Fastmail vs IONOS Mail
In short: IONOS Mail wins on privacy, IONOS Mail wins on price, and Fastmail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 22 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Fastmail is the better pick if you want more space for your mail: 50 GB and your diary and address book in one place with your email.
- Go for IONOS Mail if you'd like to pay less: About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) and a company with a longer track record (since 1988).
| Feature | Fastmail | IONOS Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Price | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Features | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Individual $5 a month, yearly | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Storage | 50 GB | 2 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | Australia | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed |
| Founded | 1999 | 1988 |
| Free trial | 30 days free | Unknown |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | No |
| Aliases | Masked email and aliases | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | Offer 10% off your first year, plus a free trial of up to 30 days | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
Where they differ
- Fastmail's cheapest plan is Individual ($5 a month, yearly); IONOS Mail's is Mail Basic (About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed)).
- Space: Fastmail gives 50 GB of storage, IONOS Mail 2 GB of storage.
- Your mail is stored in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups with Fastmail, and in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed with IONOS Mail.
- The companies sit under different laws: Fastmail in Australia, IONOS Mail in Germany.
- Aliases: Fastmail offers masked email and aliases, IONOS Mail yes.
Fastmail and IONOS Mail: your questions
Is Fastmail more private than IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail scores 2.5 out of 5 for privacy and Fastmail 2.
Is Fastmail cheaper than IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail is cheaper. Its Mail Basic plan is About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed), against $5 a month, yearly for Fastmail's Individual. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Can I use my own domain with Fastmail or IONOS Mail?
Yes, both do. Fastmail: Yes. IONOS Mail: Yes.
Where is my email stored with Fastmail and IONOS Mail?
Fastmail keeps it in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups. IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
Price changes and news
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Fastmail news · IONOS Mail news.
Not sold on either? Try these
Fastmail vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · Fastmail vs Posteo · IONOS Mail vs Posteo · Fastmail vs Proton Mail · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Moving to Fastmail · Moving from Fastmail. Or see all my switching guides.