing an eM Client profile

Handy if you want an identical setup on a second machine:

Export

1. Menu → File → Backup.
2. eM Client creates a .zip file with all accounts, mail (local cache), and settings.

Import

On the target machine:

1. Install eM Client, do not set up an account yet.
2. Menu → File → Restore.
3. Select the .zip file.
4. eM Client restores all accounts — you only re-enter the passwords.

Useful when switching machines or as a backup strategy.

eM Client quirks

Theme customization: eM Client ships dozens of themes. If the default look doesn’t suit you: Menu → Tools → Settings → Appearance.

Conversation view: by default, eM Client shows mail in threads (like Gmail). If you don’t want that: disable Settings → Mail → Read → Show conversations.

Fast search: eM Client indexes locally — searching mail is very fast, even with large mailboxes.

Encryption: the Pro version supports PGP and S/MIME natively. The free version doesn’t.

Licensing model: free for private users (max. 2 accounts). Pro license: ~€60 one-time for lifetime use with all updates within one major version.

Frequently asked questions

eM Client doesn’t recognize my account during auto-setup. Mailcow’s autodiscover records should work. If not: manual setup with the server data above. If problems persist: open a ticket, we’ll check the DNS records.

My password is rejected even though it’s correct. With 2FA: you need an app password. With eM Client sometimes: the password contains special characters that eM Client misinterprets. Fix: use an app password without special characters (by default, Mailcow generates only digits and letters).

How does eM Client differ from Thunderbird? eM Client: commercial software with a polished UI, often closer to Outlook. Thunderbird: open source, free, a slightly rougher UI, but just as capable. Used to Outlook and want polish: eM Client. Prefer open source or free: Thunderbird.

Can I use eM Client for business? A Pro license is required for commercial use. The free version is explicitly private-only.

Calendar reminders don’t work reliably. Known issue in some eM Client versions with CalDAV. Fix: update to the latest version; if that doesn’t help, set a fixed sync interval for the CalDAV account. When in doubt: run Apple Calendar or Outlook in parallel for pure calendar access.

Setting the sync frequency? Settings → Accounts → select account → General → Synchronization interval. Default 5 minutes; you can set it to 1 minute or “on activation”. For the inbox, the interval is secondary: via IMAP IDLE, new mail arrives there practically instantly. The interval mainly matters for subfolders, calendar and contacts.

Does eM Client work on Linux? No. eM Client officially exists only for Windows and macOS. On Linux you need a different app — see Thunderbird, Evolution or KMail.

What’s next

• Setting up Thunderbird
• Setting up Outlook on Windows
• Server data reference