Alternatives · Email
Riseup alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Riseup alternative for most people is Proton Mail (3.0 GPA), third in our ranking of email apps. It's also the best free one.
Riseup compared with 5 alternatives: Posteo, mailbox, Proton Mail, Tuta Mail and Mailfence.
Riseup is free to use. 3 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| RiseupThis tool | Free | Free | Web |
| Posteo | From €1/mo | No | Web |
| mailbox | Free trial · from €1/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Proton Mail | Free plan · from $3.99/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Tuta Mail | Free plan · from €3/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Mailfence | Free plan · from €2.50/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
Riseup has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
mailbox, Proton Mail, Tuta Mail and Mailfence score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Riseup
Posteo
Ad-free, green-powered email from Berlin for €1 a month
- Posteo starts at €1 per month, prepaid (minimum top-up €12).
- Posteo has no free plan, unlike Riseup.
- Posteo is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Posteo also covers notes and calendar.
- Posteo does not cover vPN, which Riseup does.
Suits: People who want a low-cost, ad-free mailbox they pay for directly
mailbox
Paid, ad-free email with cloud storage and office tools from Germany
- mailbox starts at €1 per month, annual payment only (€12 a year, Light).
- mailbox has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Riseup.
- mailbox is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- mailbox also covers tasks, calendar, documents, video calls and file sync.
- mailbox does not cover vPN, which Riseup does.
Suits: People who want paid, ad-free email hosted in Germany
Proton Mail
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland
- Proton Mail starts at $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly.
- Proton Mail also lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Proton Mail also covers calendar.
- Proton Mail does not cover vPN, which Riseup does.
Suits: People who want an email provider that cannot read their messages
Tuta Mail
End-to-end encrypted email and calendar from Germany
- Tuta Mail starts at €3 per month, paid yearly (lowest paid personal plan).
- Tuta Mail also lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Tuta Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Tuta Mail also covers calendar.
- Tuta Mail does not cover vPN, which Riseup does.
Suits: People who want mail, calendar and contacts encrypted by default
Mailfence
Private email from Belgium with built-in OpenPGP encryption
- Mailfence starts at €2.50 per month, billed yearly (Base).
- Mailfence also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailfence is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mailfence also covers calendar and documents.
- Mailfence does not cover vPN, which Riseup does.
Suits: People who want OpenPGP encryption without installing a plug-in
Limits worth knowing in Riseup
- Accounts need an invite code, so you cannot simply sign up.
- Email storage is capped at 1 GB, and Trash and Spam folders are emptied after 21 and 7 days.
- Mail is not end-to-end encrypted unless you add Mailvelope or your own OpenPGP; a stolen password exposes all mail.
- A lost password with no recovery code means the account and its mail cannot be recovered.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Riseup?
The alternatives to Riseup in this directory are Posteo, mailbox, Proton Mail, Tuta Mail and Mailfence. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Riseup.
Is there a free alternative to Riseup?
Yes. Proton Mail, Tuta Mail and Mailfence have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Riseup alternatives work on Windows?
The Riseup listing does not include a Windows app. Proton Mail and Tuta Mail list one.
Which Riseup alternatives work on macOS?
The Riseup listing does not include a macOS app. Proton Mail and Tuta Mail list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Riseup?
Posteo, Proton Mail and Tuta Mail are described as open source on their own sites.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
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