Fastmail vs StartMail
On privacy it's StartMail. On price it's a tie. On features it's a tie. Here's everything side by side, last checked 22 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Go for Fastmail if you'd like more room (50 GB, against 20 GB) and a provider that's been going since 1999.
- Go for StartMail if you'd like the lower price ($4.99 a month) and extras such as PGP encryption as well as password-protected email to anyone.
| Feature | Fastmail | StartMail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Privacy | 2.0 | 3.5 |
| Price | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Features | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Individual $5 a month, yearly | Personal $4.99 a month |
| Free plan | No | No (7-day trial) |
| Storage | 50 GB | 20 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ 1 |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | Australia | Netherlands |
| Your data is kept in | EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups | Netherlands |
| Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
| Free trial | 30 days free | 7 days free |
| 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 | Unlimited throwaway addresses |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| 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 | Offer 50% off |
| 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); StartMail's is Personal ($4.99 a month).
- For free, Fastmail gives you no free plan, and StartMail no free plan.
- Fastmail comes with 50 GB of storage and StartMail with 20 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 Netherlands with StartMail.
- Fastmail is based in Australia and StartMail in the Netherlands, so different privacy laws apply.
- Fastmail doesn't encrypt mail end to end; StartMail offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage).
- For extra addresses, Fastmail has masked email and aliases and StartMail has unlimited throwaway addresses.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, Fastmail or StartMail?
StartMail scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and Fastmail 2.
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or StartMail?
StartMail is cheaper. Its Personal plan is $4.99 a month, against $5 a month, yearly for Fastmail's Individual. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Fastmail and StartMail work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Fastmail: Yes. StartMail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one.
Where do Fastmail and StartMail keep my email?
Fastmail keeps it in the EU (Amsterdam) for UK customers, with a US replica and US backups. StartMail keeps it in the Netherlands.
Prices and the latest news
No price changes for either since 22 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: Fastmail news · StartMail news.
Also worth a look
Fastmail vs mailbox.org · StartMail vs mailbox.org · Fastmail vs Posteo · StartMail vs Posteo · Fastmail vs Proton Mail · StartMail vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Ready to move? My step-by-step guides cover your mail, contacts, forwarding and your own domain: Fastmail to StartMail · StartMail to Fastmail.