Safe e mail seems like a no brainer. Who desires insecure e mail? Significantly when your inbox comprises billion-dollar enterprise secrets and techniques (you hope).
So, which supplier do you have to use?
That’s the place the water will get a bit murky. Each platform claims to be essentially the most non-public and safe. However they’ll’t all be.
Fortunately, our internet hosting experience provides us some distinctive insights. We are able to inform which suppliers are making guarantees they’ll’t hold — and which of them will genuinely make your comms safer.
Buckle up, reality bombs are heading your method!
The Greatest Safe E mail Suppliers In contrast
As internet hosting specialists, we handle our personal e mail servers. We all know what it takes to supply a strong service. And that provides us a singular viewpoint for assessing different platforms.
To dimension up the gamers, we’ve created a framework that attracts on our internet hosting information:
- Safety: Are these suppliers actually safe? We’re searching for robust end-to-end encryption and cybersecurity hardening.
- Privateness: Simply because your information is protected doesn’t imply it’s non-public. We wish to see cheap privateness insurance policies and internet hosting primarily based in privacy-conscious places, akin to Switzerland.
- Reliability: We’ve seen many low-end suppliers come and go. With a skilled eye, you possibly can predict which of them are more likely to falter.
- Options: Provided that we offer our personal e mail internet hosting service, we all know which options you’re going to want on your online business e mail account.
- Pricing: What’s a good value to pay for safe e mail? We’ve got a good suggestion how a lot it prices to run a internet hosting enterprise!
With all that in thoughts, lets get began?
1. ProtonMail: Gmail’s Safe Cousin
You in all probability know somebody who makes use of ProtonMail. It’s some of the well-liked safe e mail platforms, with over 100 million customers.
There are two foremost the reason why ProtonMail has unfold so shortly: it’s pretty to make use of, and you can begin free of charge.
It’s additionally a part of a wider productiveness suite that gives a privacy-focused various to Google Workspace. This makes it significantly interesting in the event you at the moment depend on Google or Microsoft.
- Safety: Good. ProtonMail makes use of end-to-end encryption to safe your messages. The platform additionally gives strong anti-spam, anti-phishing, and DDoS safety.
- Privateness: Glorious. Based mostly in Switzerland, ProtonMail operates a “zero entry” coverage, that means even they’ll’t see your emails. The corporate doesn’t hold exercise logs and has a profitable monitor document combating authorities information requests.
- Reliability: Glorious. ProtonMail owns its personal safe information facilities in Switzerland, offering 99.95% uptime on enterprise plans. The service can be 11 years previous and looking out stronger than ever.
- Options: Good. So long as you’re on the paid enterprise plans, you possibly can count on a Google Workspace-like expertise, together with customized domains. You will want to put in “bridge” software program to make Proton work together with your favourite desktop e mail consumer, although.
- Pricing: Honest. ProtonMail is free to strive, however you’ll in all probability wish to improve. Beginning at €6.99/month (~$8.17), paid plans aren’t unreasonable, however they’re a bit above common.
The skilled verdict: ProtonMail is the gold commonplace for user-friendly, high-security e mail. The one draw back is that almost all enterprise options include premium pricing.
2. Tuta Mail: The Funds-Pleasant, Open Supply Fortress
Tuta Mail might be ProtonMail’s closest direct rival. It already has 10 million customers, and the platform is rising shortly.
Tuta’s pitch has apparent enchantment: bank-level safety for the value of a espresso. You may see why it’s well-liked with bootstrapped startups and solo entrepreneurs.
That mentioned, the low value does include a trade-off — you gained’t get the identical options with Tuta as another, extra premium apps on this listing.
- Safety: Glorious. Sturdy end-to-end encryption retains your messages safe, together with topic strains (not like ProtonMail). The official apps are open supply, so you possibly can actually examine the code your self.
- Privateness: Glorious. Tuta is predicated in Germany, a rustic with robust privateness legal guidelines. The corporate additionally has no entry to accounts, even for help.
- Reliability: Good. With 99.95% uptime assured and a very good monitor document, Tuta Mail is a reliable platform. It solely loses marks for cross-device syncing, which is patchy for some customers.
