Talanoa is a chat-style email client with Kanban tasks, calendar and local AI for macOS, Windows and Linux. Free plan; Pro from $7.50/month billed annually.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated October 26, 2026
Talanoa is a desktop email client that describes itself as an email messenger. It shows each message as a bubble, hides quotes, signatures and disclaimers, and groups mail by person, so every email from one contact sits in a single conversation. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Around the inbox, the app adds a Kanban-style Todo board, a built-in calendar and an optional AI assistant that runs on the user's own computer. Emails are stored locally, and the company says it does not read, index or transmit them. The site shows a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5.
Users connect Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo or any IMAP mailbox, and the help center also lists guides for AOL and Proton Mail. Messages from every account arrive in one unified timeline, in order. The inbox is organized by people, with contacts grouped under headings such as teammates and customers, instead of a list of subject lines.
Mail is stored on the device, so users can open, search, ask the AI and write replies on a slow connection or offline. Outgoing emails send automatically once the connection returns. The AI model also runs locally, and the site shows zero cloud uploads and zero emails shared.
The core feature is chat-style reading with a people-first inbox. Any email can become a task with a status, due date, sender, project and private notes, and the original email stays attached. The calendar handles invitations with Yes, Maybe or No replies and can share a booking link offering several times. One-click unsubscribe and block remove a sender and all their past emails.
The AI assistant, in beta, answers plain-language questions about emails, attachments, to-dos and the calendar and shows its sources. It can summarize a long thread into decisions and next steps, draft replies in a tone learned from sent mail, and translate. Todos, events and drafts need confirmation before anything happens.
Talanoa is an email client for macOS, Windows and Linux that shows emails as chat-style conversations grouped by person. It also includes a Kanban Todo board, a built-in calendar and a local AI assistant in beta.
Talanoa has a free plan at $0 and a Pro plan at $7.50 per month, billed annually at $90. The site says annual billing saves $30 per year. No credit card is needed to start.
Yes. The free plan includes one email account, the people-first inbox view, 2 blocks or unsubscribes per month and up to 5 Kanban tasks. The company describes it as a fully working experience rather than a trial.
Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and iCloud are fully supported, and any IMAP-compatible provider also works. The help center also has guides for AOL and Proton Mail.
Talanoa says emails are stored locally on the user's device and that it does not read, index or transmit messages. The AI model runs on the user's computer. The site also states it is CASA Tier 2 certified.
An iOS and Android app is in beta at no extra cost and is local-first like the desktop app. It is not on the App Store or Google Play yet; users can request access in the desktop app under Settings, Devices, or by email.
Yes. Because email is stored on the computer, users can open and search emails, use Ask AI and write replies offline. Outgoing emails are sent once the connection returns.
The site targets roles in sales, tech, marketing, HR, legal, finance, product and operations, as well as Linux users and people overwhelmed by email. It suits those who want a conversation view with tasks and calendar in one app.