FlowCrypt vs Mailfence (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FlowCrypt grades higher than Mailfence: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FlowCrypt grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Mailfence grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FlowCrypt
OpenPGP encryption for Gmail, as an extension and mobile apps
Mailfence
Private email from Belgium with built-in OpenPGP encryption
Which one is for you
Pick FlowCrypt if
- Fits if you use Gmail and want to send encrypted messages to anyone
- Works for a company under 100 users that wants it free
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Outlook, as that version is on a waitlist
- Watch out: Workspace Key Manager is priced apart, €799 a year for 10 seats and €899 for 20
- Watch out: Google's client-side encryption needs a Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard or Education Plus licence
- Tight if you're a company over 100 users, as that's sold through sales with no published price
Pick Mailfence if
- Fits if you want OpenPGP encryption in the browser without installing a plug-in
- Works for people who already have PGP keys and want to import and manage them themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 1 GB in all, 500 MB of it for email, and knowledge-base support only
- Skip it if you want every email encrypted without thinking, as you choose message by message
- Not for you if you're on Base and want your own domain or IMAP, which start at Entry
- Watch out: subscriptions aren't refunded, and billing is in euros
- Watch out: free accounts idle for 7 months are suspended and then deleted 5 months later
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlowCryptVery good | 2.6GPAMailfenceGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for companies with under 100 users per domain, with password-protected messages and 25MB attachments. Enterprise is quote-only. | BBase is €2.50 a month billed yearly for 11 GB and 10 aliases, and Entry is €3.50 with 40 GB, 2 custom domains and IMAP access. Both sit inside the lowest-priced quarter of this category, where the middle is $8. Billing is in euros and subscriptions aren't refunded. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for domains under 100 users, with encrypted Gmail, password-protected messages, an encrypted contact page and a mobile app. | CThere is a free plan, with encryption and both phone apps, but the caps bite: 1 GB in total, split into 500 MB of email and 500 MB of documents, support through the knowledge base only, and suspension after 7 months idle. |
| Features | CEncryption inside Gmail, password-protected messages, an encrypted contact page, mobile apps and enterprise administration. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job, and it covers Gmail only. | BOpenPGP in the browser with a keystore to generate, import and export keys, password-locked messages for people without PGP, digital signatures, a shareable calendar, document storage with editing and contact groups. The private-mail job is covered without a plug-in. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up keys, and recipients without FlowCrypt open messages with a password, so there's a learning curve. | CNo rating on record. Encryption needs no plug-in, but you're still managing keys in a keystore and deciding message by message what gets encrypted, since none of it is automatic. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA browser extension plus iOS and Android apps, with Gmail, Google Workspace, Auth0 and OneLogin connections. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app of its own. From the Entry plan up it opens in Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail and eM Client over POP, IMAP, SMTP and ActiveSync; Base has none of that access, and the API comes with Mailfence for Business. |
| Best for | encryption inside Gmail | PGP email without the plug-ins |
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: FlowCrypt and Mailfence. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mailfence also covers calendar and documents.
At a glance
| FlowCrypt | Mailfence | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | €2.50 per month, billed yearly (Base) |
| Free plan | Free for companies with fewer than 100 users, including password-protected messages and attachments up to 25MB. | 1 GB in total (500 MB of email, 500 MB of documents) with encryption and the iOS and Android apps. Support is the knowledge base only, and inactive free accounts are suspended after 7 months. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | FlowCrypt a.s. | ContactOffice Group SA |
| Price read from | flowcrypt.com | mailfence.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FlowCrypt
- It works with Gmail only; an Outlook version is on a waitlist.
- The free tier covers fewer than 100 users per domain and is described for companies below that size.
- Workspace Key Manager is priced separately in euros: €799 a year for 10 seats and €899 for 20.
- Using Google's client-side encryption needs a Workspace Enterprise Plus or Education Standard or Plus license.
Mailfence
- The free plan stops at 1 GB, and free accounts are suspended after 7 months of inactivity and deleted 5 months later.
