The Mailinator Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Mailinator in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Mailinator
The Insider’s Guide
Public disposable inboxes and private email testing domains
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Mailinator’s own pages.
Made by Manybrain, Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Mailinator’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Mailinator’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade
Mailinator started as a public disposable email service, and any address at mailinator.com can be read by anyone. It now sells private testing domains, an API, webhooks and SMS testing for QA and development teams. Plans are priced by emails per month, domains and team seats.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Mailinator, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You point a domain at it and wire the API into your tests.
- 1
Best for public throwaway inboxes and email testing
Mailinator has public inboxes anyone can read and private testing domains for QA teams, from $79 a month for 5 seats.
- 2
Paid plans start at $79 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $79 per month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Public inboxes need no sign-up. The free Verified Pro plan adds 1 private domain, API access, 1 user and 10 MB storage, capped at 60 emails a day.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Public and private inboxes
Any name at a public domain works as an inbox the moment mail arrives; paid plans add private domains with unlimited inboxes.
- 6
API and SDKs
Inboxes can be read from test code through an API, with SDK releases for C#, Python, JavaScript and Ruby.
- 7
SMS testing
Business and above can receive SMS in a test suite; numbers are set up on request and cost extra.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 74 of 122
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Mailinator you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Mailinator at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $79 per month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 2-week free trial of the Business plan.
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Manybrain, Inc.
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for public throwaway inboxes and email testing
Mailinator has public inboxes anyone can read and private testing domains for QA teams, from $79 a month for 5 seats. The free Verified Pro plan is capped at 60 emails a day, and SMS and load testing sit on dearer plans.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Business is $79 a month for 5 seats billed yearly, about $15.80 a seat, which is above the dearer quarter of what email services charge. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Public inboxes need no sign-up, and Verified Pro adds 1 private domain and an API at 60 emails a day. A solo tester could live on it. |
| Features | B | Public and private inboxes, an API and SDKs, webhooks and routing rules, with nothing missing from the job of testing mail. SMS and load testing are dearer extras. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You point a domain at it and wire the API into your tests. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with an API and Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Puppeteer and Slack connections. No apps of its own. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Mailinator is for
- Fits if you test sign-up and password-reset emails in code
- Works for QA teams that want a private domain and an API
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you need privacy on the public inboxes, as anyone can read them
- Tight if you stay free: 1 private domain, 10 MB and 60 emails a day
- Pricey if you need SMS, which is bought on request at an extra charge
- Watch out: load testing needs Enterprise
- Watch out: the annual and monthly pages list different Verified Pro limits, 2,000 and 1,000 a month
Good to know
Good for
- QA teams that need to read sign-up, reset and 2FA emails in automated tests
- One-off sign-ups where an address anyone can read is acceptable
Worth knowing
- Public mailinator.com inboxes are readable by anyone, so they are unsuitable for private mail.
- SMS numbers are bought on request at an additional charge.
- The annual and monthly pricing pages list different Verified Pro email limits (2,000 and 1,000 a month).
- Load testing and SMS are not on the free plans; load testing needs Enterprise.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$79
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Mailinator has a free plan. Paid plans start at $79 per month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly).
Public (free)
$0
Unlimited public inboxes with temporary storage and no sign-up; anyone can read them.
Verified Pro
$0
free with verification
1 private domain, 1 user, 10 MB storage and API access. The annual page lists 2,000 emails a month and 60 a day; the monthly page lists 1,000 a month.
Business
$79
per month, 5 seats, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
1 private domain, 100,000 emails a month (3,333 a day), 50 MB storage, webhooks and routing rules.
Business Plus
$159
per month, 10 seats, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
3 private domains, 300,000 emails a month (10,000 a day), 100 MB storage, up to 100 emails a second.
Enterprise
$699
and up, custom pricing; billing basis not stated
5 or more private domains, 3 million or more emails a month, up to 500 emails a second, custom seats and terms.
The free plan
Public inboxes need no sign-up. The free Verified Pro plan adds 1 private domain, API access, 1 user and 10 MB storage, capped at 60 emails a day.
