Maildrop review (2026): is it any good?
Free public disposable inboxes with a GraphQL API
Maildrop report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a free public inbox with an API
Maildrop is a free throwaway inbox service with a GraphQL API and no sign-up. Every inbox is public, it can't send mail, attachments are dropped, and an inbox holds 10 messages.
Who Maildrop is for
- Fits if you need an address for a one-off confirmation email
- Works for developers who want a free inbox to read from code
Who Maildrop is not for
- Not for you if you need privacy, as anyone can read any inbox
- Too light for real mail, as it can't send and drops attachments
- Tight if you wait for slow mail, as an inbox keeps 10 messages and clears after 24 hours without mail
- Watch out: connections are logged, and the vendor can't say what happened to a missing email
Why Maildrop gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree outright, with no sign-up and no account to pay for.
- AFree plan and trialThe whole service is free, including API access with rate limits.
- CFeaturesReceiving mail at any address on its domain, spam filtering and an API. It does the throwaway job fully, which is a smaller job, and it can't send.
- BEase of useNo account and nothing to set up: pick an address and read it.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with a GraphQL API. No apps listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Heluna's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/maildrop#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/maildrop.svg" alt="Maildrop: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Maildrop stands among email apps
Maildrop's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 100 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 97 of 122) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Maildrop has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Maildrop’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 88 of 122, level with 34
- AFree plan and trialAbove 97 of 122, level with 25
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 122, level with 77
- BEase of useAbove 94 of 122, level with 23
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 122, level with 46
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Maildrop, or make your own?
Keep it
Maildrop is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 100 of the 122 other email apps we grade.
What you could not
- Filters that read every message as it arrives.
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. Maildrop’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Maildrop?
Maildrop is a free throwaway email service: pick any name at maildrop.cc and read that inbox, with no sign-up or password. Inboxes are public by design and are cleared after 24 hours without new mail. A GraphQL API lets developers read test messages in code.
Worth knowing
- Every inbox is public: the privacy policy says anyone can read any message and to send nothing sensitive.
- Maildrop cannot send email, and attachments are discarded.
- An inbox holds at most 10 messages and is cleared after 24 hours without new mail, sooner when space runs short.
- Connections are logged, and the vendor cannot say what happened to a missing email.
Key features
- No sign-up
- Make up an address at maildrop.cc, give it out, then type it into the site to read the inbox.
- Spam filtering
- Filters from Heluna, plus greylisting, sender checks and subject checks, block most spam before it reaches an inbox.
- GraphQL API
- Developers can list a mailbox, read or delete a message and fetch statistics over a GraphQL endpoint.
- Strict message handling
- Messages must be under 500k and all attachments are removed and discarded.
Maildrop pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Maildrop is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Entire service is free: no sign-up, up to 10 messages per inbox, API access with rate limits.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Any address at maildrop.cc, no account, 10 messages per inbox, inboxes cleared after 24 hours without mail. |
Read from maildrop.cc on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Maildrop before you buy.
Maildrop alternatives
- Maildrop vs Guerrilla Mail
Free plan · from $9.99/yr
- Maildrop vs Mailinator
Free plan · from $79/mo
- Maildrop vs Temp Mail
Free plan · from $2.99
Common questions
Does Maildrop have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Maildrop is listed for Web.
Does Maildrop have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Maildrop is listed for Web.
Is Maildrop open source?
Maildrop is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Maildrop have an API?
Yes. Maildrop offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.