Fastmail vs iRedMail
In short: Fastmail wins on privacy, Fastmail wins on price, and Fastmail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Fastmail or iRedMail: which should you choose?
- Go for Fastmail if you'd like your mailbox stored in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups.
- Go for iRedMail if you'd like to try it free first and open-source apps anyone can check.
| Feature | Fastmail | iRedMail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 2.0 | Not rated |
| Price | 3.5 | Not rated |
| Features | 5.0 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Individual $5 a month, yearly | Open source Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes, open source |
| Storage | 50 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | Australia | Not confirmed |
| Your data is kept in | EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups | Your own server |
| Founded | 1999 | Unknown |
| Free trial | 30 days free | Free to download |
| 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 | Unknown |
| 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 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- On price: Fastmail Individual at $5 a month, yearly, against iRedMail Open source at Free.
- For free, Fastmail gives you no free plan, and iRedMail a free plan (open source).
- Fastmail comes with 50 GB of storage and iRedMail with storage not confirmed.
- Your mail is stored in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups with Fastmail, and in Your own server with iRedMail.
- Fastmail is based in Australia and iRedMail in Not confirmed, so different privacy laws apply.
- For extra addresses, Fastmail has masked email and aliases and iRedMail has yes.
Common questions
Do Fastmail and iRedMail work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Fastmail: Yes. iRedMail: Yes.
Where do Fastmail and iRedMail keep my email?
Fastmail keeps it in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups. iRedMail keeps it in Your own server.
Recent price changes
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Fastmail news · iRedMail news.
Alternatives to Fastmail and iRedMail
Fastmail vs mailbox.org · iRedMail vs mailbox.org · Fastmail vs Posteo · iRedMail vs Posteo · Fastmail vs Proton Mail · iRedMail vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Moving to Fastmail · Moving from Fastmail. Or see all my switching guides.