Best Private Email Services in 2026
Updated
In short: Aster Mail is ranked #1 of 29 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Proton Mail and Disroot Email. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Proton Mail. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Secria Mail at $0.21/mo.
Choosing a private email service means weighing privacy features alongside how you manage messages day to day. Compared on encryption scope and legal jurisdiction, these services also vary in custom domains, email aliases, and IMAP support. Mailbox storage and a private calendar may matter if you want more than an inbox, while free-plan availability and “Paid from” help with cost comparisons. Aster Mail, Proton Mail, and eclipso Mail Europe are among the named options to consider. Check which combination of access, address flexibility, and privacy details fits the way you use email.
29 private email services ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Private Email Services, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 11 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 Aster MailPaid from $2.42/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 Proton MailFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 Disroot EmailFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 eclipso Mail EuropePaid from €149/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 ThelemailPaid from €2/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 Tuta MailPaid from €3/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 MailoPaid from €1.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 HushmailPaid from $5/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 MailfencePaid from €2.50/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 Private-MailPaid from $8.95/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Secria MailPaid from $0.21/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 Cock.liFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 mailboxPaid from €1/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 14 Kolab NowPaid from CHF 5/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 RunboxPaid from €1.66/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 StartMailPaid from $4.99/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 17 PreVeil
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 Tau Mail
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 19 VibeMail
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 MailZyro
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 Posteo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 Riseup Email
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 SoverinPaid from €3.25/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 24 Typewire
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 4SecureMail
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Encryption scope | Custom domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aster Mail | 7.6 | Free plan | $2.42/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | Proton Mail | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Disroot Email | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | eclipso Mail Europe | 7.5 | Free plan | €149/mo | Yes | — | end_to_end | Yes |
| 5 | Thelemail | 7.5 | Free plan | €2/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 6 | Tuta Mail | 7.5 | Free plan | €3/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Mailo | 7.3 | Free plan | €1.50/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Hushmail | 7.1 | No | $5/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Mailfence | 7.1 | Free plan | €2.50/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Private-Mail | 6.9 | No | $8.95/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Secria Mail | 6.9 | Free plan | $0.21/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | Cock.li | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | mailbox | 6.4 | No | €1/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 14 | Kolab Now | 6.3 | No | CHF 5/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 15 | Runbox | 6.2 | No | €1.66/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 16 | StartMail | 6.2 | No | $4.99/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 17 | PreVeil | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | end_to_end | — |
| 18 | Tau Mail | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | 8 /mo | end_to_end | Yes |
| 19 | VibeMail | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | 2.99 /mo | zero_access | Yes |
| 20 | MailZyro | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | Posteo | 5.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 22 | Riseup Email | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 23 | Soverin | 5.9 | No | €3.25/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 24 | Typewire | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | zero_access | Yes |
| 25 | 4SecureMail | 5.7 | No | — | No | 8.24 /mo | transport_only | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which private email service is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Aster Mail is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 7.6. Proton Mail is second and Disroot Email third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Secria Mail has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.21/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.