addy.io vs Firefox Relay (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, addy.io grades higher than Firefox Relay: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
addy.io grades higher on value for money and platforms. Firefox Relay grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
addy.io
Email alias forwarding that hides your real address from sites
Firefox Relay
Email and phone masks that forward to your real inbox
Which one is for you
Pick addy.io if
- Fits if you want a different address for each website, forwarding to one inbox
- Works for people who want replies sent from an alias without exposing their real address
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a mailbox, as it forwards to an inbox you already have and stores nothing
- Tight if you stay free: 10MB of bandwidth a month
- Watch out: replying or sending from an alias needs a paid plan
- Watch out: Duo and Family aren't sold through the App Store or Play Store, according to the FAQ
Pick Firefox Relay if
- Fits if you want a throwaway address for a few sign-ups
- Works for people who already use Firefox and want masks built into it
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want more than 5 masks, as Premium shows no price and is waitlist only
- Not for you if you need to reply from a mask, as the free plan can't
- Watch out: Mozilla advises against masks for banks, doctors, lawyers and mail with attachments you must receive
- Watch out: Relay Premium is limited to listed countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and most of the EU
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAaddy.ioGood | 2.2GPAFirefox RelayFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ALite is $1 a month billed yearly and Pro is $3, against a category whose cheaper quarter starts at $3.99. Lite is under 60% of that. | CThe free plan is the only plan you can sign up for. Premium shows no price and a Join the Waitlist button, so there's no price on record. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for unlimited standard aliases, 10 shared-domain aliases and 1 recipient, but only 10MB of bandwidth a month. Replying from an alias is paid. | CFree for 5 email masks, the extension and tracker removal. Five masks is a cap you'll hit, and the free plan can't reply from a mask. |
| Features | CUsername and random aliases, replies, your own domain, tracking-pixel blocking, OpenPGP and an API. It does the alias job fully, but that's a smaller job than a mailbox: it forwards mail and stores none. | CEmail masks, a browser extension and tracker removal. Gaps: replies and promo blocking sit on Premium, and phone masking has no price shown. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You point aliases at an inbox you already have, and custom domains need DNS records. | BNo store rating on record. You install the extension and click to make a mask, with nothing else to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS, Android and browser extensions, with Bitwarden and Raycast connections and an API. No desktop app. | CWeb and a browser extension only, with no phone app, desktop app or integrations listed. |
| Best for | email aliases that forward to your inbox | email masks from Mozilla |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: addy.io and Firefox Relay. How we grade
Where they differ
- addy.io is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Firefox Relay also covers inbox filtering and ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| addy.io | Firefox Relay | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1 per month, billed yearly (Lite) | Not published |
| Free plan | Unlimited standard aliases, 10 active shared domain aliases, 1 recipient, 2 alias domains and 10MB of bandwidth a month. | 5 email masks, the browser extension and removal of email trackers from forwarded mail. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | addy.io | Mozilla |
| Price read from | addy.io | relay.firefox.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
addy.io
- It forwards to an inbox you already have; it is not a mailbox and does not store your mail.
- The free plan allows 10MB of bandwidth a month, and replying or sending from an alias needs a paid plan.
- Duo and Family are not sold through the App Store or Play Store, according to the FAQ.
Firefox Relay
- Premium and phone plans show no price and a Join the Waitlist button, so only the free plan can be signed up for.
- The free plan stops at 5 masks and cannot reply from a mask; masks go to your existing inbox.
- Mozilla advises against masks for banks, doctors, lawyers and mail with attachments you must receive.
- Relay Premium is limited to listed countries, including the US, Canada, the UK and most of the EU.
Key features
addy.io
- Username and random aliases
- Make up shop@yourname.anonaddy.com on the spot, or generate a random address. The alias is created when its first email arrives.
- Replies from aliases
- Reply to forwarded mail, or start a new message, without showing your real address. Paid plans only, capped at 50 or 200 a day.
- Your own domain
- Paid plans can use domains you own, with catch-all control and an option to create aliases only when they match a regex.
- Tracking pixel blocking
- Removes 1x1 tracking images from forwarded mail and links each message to a report of what was taken out. Paid plans only.
- OpenPGP encryption
- Forwarded mail can be encrypted with your public key, with the subject line hidden, on every plan.
- Apps, extensions and API
- Open-source iOS and Android apps, extensions for Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Safari, a REST API, and a self-hosting guide.
Firefox Relay
- Email masks
- Each mask forwards to your true address, and you can turn forwarding off for one mask without touching the rest.
- Browser extension
- An add-on creates a mask on a site's sign-up form. The homepage links the Firefox add-on, and masks can be made from the dashboard in other browsers.
- Tracker removal
- Common email trackers are stripped from forwarded mail, and this is included on the free plan.
- Promo blocking
- Premium can block promotional mail while still forwarding receipts and shipping notices. Blocking is not exact, so important mail can occasionally be caught.
- Anonymous replies
- Premium lets you reply to a forwarded email within 3 months of receiving it, and gives a custom mozmail.com mask domain.
- Phone masking
- A phone mask forwards calls and texts to your number and lets you reply to texts. The phone plan is a waitlist.
Plans
addy.io
Free$0
Unlimited standard aliases, 10 active shared domain aliases, 1 recipient and 10MB monthly bandwidth.
Lite$1
per month, billed yearly
50 shared domain aliases, 1 custom domain, 5 recipients, 50 replies a day and tracking pixel blocking.
Pro$3
per month, billed yearly ($4 billed monthly)
Unlimited shared domain aliases and bandwidth, 20 custom domains, 30 recipients and 200 replies a day.
Duo$4.50
per month for 2 members, billed yearly ($6 billed monthly)
Pro for two people, each on an independent account, with optional shared custom domains.
Family$7.50
per month for 5 members, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly)
Pro for five people, each on an independent account, billed as one subscription.
Firefox Relay
Limited email protection$0
5 email masks, the browser extension and removal of email trackers.
Relay PremiumCustom
Unlimited masks, a custom mask domain, replies and promo blocking; no price shown, waitlist only.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, addy.io or Firefox Relay?
As of Nov 12, 2026, addy.io starts at $1 per month, billed yearly (Lite), and Firefox Relay publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, addy.io or Firefox Relay?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both addy.io and Firefox Relay have a free plan.
Which platforms do addy.io and Firefox Relay run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only addy.io lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.