Migadu vs Runbox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Runbox grades higher than Migadu: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Runbox grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Migadu
Swiss email hosting with unlimited addresses at a flat price
Runbox
Norwegian paid email hosting with custom domains and no ads
Which one is for you
Pick Migadu if
- Fits if you own a domain and want many addresses without per-mailbox prices
- Works for people who are comfortable setting up DNS records
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need 2FA on mailboxes or encryption, as its own page says it has neither
- Skip it if you want phone or chat support, as it offers neither
- Tight if you send in volume: daily limits apply, and it says it's meant for human email, not bulk
- Watch out: Micro lacks mailbox limit settings, welcome messages and multi-administrator access
- Watch out: the interface is English only
Pick Runbox if
- Fits if you want a paid inbox on your own domain at under €20 a year
- Works for people who want mail kept in Norway and read through ordinary mail apps
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because after 30 days it is €19.95 a year at the least
- Tight if you send in volume: 500 outgoing and 5,000 incoming messages a day on every plan
- Tight if you need space, as Micro is 2 GB of mail and 1 domain
- Watch out: prices are in euros, billed per year or per 3 years, with no monthly option
- Watch out: the homepage quotes a dollar price that does not match the pricing page
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMigaduFair | 2.4GPARunboxFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BMicro is $19 a year, about $1.58 a month, but it's limited to 200 incoming and 20 outgoing messages a day. Mini at $9 a month is where limits loosen. | AMicro is €19.95 a year, about €1.66 a month, under 60% of the $3.99 the cheaper quarter of email tools starts at. Larger plans climb to €179.95 a year, and there is no monthly billing. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial with no card, though the listing doesn't state its length. No free plan. Refunds are 100% within 14 days. | CNo free plan. You get a 30-day trial with no card needed, then it is €19.95 a year at the least. |
| Features | CUnlimited addresses and domains, standard protocols, setup help and forwarding. Gaps its own page lists: no 2FA on mailboxes, no encryption, a basic calendar and an English-only interface. | COwn domains and aliases, open protocols, filters and folders. Every plan has daily limits of 5,000 incoming and 500 outgoing messages, and Micro holds 2 GB. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You point your domain's DNS at it and use standard mail apps, with no first-party apps. | CNo store rating on record. You point a domain at it and set up addresses and aliases, so there is some setting up before it works. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, plus standard IMAP clients. No phone or desktop app of its own, and no integrations listed. | CWeb only on the listing, with standard mail protocols for other mail apps. No apps and no integrations are named. |
| Best for | unlimited addresses on your own domain | paid email on your own domain |
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: Migadu and Runbox. How we grade
Price against what you get
Migadu starts at $1.58 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Runbox starts at about $1.86 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Migadu starts $0.28 a month lower. Of the other email apps on the chart, 11 score higher than Migadu for less, and 13 score higher than Runbox for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Migadu | Runbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19 per year (Micro, no monthly option) | €19.95 per year (€49.95 for 3 years) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial, no credit card required; length not stated | 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Migadu | Runbox |
| Price read from | migadu.com | runbox.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Migadu
- Its own drawbacks page lists no 2FA on mailboxes, no encryption, basic calendar, English-only interface and no phone or chat support.
- Daily incoming and outgoing limits apply per plan, and Migadu says it is meant for human email use, not bulk sending.
- The Micro plan lacks mailbox limit settings, welcome messages and multi-administrator access.
- Refunds are 100% within 14 days, though extensive use may be deducted.
Runbox
- Prices are listed in euros and billed per year or per 3 years; there is no monthly billing.
- There is no free plan; the first 30 days are a trial.
- Daily limits of 5,000 incoming and 500 outgoing messages apply on every plan.
- The homepage quotes a dollar price that does not match the euro prices on the pricing page.
Key features
Migadu
- Unlimited addresses and domains
- Plans are flat per account; extra mailboxes, addresses and domains cost nothing, and usage across them counts toward one quota.
- Standard protocols
- Webmail, SMTP, IMAP4 and POP3, with no proprietary protocols or clients, so any current mail client works.
- Setup help
- Migadu says it can set up your DNS for email for you at no extra fee, and includes a built-in DNS service.
- Soft storage limits
- Storage allowances are soft, so mail does not bounce for a full mailbox; daily message limits are enforced.
- Forwarding and auto-responders
- Messages can be forwarded to up to 25 other addresses, and an auto-responder handles absences.
Runbox
- Own domains and aliases
- Each plan includes 100 aliases on Runbox domains and unlimited aliases on your own domains, with 1 to 100 domains depending on the plan.
- Open protocols
- Mail can be used through the web app or any client over POP, IMAP and SMTP, with contacts and calendar over CardDAV and CalDAV.
- Limits on every plan
- Messages up to 100 MB, 5,000 incoming and 500 outgoing messages a day on all plans, with two-factor authentication.
- Norwegian hosting
- Data is hosted in Norway under Norwegian privacy rules, on servers the company says run on hydropower.
- Filters and folders
- Messages can be consolidated from other accounts and filtered, and a calendar and contacts are included.
Plans
Migadu
Micro$19
per year, no monthly option
5 GB, 200 incoming and 20 outgoing messages a day, with some features unavailable.
Mini$9
per month, flat per account
30 GB, 1,000 incoming and 100 outgoing messages a day, best-effort support.
Standard$29
per month, flat per account
100 GB, 3,000 incoming and 500 outgoing messages a day, with office-hours support.
Maxi$99
per month, flat per account
500 GB, 10,000 incoming and 2,000 outgoing messages a day, with 24x7 priority support.
Runbox
Micro€19.95
per year (€49.95 billed every 3 years)
2 GB email storage, 200 MB file storage and 1 email domain.
Mini€34.95
per year (€84.95 billed every 3 years)
10 GB email storage, 1 GB file storage and 5 email domains.
Medium€49.95
per year (€119.95 billed every 3 years)
25 GB email storage, 2 GB file storage and 10 email domains.
Max€79.95
per year (€189.95 billed every 3 years)
50 GB email storage, 5 GB file storage and 25 email domains.
Max100€119.95
per year (€284.95 billed every 3 years)
100 GB email storage, 10 GB file storage and 50 email domains.
Max250€179.95
per year (€424.95 billed every 3 years)
250 GB email storage, 25 GB file storage and 100 email domains.
Ways to pay less
Migadu
- Annual discount
Yearly plans save at least a month
Mini, Standard and Maxi cost $90, $290 and $990 per year, which the pricing FAQ says saves at least one month against monthly billing.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for non-profits and students
The pricing FAQ says non-profits get a significant discount on request, and students do too with a valid student ID.
Runbox
- Annual discount
3-year plans cost less per year
Paying for 3 years at once costs less than three single years: for Micro €49.95 instead of €59.85 and for Max €189.95 instead of €239.85.
- Other savings
60-day money-back guarantee
The homepage lists a 60-day full money-back guarantee on paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Migadu or Runbox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Migadu is cheaper to start with: $1.58 a month when paid by the year, against about $1.86 a month for Runbox. Migadu starts at $19 per year (Micro, no monthly option), and Runbox starts at €19.95 per year (€49.95 for 3 years).
Which has a free plan, Migadu or Runbox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Migadu nor Runbox has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.