Mailfence vs Posteo

Mailfence

• People who want OpenPGP encryption without installing a plug-in
• PGP users who want to import and manage their own keys
• Trying a private mailbox on a free plan before paying

Posteo

• People who want a low-cost, ad-free mailbox they pay for directly
• Signing up without handing over a name, address or phone number
• Buyers who care about green energy and a company financed only by its users

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.

Posteo

• Custom domains are not supported; addresses use Posteo's own domains such as posteo.de, posteo.net or posteo.com.
• There is no free plan and no trial account, though credit is refunded in full if you cancel within the first month.
• Payment is prepaid in euros, with a minimum top-up of €12, which is about one year's fees.
• It is used through webmail and a web app or through other mail apps over IMAP or POP3, and it offers no cloud storage.

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.

Posteo

One flat-priced account

€1 a month covers email with 4 GB of storage, 3 aliases, 3 calendars, an address book and notes. Storage can grow to 75 GB and aliases to 25 for small monthly add-on fees.

Encryption of stored data

Crypto mail storage encrypts saved email, attachments, metadata and notes, and the address book and calendar can each be encrypted with your own password at the press of a button.

End-to-end encryption in webmail

PGP through the Mailvelope plug-in and S/MIME through Posteo's own plug-in work inside the webmail interface, and incoming mail can be encrypted with either.

Sign-up without personal details

Registration asks for no name or address, payment data is kept separate from email accounts, and credit can be added by bank transfer, PayPal, credit card or cash.

Calendar, contacts and notes

Calendars sync over CalDAV and can be shared read-only by ICS link, contacts sync over CardDAV, and notes can be synchronized with Apple Notes.

Passkeys and login protection

Login supports two-factor authentication (TOTP), up to 5 passkeys and up to 5 app passwords. An extra protection mode blocks access from external programs over IMAP.

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.

Posteo

• Email account€1

  per month, prepaid from account credit

  4 GB of storage, 3 aliases, 3 calendars, address book and notes. Extra storage costs €0.25 per GB a month and extra aliases or calendars €0.10 each.

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.

Posteo

No public discounts listed.