Trying it first
2-week free trial of the Business plan.
Read from mailinator.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The annual pricing page says its plans include a 20% discount on the service plan compared with month-to-month.
Stated on mailinator.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Public disposable inboxes and private email testing domains. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, workflow automation, transactional email.
Public and private inboxes, an API and SDKs, webhooks and routing rules, with nothing missing from the job of testing mail.
- Public and private inboxes
- Any name at a public domain works as an inbox the moment mail arrives; paid plans add private domains with unlimited inboxes.
- API and SDKs
- Inboxes can be read from test code through an API, with SDK releases for C#, Python, JavaScript and Ruby.
- SMS testing
- Business and above can receive SMS in a test suite; numbers are set up on request and cost extra.
- Webhooks and routing rules
- Rules can click links in messages or forward them to tools such as Slack.
- Load testing
- Email load testing needs an Enterprise subscription, per the vendor.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Selenium
- Cypress
- Playwright
- Puppeteer
- Slack
Mailinator is made by Manybrain, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
74/122
Other email apps it is graded above
Mailinator's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on features (B, above 79 of 122) and worst on value for money (C, above 13).
Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $4.92 for the category: 76 of the 76 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 12 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mailinator’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122
- BFree plan and trialAbove 69 of 122
- BFeaturesAbove 79 of 122
- CEase of useAbove 20 of 122
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Mailinator is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Mailinator you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $948 a year.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Mail servers with a good name among inbox providers.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Mailinator’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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Guerrilla Mail, Maildrop, Temp Mail and Burner Mail
The 4 tools Mailinator is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Guerrilla Mail
Free plan · from $9.99/yr
Disposable email inbox that needs no sign-up.
- Guerrilla Mail is open source, according to its own site.
- Mailinator also covers workflow automation and transactional email.
- 3.0GPA
Maildrop
Free
Free public disposable inboxes with a GraphQL API.
- Mailinator also covers workflow automation and transactional email.
- Maildrop also covers inbox filtering.
- 2.6GPA
Temp Mail
Free plan · from $2.99
Disposable email addresses for sign-ups, with a Premium upgrade.
- Only Mailinator lists a web app.
- Only Temp Mail lists an iOS app.
- Mailinator also covers workflow automation and transactional email.
- 1.6GPA
Burner Mail
Paid
Burner email addresses that forward to your real inbox.
- Mailinator has a free plan. Burner Mail does not.
- Only Burner Mail lists a browser extension.
- Mailinator also covers workflow automation and transactional email.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Mailinator free?
Mailinator has a free plan. Public inboxes need no sign-up.
How much does Mailinator cost?
Mailinator lists 5 plans. Public (free): $0.
What platforms does Mailinator work on?
Mailinator is available on Web.
Does Mailinator offer any discounts?
Mailinator publicly lists the following: 20% off with annual billing.
Does Mailinator have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mailinator is listed for Web.
Does Mailinator have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mailinator is listed for Web.
Is Mailinator open source?
Mailinator is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Mailinator have an API?
Yes. Mailinator offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Mailinator integrate with?
Mailinator's listing names Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Puppeteer and Slack.
Does Mailinator have a free trial?
Yes. 2-week free trial of the Business plan.
Who makes Mailinator?
Mailinator is made by Manybrain, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Mailinator?
The closest alternatives to Mailinator in our directory are Guerrilla Mail, Maildrop, Temp Mail and Burner Mail.
How does Mailinator compare with other email apps?
Mailinator's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 74 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 13.
Is Mailinator good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Mailinator C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $4.92 for the category: 76 of the 76 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Mailinator?
To replace Mailinator you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Mailinator’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Manybrain's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Manybrain, Inc. Prices change, so check mailinator.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Mailinator, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mailinator
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Mailinator: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mailinator
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mailinator/guide
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See our other guides
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- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 126 email apps we grade, compared
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- AOL Mail Insider's GuideFree webmail with news and weather in a companion mobile app3.2 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Mailinator’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Mailinator is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Manybrain, Inc. Prices and plans change: check mailinator.com before you buy.