Aqua Mail vs FairEmail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FairEmail grades higher than Aqua Mail: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Aqua Mail grades higher on platforms. FairEmail grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Aqua Mail
Email app for Android and iOS that handles many accounts at once
FairEmail
Open source, privacy-oriented email client for Android
Which one is for you
Pick Aqua Mail if
- Fits if you read three or four mailboxes from different providers on your phone
- Works for people who would sooner pay once than every month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a desktop or web app too, as it's phones only
- Tight if you stay free: one account, with ads and only part of the features
- Pricey if you go monthly, at $9.99 a month
- Watch out: the $1 first-term offer renews at $9.99 a month
- Watch out: the pricing page loads prices with JavaScript, so the yearly view is not on record
Pick FairEmail if
- Fits if you want an Android mail app with no ads that asks before loading images or links
- Works for people with several accounts at different IMAP or POP3 providers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you also read mail on an iPhone or a computer, as it's Android only
- Not for you if your work mail needs Exchange ActiveSync or Web Services, which aren't supported
- Too light for anyone who wants calendar, contacts and tasks in the same app
- Watch out: the F-Droid build can't reuse a Play Store purchase and has no Gmail quick setup
- Tight if you want AI or translation, as DeepL, OpenAI and Gemini each need your own API key
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAqua MailFair | 2.4GPAFairEmailFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $9.99 a month, but the family plan works out at $1.99 a head and the one-off is $99.99. That's under two years of what the typical email app charges, so the one-off is the way in. | AThe pro features are a one-time $7.49 on US Google Play, covering every current and future one, where email tools here run about $8 a month. Installed from outside the Play Store it's a donation of €7 or more instead, which then covers all your Android devices. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree covers one account, with ads and only some of the features. Add a second mailbox and you're paying. | BFree and ad-free with unlimited accounts and addresses, a unified inbox, threading, offline storage and OpenPGP, enough for one person to use day to day. Snooze, send later, reply templates and filter rules are the paid parts. |
| Features | CUnlimited accounts on paid plans, manual IMAP and POP3, colour-coding and scheduled backups. It does the phone-mail job and the listing shows no real gap, but nothing here goes past the basics. | CIt does the mail job: any number of IMAP or POP3 accounts, offline storage, tracking images disabled, PGP and S/MIME, and with pro, snooze, send later and filter rules. The limits are its own: no Exchange Web Services or ActiveSync, and it's mail only, not a calendar or task app. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You still add each mailbox yourself, and there are hundreds of settings to wade through if you go looking. | CNo rating on record, and it's a settings-heavy app: PGP runs through a separate app such as OpenKeychain, DeepL, OpenAI and Gemini each need your own API key, and the F-Droid build has no OAuth, so Gmail's quick setup is missing there. |
| Platforms and integrations | CAndroid and iPhone only. No desktop app and no web version, so it's one family of devices. | DOne operating system: Android phones, tablets and ChromeOS, with no iOS, desktop or web version at all. It connects to most providers over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP, with Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo among them. |
| Best for | one inbox for many mailboxes on a phone | private, open-source email on Android |
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: Aqua Mail and FairEmail. How we grade
Where they differ
- FairEmail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Aqua Mail | FairEmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month (Premium) | $7.49 one-time (pro features, US Google Play in-app purchase) |
| Free plan | Free: one account with ads and limited access to key, advanced and customization features. | The app is free without ads: unlimited accounts and addresses, unified inbox, threading, offline storage and OpenPGP. Pro features such as snooze, send later and filter rules are paid. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Aqua Mail | FairCode B.V. |
| Price read from | aqua-mail.com | play.google.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Aqua Mail
- The free version is limited to one account and shows ads.
- The pricing page loads prices with JavaScript; a Yearly toggle exists that was not captured, so only the monthly view is recorded.
- The $1 first-term offer renews at $9.99 a month, per the page's footnote.
- Phone apps only; no desktop client is listed.
FairEmail
- Supported on Android phones, tablets and ChromeOS only. There is no iOS, desktop or web version.
- Microsoft Exchange Web Services and ActiveSync are not supported; accounts connect over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.
- The F-Droid build cannot reuse a Play Store purchase and does not support OAuth sign-in, so the Gmail quick setup is missing there.
- It is an email client only: the Play listing says it is not a calendar, contact, task or note manager.
Key features
Aqua Mail
- Many accounts, one inbox
- Supports unlimited accounts on paid plans, covering major providers and manually entered IMAP or POP3 servers.
- Privacy approach
- The vendor says the app is not cloud based and does not store passwords or emails on its servers.
- Customization
- The site advertises hundreds of settings for personalizing the mail experience, such as color-coding accounts.
- Scheduled backups
- The vendor's blog covers scheduled backups so messages are not lost if an account or phone changes.
- Android and iOS
- Download buttons for both platforms are on the site, and the app lists in-app purchases on Google Play.
FairEmail
- Unified inbox for unlimited accounts
- Any number of accounts and email addresses can be added, with a unified inbox, conversation threading, two-way synchronization and push through IMAP IDLE.
- Offline storage and operations
- Messages are stored on the device, and actions taken while offline are synchronized later. The developer states that no data is stored on third-party servers.
- Tracking and phishing protections
- The app asks before showing images or opening links, tries to recognize and disable tracking images, reformats messages and warns when a message could not be authenticated.
- OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption
- Optional end-to-end encryption uses PGP, through the separate OpenKeychain or PGPony app, or S/MIME. Signing and encrypting with S/MIME is one of the pro features.
- Snooze, send later and filter rules
- The pro purchase adds snoozing, sending after a chosen time, reply templates, filter rules, automatic message classification, search indexing and a message list widget.
- Optional translation and AI services
- DeepL translation, LanguageTool grammar and style checks, and OpenAI or Gemini can be turned on in the integration settings. DeepL, OpenAI and Gemini each need your own API key.
Plans
Aqua Mail
Free$0
One account, with ads and limited access to features.
Premium$9.99
per month
Unlimited accounts, no ads and full access; the page also offers a first-term promotion.
Family$1.99
per user / month, billed annually ($144 a year)
For up to 6 users; unlimited accounts, no ads and full access.
One-off$99.99
one-time
Unlimited accounts, no ads and full access; shown with $199 crossed out.
FairEmail
Free$0
Unlimited accounts and email addresses, unified inbox, conversation threading, offline storage and the privacy features. No advertisements.
Pro features (Google Play)$7.49
one-time in-app purchase (US Google Play)
All current and future pro features, including snooze, send later, reply templates, filter rules, S/MIME signing and biometric lock. No subscription.
Pro features (GitHub version)€7 or more
one-time donation
For copies installed outside the Play Store. €7 or more activates pro features on every Android device you own; a smaller donation activates them once.
Ways to pay less
Aqua Mail
- Other savings
First term for $1, 80% off Premium
The pricing page promotes Aqua Mail for only $1 with the footnote that it renews at $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
FairEmail
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Aqua Mail or FairEmail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Aqua Mail starts at $9.99 per month (Premium), and FairEmail starts at $7.49 one-time (pro features, US Google Play in-app purchase).
Which has a free plan, Aqua Mail or FairEmail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Aqua Mail and FairEmail have a free plan.
Which platforms do Aqua Mail and FairEmail run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Aqua Mail lists an iOS app. Both list an Android app. 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.