- Custom domains and POP, IMAP, SMTP and ActiveSync access start at the Entry plan; the Base plan has neither.
- End-to-end encryption is applied message by message: you choose which emails to encrypt.
- Mailfence bills in euros, the dollar figures its pricing table can show are a conversion, and subscriptions are not refunded.
Key features
FlowCrypt
- Encryption inside Gmail
- Send and read OpenPGP-encrypted messages from the Gmail interface, using the Chrome extension or the Firefox extension.
- Password-protected messages
- Send an encrypted message to anyone who does not use OpenPGP, choose when it expires, and let them reply without a plugin.
- Encrypted contact page
- Receive messages and files through a page where senders can write to you without installing anything.
- Mobile apps
- Android and iOS apps are listed on the download page, along with extensions for Brave, Edge and Opera.
- Enterprise administration
- An admin panel with domain-wide restrictions, custom security rules, SSO through OIDC, and key management on your own server.
- Workspace Key Manager
- A separate key service for Google Workspace client-side encryption of Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar.
Mailfence
- OpenPGP end-to-end encryption
- Messages are encrypted in the browser with OpenPGP, so they work with any other OpenPGP service and need no plug-in or add-on. You choose which emails to encrypt.
- Integrated keystore
- Generate, import, publish and export OpenPGP keys inside the account, including several key pairs, and take your keys with you if you move to another service.
- Password-encrypted messages
- A password agreed with the recipient encrypts the message, so people who do not use PGP keys can still read it through a link to Mailfence's servers.
- Digital signatures
- Emails can be signed digitally so the recipient can check that a message really came from you and was not altered on the way.
- Calendar, documents and groups
- The suite adds a calendar that can be shared, document storage with online editing and one-click sharing, and groups for sharing contacts and data.
- Aliases, domains and mail apps
- Paid plans include 10 to 200 aliases. Custom domains with DKIM, SPF and DMARC, and POP, IMAP, SMTP and ActiveSync access, start at the Entry plan.
Plans
FlowCrypt
Free$0
Encrypted Gmail messages, password-protected messages to anyone, encrypted contact page, mobile app; under 100 users per domain.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds over 100 users per domain, admin panel, domain-wide rules, server key management, SLA and DPA; sold through sales.
Mailfence
Free€0
1 GB: 500 MB of email and 500 MB of documents, with encryption and the mobile apps. Support through the knowledge base only.
Base€2.50
per month, billed yearly
11 GB: 5 GB of email and 6 GB of documents, 10 aliases and support by email.
Entry€3.50
per month, billed yearly
40 GB: 10 GB of email and 30 GB of documents, 50 aliases, 2 custom domains, POP, IMAP, SMTP and ActiveSync access, and user management.
Pro€9.50
per month, billed half-yearly
78 GB: 30 GB of email and 48 GB of documents, 100 aliases, 7 custom domains and priority support by email and phone.
Ultra€29
per month, billed monthly
225 GB: 60 GB of email and 165 GB of documents, 200 aliases, 10 custom domains and priority support by email and phone.
Mailfence for BusinessCustom
A customized version with your own domains and branding, a control panel and API, and single sign-on, hosted by Mailfence or on your own servers.
Ways to pay less
FlowCrypt
No public discounts listed.
Mailfence
- Other savings
Discounts for multi-year subscriptions
The knowledge base lists 15% off for a 3-year subscription, 20% for 5 years and 35% for 10 years, arranged by emailing support after upgrading for a single period.
- Nonprofit
Discount for non-profit organizations
Non-profits and organizations that fight for a cause can ask support for a discount. Its size depends on the number of accounts requested and is not published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FlowCrypt or Mailfence?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FlowCrypt publishes no starting price, and Mailfence starts at €2.50 per month, billed yearly (Base).
Which has a free plan, FlowCrypt or Mailfence?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both FlowCrypt and Mailfence have a free plan.
Which platforms do FlowCrypt and Mailfence run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FlowCrypt lists a browser extension and only Mailfence lists a web app. Both list iOS and Android apps. 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.