- Options: Good. The bundle contains mail, contact, and calendar, and enterprise plans embrace 50GB+ of storage. The primary draw back is that you just’re pressured to make use of Tuta’s official apps, so there’s main lock-in.
- Pricing: Glorious. Free to start out. Particular person accounts begin at simply €3/month (~$3.51) and enterprise plans from €6/month (~$7.01).
The skilled verdict: Tuta offers spectacular safety, with options that cater to solopreneurs and small companies. Simply remember that it’s a must to use the official apps.
3. Mailfence: Higher Safety in Your Present Workflow
Mailfence strikes a pleasant stability between safety and usefulness. This Belgium-based platform gives encrypted e mail that syncs with common e mail shoppers by way of POP, IMAP, SMTP, and Trade ActiveSync.
The draw back right here is that e mail addresses and topic strains aren’t encrypted. However that’s the value you pay for compatibility.
Mailfence additionally lacks native apps, however you possibly can entry your inbox (together with calendars, paperwork, and contacts) by way of a pleasant internet app.
- Safety: Good. Mailfence makes use of OpenPGP encryption, which retains the contents of your messages safe. You may also arrange digital signatures (like signing for a supply) for added safety.
- Privateness: Honest. Whereas Belgian legislation can’t match the privateness protections of Switzerland, EU privateness laws (together with GDPR) are nonetheless in play. Mailfence has clear polices, however the firm does hold some logs.
- Reliability: Good. Mailfence has a strong monitor document for uptime and stability. The actual fact this platform depends on well-established e mail protocols means technical troubles are much less doubtless.
- Options: Good. You get all the pieces you’d count on from an e mail suite, together with calendar, contacts, and file storage. Customized domains work effectively. Commonplace protocols imply higher enterprise software integration.
- Pricing: Glorious. Enterprise plans begin at €3.50/month (~$4.08), with beneficiant storage and the entire suite of instruments.
The skilled verdict: If you happen to’re searching for a safer various to the Google or Microsoft 365 suites, Mailfence is a superb alternative. It’s highly effective, versatile, and inexpensive — simply don’t count on world-class safety.
4. StartMail: King of Aliases
One approach to defend your e mail account is by by no means giving out your precise tackle. With StartMail, that’s utterly potential.
This Dutch supplier gives limitless e mail aliases, permitting you to join a myriad of companies with out attracting undesirable consideration.
StartMail additionally gives password-based encryption. As you draft an e mail, you create a secret key that unlocks the message. Makes you’re feeling very James Bond.
- Safety: Good. Stable end-to-end encryption, password safety on messages, and limitless aliases. That mentioned, topic strains and e mail addresses are not encrypted.
- Privateness: Glorious. Dutch legislation is respectable for information safety, and it’s supplemented by EU information frameworks. StartMail can be operated by a longtime privateness firm with a very good monitor document.
- Reliability: Good. Steady service with IMAP/SMTP help. Nonetheless, the alias system sometimes triggers spam filters on recipient servers, that means official emails are typically blocked.
- Options: Honest. Limitless aliases are the standout. However there’s no calendar or file storage.
- Pricing: Honest. Plans begin at $4.99/month, which is ok — however you may get extra bang to your buck elsewhere.
The skilled verdict: If you need aliases to maintain your operations separated, StartMail is an effective alternative. In any other case, there are higher choices on this listing.
5. Mailbox.org: Safe Productiveness on a Shoestring
Mailbox.org is greater than an e mail supplier. This German-made platform makes an attempt to switch your whole workplace suite, together with e mail, doc enhancing, video conferencing, cloud storage, and extra.
All of those options are effectively protected. The platform helps Fairly Good Privateness (PGP) encryption, and your information is encrypted for storage, as effectively. We’re fairly impressed by their underlying infrastructure.
Private plans are very cheap, however count on to cough up for a enterprise account.
- Safety: Glorious. Mailbox.org makes use of robust encryption requirements and is hosted in Germany underneath strict information safety legal guidelines. You may encrypt your cloud storage, too.
- Privateness: Glorious. As a German firm, Mailbox.org is topic to GDPR. They’ve a clear privateness coverage, don’t log IP addresses, and actively advocate for information privateness.
