iCloud Mail
By Apple, United States
Apple's email service, free with 5 GB of iCloud storage, with custom domains and Hide My Email on iCloud+.
At a glance
- Cheapest plan per year
- $11.88
- iCloud+ 50 GB, 12 × monthly, same price at renewal
- Your own domain from
- $11.88/yr
- iCloud+ 50 GB
- Works in Apple Mail and Outlook
- Yes
- Who can read stored mail
- The provider can
- Encrypted with Apple-held keys; Advanced Data Protection excludes Mail
Good to know
- iCloud Mail holds the keys to your stored mail
Where it stands among 24
Each fact with every provider's answer. iCloud Mail is outlined.
Who can read your stored mail
The provider can
Only you 3
Only you, if switched on 4
The provider can 16
Not stated 1
Ads on the free plan
Free, no ads
Your own domain
On a personal plan
On a personal plan 12
Only on a business plan 3
Not offered 2
Works in Apple Mail and Outlook
Yes, standard IMAP
Yes, standard IMAP 17
Through a bridge app 1
No, its own apps only 3
Where the company is based
United States
European Union 7
Switzerland or Norway 5
Elsewhere 4
Plans and prices
In USD, as listed by iCloud Mail on 2026-10-16.
Free
Free
5 GB. 5 GB shared with all iCloud data; no ads; Apple Account required
iCloud+ 50 GB
$11.88/yr
12 × $0.99 monthly
- People
- 6
- Storage
- 50 GB
- Own domains
- 5
- IMAP
- Yes
- Renews at
- Same price
Monthly billing only. Shareable with up to 5 others through Family Sharing. Custom domains: up to 5 domains with up to 10 addresses each. The price is the standard rate and renews unchanged.
Who can read your mail
- Provider can't read stored mail
- NoNo
- Subject lines encrypted
- NoNo
- Encrypted between its own users
- NoNo
- Encrypted mail to outsiders
- NoNo
- Built-in PGP
- NoNo
- Ads on the free plan
- NoNo
- Mail used for ads
- NoNo
- AI and your mail
- Not stated
Who you're trusting
- Owner
- Apple
- Operating company
- Apple Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Mail stored in
- United States
- Open-source apps
- NoNo
- Transparency report
- YesYes
- Latest audit
- None published
- Known incidents
- None found
Apps and features
- Web Yes
- iPhone Yes
- Android No
- Windows No
- macOS Yes
- Linux No
- Works in Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird
- Yes, on every planYes, on every plan
- POP3
- NoNo
- Exchange ActiveSync
- Not statedNot stated
- Security key or passkey sign-in
- YesYes
- Authenticator-app 2FA
- Not statedNot stated
- Extra addresses
- Not stated
- Hide-my-email aliases
- YesYes
- Catch-all for your domain
- Not statedNot stated
- Calendar
- YesYes
- Contacts
- YesYes
- File storage
- YesYes
- Sieve filters
- Not statedNot stated
- Scheduled send
- YesYes
- Undo send
- YesYes
- Import from Gmail or Outlook
- Not statedNot stated
- Export your whole mailbox
- Not statedNot stated
- Auto-forwarding
- YesYes
Where we recommend it
Best email provider for your own domain
If you already pay for iCloud+, custom domains come with it: up to 5 domains on the $0.99-a-month 50 GB plan, shareable with your Family Sharing group. Billing is monthly only, and Apple holds the keys to stored mail.
Best email for families and households
iCloud+ 50 GB is $0.99 a month and shares with up to 5 others through Family Sharing, including custom domains (up to 5). It's the cheapest household option here if everyone is on Apple devices.
Compare iCloud Mail
Sources (8)
- Apple Support: iCloud data security overviewVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Apple privacy policyVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Research summary of the provider's pages (no single link)AI-assisted research, spot-checked, checked 2026-10-16
- Apple transparency reportVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Apple Support: iCloud+ plans and pricingVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Apple Support: iCloudVendor, checked 2026-10-16
- Research summary of the provider's pages (no single link)AI-assisted research, spot-checked, checked 2026-10-16
- Research summary of the provider's pages (no single link)AI-assisted research, spot-checked, checked 2026-10-16