Fastmail vs Forward Email
They tie on privacy, Forward Email wins on price and Fastmail wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 25 October 2026.
Should you pick Fastmail or Forward Email?
- Choose Fastmail if you want your mail kept in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups; 50 GB of storage; and more years of history: it started in 1999.
- Go for Forward Email if you'd like the lower price ($3 a month); a free plan to start on; and open-source apps anyone can check.
| Feature | Fastmail | Forward Email |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Price | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Features | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Individual $5 a month, yearly | Enhanced Protection $3 a month |
| Free plan | No | Yes, forwarding only |
| Storage | 50 GB | 10 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Unlimited |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | Australia | United States |
| Your data is kept in | EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups | United States |
| Founded | 1999 | 2017 |
| Free trial | 30 days free | Free plan |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Masked email and aliases | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | ✓ Yes |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | No |
| Reader offer | Offer 10% off your first year, plus a free trial of up to 30 days | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
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How Fastmail and Forward Email differ
- Cheapest plans: Fastmail Individual, $5 a month, yearly. Forward Email Enhanced Protection, $3 a month.
- For free, Fastmail gives you no free plan, and Forward Email a free plan (forwarding only).
- Fastmail comes with 50 GB of storage and Forward Email with 10 GB of storage.
- Fastmail keeps your mail in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups, while Forward Email keeps it in the United States.
- Fastmail is based in Australia and Forward Email in the United States, so different privacy laws apply.
- Fastmail doesn't encrypt mail end to end; Forward Email offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage).
- For extra addresses, Fastmail has masked email and aliases and Forward Email has yes.
Fastmail and Forward Email: your questions
Which is more private, Fastmail or Forward Email?
They score the same for privacy: 2 out of 5 each. The differences are in the details, such as where your mail is kept (the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups for Fastmail, the United States for Forward Email).
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or Forward Email?
Forward Email is cheaper. Its Enhanced Protection plan is $3 a month, against $5 a month, yearly for Fastmail's Individual. Forward Email also has a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Fastmail and Forward Email work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Fastmail: Yes. Forward Email: Unlimited.
Where do Fastmail and Forward Email keep my email?
Fastmail keeps it in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups. Forward Email keeps it in the United States.
Recent price changes
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Fastmail news · Forward Email news.
Alternatives to Fastmail and Forward Email
Fastmail vs mailbox.org · Forward Email vs mailbox.org · Fastmail vs Posteo · Forward Email vs Posteo · Fastmail vs Proton Mail · Forward Email vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to Fastmail · Moving from Fastmail. Or see all my switching guides.