- Reliability: Glorious. The service has been working since 2014 and has a robust fame for uptime and stability. We additionally like that Mailbox.org has full possession over their infrastructure.
- Options: Good. The mail options are robust, and also you get entry to a full suite of instruments. That mentioned, lots of these instruments really feel a bit lackluster in the event you’re used to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.
- Pricing: Honest. Essentially the most fundamental bundle is simply €1/month (~$1.17), and you may get a customized area on the €3/month plan (~$3.51). Nonetheless, devoted enterprise plans price €26/month (~$30.42).
The skilled verdict: Mailbox.org is a genuinely spectacular safe e mail resolution. Simply don’t set your expectations too excessive for the workplace instruments.
6. Zoho Mail: Surprisingly Safe Workplace Suite
You may not have anticipated to see Zoho on this listing. In spite of everything, it’s a mainstream participant in productiveness, with over 16 million customers.
However really, the platform’s e mail product could be very safe.
Whilst you don’t get full end-to-end encryption, Zoho Mail makes use of robust encryption for message switch and storage. You get highly effective anti-spam and virus filtering, as effectively.
The primary draw back? Zoho is predicated in India — a jurisdiction that doesn’t have an excellent document for privateness.
- Safety: Good. Trade-standard encryption in transit and at relaxation, two-factor authentication, and S/MIME help. Not end-to-end encrypted, however contains superior risk safety. Ok for many companies.
- Privateness: Satisfactory. Whereas Zoho has a good privateness coverage and doesn’t scan emails (taking a look at you, Gmail), being India-based raises some issues about authorities entry.
- Reliability: Glorious. Zoho is a large international firm with thousands and thousands of customers and an extended monitor document (based in 1996). Their infrastructure is designed for enterprise-level reliability, with 99.9% uptime assured.
- Options: Glorious. A contemporary interface, help for customized domains, and a strong admin dashboard for dealing with a number of firm accounts. Plus, nice cell apps and integration with a great deal of Zoho apps.
- Pricing: Glorious. Begins at $1/month. Even the highest skilled plan with 100GB of storage per person is simply $6/month.
The skilled verdict: Whereas Zoho Mail isn’t essentially the most safe resolution right here, it’s nonetheless fairly strong. It additionally gives nice options. You simply must resolve whether or not to entrust your information to Indian privateness legal guidelines.
7. Posteo: Pure Privateness for People
Posteo takes privateness to extremes.
You don’t must reveal any figuring out data to enroll with this German supplier. There’s no monitoring, no logging. They even settle for cost by mail.
Switching to Posteo is straightforward, as effectively. The platform gives a free migration service for as much as three e mail accounts, and your information is assured.
So… why isn’t Posteo primary? There’s one huge caveat for enterprise customers: you possibly can’t use your individual area. The one choice is a @posteo.de tackle.
- Safety: Good. Posteo gives full-disk encryption, and the platform strips away metadata. It doesn’t present end-to-end encryption by default, although.
- Privateness: Glorious. You don’t must reveal any private data to enroll, and Posteo doesn’t retailer IP addresses. Being primarily based in Germany, the service additionally advantages from native privateness legal guidelines.
- Reliability: Good. Posteo has a strong fame for uptime, and the enterprise runs a sustainable mannequin. A number of customers report slight delays in sending emails, probably on account of PGP encryption.
- Options: Honest. No customized domains is the headline drawback, and also you solely begin with 2GB of storage. That mentioned, the net app works effectively and contains each contacts and a calendar function.
- Pricing: Glorious. Whereas Posteo doesn’t provide a free plan, you may get began from €1/month (~$1.17) and add storage, aliases, and calendars on a pay-as-you-go foundation.
The skilled verdict: If you happen to’re searching for a private e mail service, Posteo gives true privateness. The lack to make use of your individual area identify is a dealbreaker for many companies, although.
Suppliers That Missed the Lower
The seven companies above aren’t the one safe e mail platforms you would possibly encounter. Another notable names that didn’t make our listing embrace:
- Runbox: A veteran platform that has constructed up belief over 25 years. Nonetheless, the net app is sort of sluggish, and help is proscribed to e mail and help boards.
- Hushmail: This platform isn’t as safe as it will appear at first, because the app can learn your encryption keys. Meaning your messages may very well be hacked.
