The Runbox Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Runbox 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.
Runbox
The Insider’s Guide
Norwegian paid email hosting with custom domains and no ads
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Runbox’s own pages.
Made by Runbox · checked Nov 12, 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 Runbox’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Runbox’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 26 of the 70 other email apps we grade
Runbox is a paid email service hosted in Norway. Plans differ by storage, number of domains and file space, and every plan offers webmail plus POP, IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV access. The company describes itself as independent and employee-owned, and says its servers run on renewable hydropower.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Runbox, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You point a domain at it and set up addresses and aliases, so there is some setting up before it works.
- 1
Best for paid email on your own domain
Runbox is paid email hosting from Norway, with your own domain and aliases from €19.95 a year.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $1.86 a month
As its pricing page puts it: €19.95 per year (€49.95 for 3 years).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 26 of 70
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 Runbox you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Runbox at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from €19.95 per year (€49.95 for 3 years)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Runbox
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for paid email on your own domain
Runbox is paid email hosting from Norway, with your own domain and aliases from €19.95 a year. There is no free plan, only a 30-day trial, every plan caps you at 5,000 incoming and 500 outgoing messages a day, and it is a web service with no apps on the listing.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Micro 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 | C | No free plan. You get a 30-day trial with no card needed, then it is €19.95 a year at the least. |
| Features | C | Own 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 | C | No 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 | C | Web only on the listing, with standard mail protocols for other mail apps. No apps and no integrations are named. |
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 Runbox is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- People who want paid, ad-free email on their own domain
- Users who prefer Norwegian or European data hosting
- Households sharing a few domains across several aliases
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$1.86
A month to start
Runbox is a paid product with a free trial, starting at €19.95 per year (€49.95 for 3 years).
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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from runbox.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on runbox.comOther savings
60-day money-back guarantee
The homepage lists a 60-day full money-back guarantee on paid plans.
Stated on runbox.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
Norwegian paid email hosting with custom domains and no ads. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: calendar, email client.
Own domains and aliases, open protocols, filters and folders.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Runbox is made by Runbox.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
26/70
Other email apps it is graded above
Runbox's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 26 of the 70 other email apps we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 51 of 70) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $1.86 a month, against a middle price of $4.92 for the category: 9 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 71 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Runbox’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 51 of 70
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 70
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 70
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 70
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 70
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Runbox 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 Runbox you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $22.29 a year.
What you could make
- Calendar: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
What this rests on. Runbox’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
Fastmail, Posteo, mailbox, Mailfence and StartMail
The 5 tools Runbox is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Fastmail
Free trial · from $3/mo
Paid, ad-free email with calendar, contacts and custom domains.
- Only Fastmail lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.0GPA
Posteo
From €1/mo
Ad-free, green-powered email from Berlin for €1 a month.
- Posteo is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Posteo also covers notes.
- 2.6GPA
mailbox
Free trial · from €1/mo
Paid, ad-free email with cloud storage and office tools from Germany.
- mailbox is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- mailbox also covers tasks, documents, video calls and file sync.
- 2.6GPA
Mailfence
Free plan · from €2.50/mo
Private email from Belgium with built-in OpenPGP encryption.
- Mailfence has a free plan. Runbox does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Mailfence lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailfence is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
StartMail
Free trial · from $4.99/mo
Paid private email from the Netherlands with unlimited aliases.
- Only StartMail lists an Android app.
- Runbox also covers calendar.
- StartMail also covers inbox filtering.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 Runbox free?
No, Runbox is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Runbox cost?
Runbox lists 6 plans. Micro: €19.95 per year (€49.95 billed every 3 years).
What platforms does Runbox work on?
Runbox is available on Web.
Does Runbox offer any discounts?
Runbox publicly lists the following: 3-year plans cost less per year; 60-day money-back guarantee.
Does Runbox have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Runbox is listed for Web.
Does Runbox have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Runbox is listed for Web.
Is Runbox open source?
Runbox is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Who makes Runbox?
Runbox is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Runbox?
The closest alternatives to Runbox in our directory are Fastmail, Posteo, mailbox, Mailfence and StartMail.
How does Runbox compare with other email apps?
Runbox's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 26 of the 70 other email apps we grade, and level with 12.
Is Runbox good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Runbox A for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $1.86 a month, against a middle price of $4.92 for the category: 9 of the 56 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Runbox?
To replace Runbox you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Runbox’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Runbox's own pages on 12 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 Runbox. Prices change, so check runbox.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Runbox, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/runbox
- 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, "Runbox: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/runbox
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/runbox/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Runbox, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 74 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- GMX Mail Insider's GuideFree webmail with 65GB storage, aliases and a mail collector3.2 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 Runbox’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. Runbox is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Runbox. Prices and plans change: check runbox.com before you buy.