This is your gateway to Google’s vast ecosystem. Leaving it behind means saying goodbye to more than just your Gmail account—it’s about all the services tied to it. But fear not, we’ll tackle those hurdles as we come to them. For now, let’s zero in on replacing the email service itself.
This page is for alternative email services. If you are looking for alternative email applications, it is here.
Cloud
Zoho Mail
Looking for a business-ready alternative to Google? Zoho is a privacy-friendly drop-in replacement for Google’s Workspace. Zoho’s Google-esque cloud suite seamlessly integrates with a plethora of third-party clients and services, going beyond the typical groupware offerings to include features like CRM, finances, HR, and customer support.
But what truly sets Zoho apart is their dedication to privacy, even with their generous free plans. They believe your inbox is your business, which is why they don’t scan your emails for keywords to sell you things.
The catch? Zoho’s servers reside in California. This means they could be subject to subpoenas and compelled to disclose personal information.
MailFence
MailFence is a privacy-first groupware provider that offers PGP email, calendar, and notes (much like Tuta). While they are primarily cloud-based, they also extend a self-hosted option for the truly privacy-conscious.
MailFence calls Belgium home, the same country that recently slapped Google with a €600,000 fine for violating the right to be forgotten. Just saying. They also donate 15% of their profits to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is awesome.
Criptext
While Criptext lacks a calendar, it utilizes Signal’s encryption protocol—considered by many to be even more secure than PGP. There are no storage limits because your emails and attachments reside on your device, only temporarily passing through Criptext’s servers en route to their destination. Your emails are only stored on their servers until delivery is successful, for a maximum of 30 days.
However, due to their E2EE, Criptext won’t work unless you’re signed in on at least one device. Their encryption also only functions between Criptext users; when emailing non-Criptext addresses, they revert to plain-text.
They also boast the ability to unsend messages up to an hour after sending (to fellow Criptext users), as well as offline access, which makes sense considering your emails are stored locally.
Update 2023:
Criptext is widely considered untrustworthy due to their misleading claims about how their service actually functions.
FastMail
FastMail is a privacy-focused email service that’s not short on features. Some features, like masked emails and corporate emails, require the password manager1Password which is strange. It also stands out on this list by being another non-free service. Fastmail will set you back $6 a month for an individual plan or $14 a month for a family plan (up to 6 people).
FastMail calls Australia home, but whether or not that’s a concern depends entirely on your personal threat model.
StartMail
StartMail hails from the same team behind StartPage. For a mere $5 $2.50 a month, you get 10GB 20GB of storage, PGP, E2EE (between StartMail users), and custom domains.
While StartMail doesn’t offer calendar support, it compensates with a nifty built-in feature: Aliases. Say goodbye to exposing your real email address—create disposable aliases on the fly that forward mail to your inbox, for as long as you need them.
Another perk? Their servers are located in the Netherlands, a jurisdiction known for its strong privacy protections.
Open-source
Proton
Proton Mail reigns supreme in the realm of private, secure email providers. They won’t ask for any personal information when you create an account. Plus, your data is kept safe using top-notch security and privacy measures, like E2EE.
In fact, the downside of ProtonMail is that it can be TOO secure. It’s not possible to use their email service with third-party clients, which can be a deal breaker for a lot of enterprise settings.
While their free tier has some limitations in terms of features, it’s more than sufficient for the average user.
Update 2023:
Proton (sans Mail) has expanded its horizons! They now offer POP3, IMAP, and SMTP support in their paid plans, and they’ve blossomed into a full-fledged groupware provider. Think: Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN, and a rather impressive password manager Pass.
Tuta
Tutanota is a champion for privacy. No ads, even on the free plan. No IP logging. E2EE. Open-source. Built-in encrypted calendar and notes. Need we say more?
They boldly claim to be more privacy-conscious than any of their competitors. And as a bonus, all their plans include calendar and storage.
Update 2023:
Tutanota has undergone a sleek rebrand and is now simply Tuta.