vs
Fastmail vs Gmail
Paying for email or paying with ads. Gmail is free with 15 GB and ads; Fastmail costs $60 a year with no ads, own domains and Masked Email. Neither encrypts stored mail with keys only you hold.
Which one to pick
Pick Fastmail if
- You want no ads and no Google account behind your inbox
- You want your own domain without a business suite
- You want a new random address for every sign-up (Masked Email)
Pick Gmail if
- You don't want to pay for email
- You live in Google's apps (Docs, Drive, Photos, Android)
Where they differ most
Cheapest paid plan
- Fastmail
- $60/yr, Individual
- Gmail
- $23.88/yr, Google One Basic (100 GB) (12 × monthly)
Cheapest with your own domain
- Fastmail
- $60/yr, Individual
- Gmail
- $84/yr, Google Workspace Business Starter
Free plan
- Fastmail
- No
- Gmail
- 15 GB; Shared with Drive and Photos; ads in Promotions and Social tabs; sending limits apply (number not stated)
Ads on the free plan
- Fastmail
- No free planNo free plan
- Gmail
- YesYes
Household plan
- Fastmail
- $132/yr, Family, 6 people
- Gmail
- $23.88/yr, Google One Basic (100 GB) (12 × monthly), 6 people
Based in
- Fastmail
- Australia
- Gmail
- United States
Every fact, side by side
Open a row to see notes and sources. Highlighted rows differ.
FastmailGmailPrice
Who can read your mail
Who you're trusting
Apps and access
Addresses and features
Moving in and out
Sources (18)
- Fastmail Help: privacyVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail transparency reportVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Research summary of the provider's pages (no single link)AI-assisted research, spot-checked, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail pricingVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail blog: EU data regionVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- FastmailVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail HelpVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail featuresVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Research summary of the provider's pages (no single link)AI-assisted research, spot-checked, checked 2026-10-16
- Fastmail developersVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Google privacy policyVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Gmail Help: ads in GmailVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Google Transparency ReportVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Google One plansVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Google WorkspaceVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Gmail HelpVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Gmail Help article 17101213Vendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Google Workspace: GmailVendor, checked 2026-10-16