- Soverin: Though Soverin shops information in Germany, the corporate maintains entry to your information.
- CounterMail: On paper, this service gives spectacular safety measures. Sadly, the interface is straight out of 1995.
Which Safe E mail Platform Is Proper for You?
Safe e mail is available in many sizes and shapes. Whereas some platforms are typically stronger than others, it’s best to choose your supplier primarily based in your particular wants.
Right here’s a fast cheat sheet:
- For max safety → Tuta Mail, Mailbox.org
- For a safe workplace suite → Proton Mail, Zoho Mail, Mailbox.org
- For compatibility with e mail shoppers → Mailfence, Mailbox.org, Posteo, Zoho Mail
- For complete privateness → Posteo
- For e mail aliases → StartMail
Diving Deeper: How Does Safe E mail Work?
To make a extra knowledgeable determination, it’s value studying how safe e mail companies really work.
Sending an e mail with out encryption is like mailing a postcard.
In concept, solely the recipient ought to see your ideas from Bora Bora. However somebody may take a fast snoop at any time your postcard is in transit.
Once you ship an e mail by way of a safe e mail platform, your message is encrypted. That’s, it’s written in a code that may solely be deciphered by somebody with the precise key.
At the very least, in concept.
There are two foremost varieties of encryption utilized by e mail suppliers:
- Transport encryption (TLS) protects your e mail whereas it travels between servers, like an armored truck carrying mail. However in concept, the postal staff at every cease may nonetheless open and skim it.
- Finish-to-end encryption (E2EE) is far stronger. It encodes your message and shops it in a secure, stopping your supplier from studying it.
Remember that even in the event you’re utilizing a completely safe system, the one who receives your e mail may not be. And that signifies that the contents of your messages may very well be saved on unencrypted servers.
Are Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Safe?
You would possibly assume that encryption can be standardized by now.
The truth is sort of completely different:
- Gmail makes use of TLS by default. You want an enterprise Google Workspace account to entry end-to-end encryption.
- Outlook gives TLS. It doesn’t provide E2EE.
- Yahoo makes use of TLS. There’s no help for E2EE.
Does that matter? It relies upon.
Many inboxes are used for sending outreach emails or advertising updates. For these functions, a TLS-secured service must be simply superb. (If you happen to’re searching for one thing inexpensive, strive DreamHost E mail).
Nonetheless, if your online business e mail handles delicate data, it’s value choosing a service with higher safety.
Shopping for Suggestions from the Internet hosting Consultants
Right here’s a commerce secret: not all suppliers are value your hard-earned money. Some simply discuss a very good sport.
Listed below are some insider ideas from our workforce of internet hosting specialists:
- “Zero information” isn’t at all times zero. Many suppliers nonetheless have entry factors throughout key trade, backup processes, or account restoration. At all times examine the privateness coverage superb print to make sure.
- Server location is simply half the story. Whereas it’s higher in case your supplier makes use of servers in a rustic with good information safety, remember that your messages would possibly move by multiple area.
- Backups and restoration actually matter. Attempt to decide on a supplier that gives totally encrypted backups. Some export in plain textual content (yikes).
- Free e mail often has a hidden price. If you happen to’re not paying something, there’s a very good probability your information is being harvested for promoting functions. The one exception could be very restricted plans.
- Smaller suppliers are typically larger threat. A service that has been well-liked for years is far much less more likely to slip away together with your information than a tiny startup.
Right here’s how the highest safe e mail suppliers evaluate throughout 5 key classes:
Lock Down Your Enterprise E mail
The considered somebody — anybody — studying by your emails is nightmare gas. And the stakes are even larger when your buyer information is on the road.
Safe e mail companies can present some peace of thoughts. However earlier than you improve, take your time to do a little analysis. At all times search for:
- Finish-to-end encryption or robust encryption for transit and relaxation
- Two-factor authentication
- Minimal logging and information storage
- Assured uptime
Searching for higher safety in your web site as effectively? At DreamHost, all our internet hosting plans include free SSL/TLS certificates, two-factor authentication, and computerized backups. Plus, you possibly can add e mail!
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Our premium safety add-on scans your web site weekly to make sure it is freed from malicious code.
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