AOL Mail vs Stalwart
In short: Stalwart wins on privacy, AOL Mail wins on price, and AOL Mail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- AOL Mail suits you best if you want a provider that's been going since 1993.
- Stalwart is the better pick if you want email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts; to use your own domain, like you@yourname.co.uk; and open-source apps anyone can check.
| Feature | AOL Mail | Stalwart |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.0 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 0.0 | Not rated |
| Price | 5.0 | Not rated |
| Features | 3.5 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Free Free | Community Free (Enterprise from €2 per mailbox a year) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, open source |
| Storage | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | No | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | United States | United Kingdom |
| Your data is kept in | United States | Your own server |
| Founded | 1993 | 2019 |
| Free trial | Free | Free to download |
| Funded by advertising | Yes, or its parent company is | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | ✓ Yes |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: AOL Mail Free, Free. Stalwart Community, Free (Enterprise from €2 per mailbox a year).
- For free, AOL Mail gives you a free plan (), and Stalwart a free plan (open source).
- Data location: United States for AOL Mail, Your own server for Stalwart.
- AOL Mail is based in the United States and Stalwart in the United Kingdom, so different privacy laws apply.
- Stalwart lets you bring your own domain name; AOL Mail doesn't.
- Only AOL Mail is part of an advertising business.
Common questions
Do AOL Mail and Stalwart work with my own domain?
Only Stalwart does (Yes). With AOL Mail your address stays on its own domain.
Where do AOL Mail and Stalwart keep my email?
AOL Mail keeps it in the United States. Stalwart keeps it in Your own server.
Prices and the latest news
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: AOL Mail news · Stalwart news.
Also worth a look
AOL Mail vs mailbox.org · Stalwart vs mailbox.org · AOL Mail vs Posteo · Stalwart vs Posteo · AOL Mail vs Proton Mail · Stalwart vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.