FlowCrypt vs StartMail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FlowCrypt grades higher than StartMail: 3.0 against 1.8 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, the free plan and platforms. 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.
FlowCrypt
OpenPGP encryption for Gmail, as an extension and mobile apps
StartMail
Paid private email from the Netherlands with unlimited aliases
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 StartMail if
- Fits if you want a paid, ad-free mailbox hosted in the Netherlands
- Works for people who want a separate alias for every sign-up
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you won't give payment details for a trial, as it asks for a card or PayPal up front
- Skip it if you want an iPhone app today, because the iOS app is still listed as coming soon
- Too light for anyone who wants a calendar or file storage along with their email
- Tight if you need more than one custom domain on Personal, as unlimited domains need Business at $6.99
- Watch out: there's no desktop app, so outside Android you use the browser or set up IMAP yourself
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlowCryptVery good | 1.8GPAStartMailWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree for companies with under 100 users per domain, with password-protected messages and 25MB attachments. Enterprise is quote-only. | CPersonal is $4.99 a month billed annually ($59.88), or $6.99 monthly, for 20 GB, unlimited aliases and one custom domain. That's the ordinary band for this category, and dearer than other private mailboxes: Posteo and mailbox both start at €1 a month. |
| 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. | DNo free plan. There's a 7-day free trial, but a credit card or PayPal account is required at sign-up, so you hand over payment details before you've sent a single email. |
| 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. | CUnlimited aliases, with burners that vanish after an hour, one-click PGP, password-protected mail for people without it, hidden external images and full IMAP with a migration tool. But its own feature list covers mail and contacts only, with no calendar and no file storage. |
| 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. Encrypting is one click and a migration tool brings your old mail and contacts over, but on anything but Android you're in the browser or setting up IMAP in another mail app yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA browser extension plus iOS and Android apps, with Gmail, Google Workspace, Auth0 and OneLogin connections. No desktop app. | CThe browser and an Android app, and that's the lot: no desktop app, and the iPhone app is still listed as coming soon. Full IMAP and SMTP access means Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail or K-9 Mail can fill the gap. |
| Best for | encryption inside Gmail | private email with an alias for every sign-up |
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 StartMail. How we grade
Where they differ
- FlowCrypt is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- StartMail also covers inbox filtering.
At a glance
| FlowCrypt | StartMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $4.99 per month, billed annually ($59.88) |
| Free plan | Free for companies with fewer than 100 users, including password-protected messages and attachments up to 25MB. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial; a credit card or PayPal account is required at sign-up |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | FlowCrypt a.s. | StartMail B.V. |
| Price read from | flowcrypt.com | startmail.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.
StartMail
- There is no free plan, and the 7-day trial asks for a credit card or PayPal account at sign-up.
- The only app is for Android; the iOS app is listed as coming soon. Elsewhere it runs in the browser or in other mail apps over IMAP.
- Personal accounts are limited to one custom domain; unlimited domains and shared aliases need the Business plan.
- The feature list covers email and contacts only and does not mention a calendar or file storage.
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.
StartMail
- Unlimited aliases
- Extra addresses can be created and deleted at any time, on the StartMail domain or your own, and one-click burner aliases disappear on their own after an hour.
- PGP encryption
- One click encrypts a message with PGP or adds a PGP signature, and an IMAP mail client can be set up for end-to-end encryption with OpenPGP.
- Password-protected email
- Encrypted messages can be sent to people who do not use encryption: the recipient reads and answers them with a password you set.
- Tracking and phishing protection
- External images are hidden by default to block tracking pixels, a warning shows the full address before an external link opens, and your IP address is kept out of sent mail.
- Custom domains and group subscriptions
- Personal accounts can use one custom domain and Business accounts any number. Extra accounts for family or team members are 25% off, and Business groups can share aliases.
- IMAP access and migration
- Full IMAP and SMTP access for Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail and similar apps, plus a migration tool that imports email and contacts from other providers.
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.
StartMail
Personal$4.99
per month, billed annually ($59.88); $6.99 billed monthly
An address on the StartMail domain or one custom domain, unlimited aliases and 20 GB of storage. Annual plans can be paid in Bitcoin.
Business$6.99
per month, billed annually ($83.88); $8.99 billed monthly
An address on your own domain, unlimited domains, 30 GB of storage and shared aliases on a custom domain within a group subscription.
Ways to pay less
FlowCrypt
No public discounts listed.
StartMail
- Annual discount
Save $24 a year with annual billing
Personal costs $59.88 a year ($4.99 a month) against $6.99 a month when billed monthly, and Business $83.88 a year against $8.99 a month. The pricing page puts the saving at $24.
- Other savings
25% off additional accounts
Any number of extra accounts for family members or colleagues can be added to a subscription as a group, each at 25% off the regular rate.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FlowCrypt or StartMail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FlowCrypt publishes no starting price, and StartMail starts at $4.99 per month, billed annually ($59.88).
Which has a free plan, FlowCrypt or StartMail?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FlowCrypt has a free plan. StartMail does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FlowCrypt and StartMail run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FlowCrypt lists an iOS app and a browser extension and only StartMail lists a web 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.