Email Services Compared

#email #gmail #ditchgoogle #googlefast

let's check them out!

I am switching from Gmail to a more privacy-focused email for one month as part of my google fast. Here are the different email services I checked out.

Fastmail

Pros:

Android, iOS apps
$3-$9/mo. plans
30-day free trial
Calendar and Contacts included

ProtonMail

Pros:

Open-source
Completely Anonymous
Swiss Privacy
Made by CERN Scientists
Android, iOS apps
€5-30/mo. plans
Limited free plan

Zoho Mail

...

Sorry, I got distracted playing pacman on their website.

Pros:

automate.io, Zapier, Integromat, Blendr.io & Workato integrations
Android, iOS apps
Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, and Bookmarks included
Integrates with their Docs and CRM
Free plan?

Cons:

Asks for a lot of information upfront

GMX

Pros:

Free

Cons:

So. Many. Ads.

Canary Mail

Pros:

Can use existing email account including Gmail
iOS app

Cons:

No Andoid app

Tutanota

Pros:

Open Source
Completely Anonymous
€1.20-6/mo. plans
Free plan
Android, iOS apps
Android app available on FDroid so you don't have to use Google Play
Calendar and Contacts included

wot i fink

For me, Canary Mail is immediately out because I can't use it on my phone. Also I am going to rule GMX out because I literally never want to go on their site again.

My top three are probably Zoho Mail for its integrations, and ProtonMail & Tutanota for their privacy and anonymity. Let's go into those in more detail.

detailed comparison

	ProtonMail	Tutanota	Zoho Mail
Price/mo.	$5-30	€1.20-6	$1-4
Free Plan	Limited	Limited	Yes?
Space	0.5-20GB	1-10GB	5-50GB
Custom Domains	Paid plans	Paid plans	Yes
Anonymous	Yes	Yes	No
Calendar	No	Yes	Yes

Both ProtonMail and Tutanota only have filtering and inbox rules on the paid plans which is very disappointing. I can't tell if Zoho Mail's free plan is limited without signing up.

conclusion

I think I will probably give Tutanota a shot for a month. Then if I don't like it I will try ProtonMail. Zoho Mail kind of rubbed me as more of a more business-focused wannabe Google. I wasn't very keen on jumping from one all-in-one solution into another.