DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs IONOS Mail
IONOS Mail wins on privacy, DuckDuckGo Email Protection wins on price and IONOS Mail wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 25 October 2026.
Should you pick DuckDuckGo Email Protection or IONOS Mail?
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection suits you best if you want a mailbox that costs nothing and a free plan before you pay anything.
- IONOS Mail suits you best if you want your mailbox stored in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed; a company that isn't funded by advertising; and an address on your own domain.
| Feature | DuckDuckGo Email Protection | IONOS Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Price | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Features | Not rated | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Free Free | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) |
| Free plan | Yes, unlimited @duck.com aliases | No |
| Storage | Forwards only | 2 GB |
| Your own domain | No | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | United States | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | United States | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed |
| Founded | 2021 | 1988 |
| Free trial | Free | Unknown |
| Funded by advertising | Yes, or its parent company is | No |
| Works in any mail app | No, its own apps only | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | No | No |
| Aliases | Unlimited aliases | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 25 October 2026 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection's cheapest plan is Free (Free); IONOS Mail's is Mail Basic (About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed)).
- For free, DuckDuckGo Email Protection gives you a free plan (unlimited @duck.com aliases), and IONOS Mail no free plan.
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection comes with no storage, as it forwards mail on and IONOS Mail with 2 GB of storage.
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection keeps your mail in the United States, while IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection is based in the United States and IONOS Mail in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- IONOS Mail lets you bring your own domain name; DuckDuckGo Email Protection doesn't.
- DuckDuckGo Email Protection only works in its own apps, and IONOS Mail works in any mail app over IMAP.
- Only DuckDuckGo Email Protection is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, DuckDuckGo Email Protection has unlimited aliases and IONOS Mail has yes.
DuckDuckGo Email Protection and IONOS Mail: your questions
Which is more private, DuckDuckGo Email Protection or IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail scores 2.5 out of 5 for privacy and DuckDuckGo Email Protection 0. IONOS Mail gives you your mailbox stored in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed and a company that isn't funded by advertising.
Which is cheaper, DuckDuckGo Email Protection or IONOS Mail?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection costs nothing to start (Free). IONOS Mail's cheapest plan, Mail Basic, is About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed).
Do DuckDuckGo Email Protection and IONOS Mail work with my own domain?
Only IONOS Mail does (Yes). With DuckDuckGo Email Protection your address stays on its own domain.
Where do DuckDuckGo Email Protection and IONOS Mail keep my email?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection keeps it in the United States. IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
Do DuckDuckGo Email Protection and IONOS Mail work in other mail apps?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection only works in its own apps. IONOS Mail works in any mail app over IMAP.
Recent price changes
Neither price has changed since my first check on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: DuckDuckGo Email Protection news · IONOS Mail news.
Also worth a look
DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs Posteo · IONOS Mail vs Posteo · DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs Proton Mail · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.