Best Gmail alternatives
Where to go from Gmail, depending on why you're leaving: ads, privacy, your own domain or one company holding everything.
- 1
Fastmail
The closest to Gmail without the ads or Google account: standard IMAP, own domains, Masked Email, calendar and contacts, from $60 a year. Fastmail can still read stored mail.
- Free plan
- No
- Cheapest paid, per year
- $60
- Who can read stored mail
- The provider can
- Apple Mail and Outlook
- Yes
- Owner
- Fastmail Pty Ltd
- 2
Proton Mail
If privacy is the reason: zero-access storage, open-source apps, a free plan without ads, and Proton's own import tool for Gmail. Mail Plus is $47.88 a year.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid, per year
- $47.88
- Who can read stored mail
- Only you
- Apple Mail and Outlook
- Bridge app
- Owner
- Proton AG
- 3
Tuta
Encrypts subject lines, contacts and calendars too, from €36 a year with 3 own domains. You must use Tuta's own apps, because there's no IMAP.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid, per year
- €36
- Who can read stored mail
- Only you
- Apple Mail and Outlook
- No
- Owner
- Tutao GmbH
Worth knowing. Moving is easiest in two steps: forward new Gmail to the new address first, then import the old mail. Keep the Gmail account open for a while, because sign-ins elsewhere still point to it.