Firefox Relay vs mail.de
In short: mail.de wins on privacy, they tie on price, and mail.de wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Firefox Relay suits you best if you want a provider with no advertising business behind it; a cheaper plan, at $0.99 a month; and open-source apps anyone can check.
- mail.de is the better pick if you want your email to stay in Germany; more room (2.5 GB, against none); and freedom to use the mail app you already like.
| Feature | Firefox Relay | mail.de |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| Price | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | Not rated | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Premium $0.99 a month | PureMail €0.99 a month |
| Free plan | Yes, 5 aliases | Yes, 1 GB, with adverts |
| Storage | Forwards only | 2.5 GB |
| Your own domain | Own subdomain only | No |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | United States (Mozilla) | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | United States | Germany |
| Founded | 2020 | Unknown |
| Free trial | Free plan | 30 days free on paid plans |
| Funded by advertising | No | Yes, or its parent company is |
| Works in any mail app | No, its own apps only | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | No | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Unlimited aliases | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 25 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- On price: Firefox Relay Premium at $0.99 a month, against mail.de PureMail at €0.99 a month.
- For free, Firefox Relay gives you a free plan (5 aliases), and mail.de a free plan (1 GB, with adverts).
- Firefox Relay comes with no storage, as it forwards mail on and mail.de with 2.5 GB of storage.
- Your mail is stored in the United States with Firefox Relay, and in Germany with mail.de.
- Firefox Relay is based in the United States (Mozilla) and mail.de in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Firefox Relay doesn't encrypt mail end to end; mail.de offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage).
- Firefox Relay only works in its own apps, and mail.de works in any mail app over IMAP.
- Only mail.de is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Firefox Relay has unlimited aliases and mail.de has yes.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, Firefox Relay or mail.de?
mail.de scores 3 out of 5 for privacy and Firefox Relay 1. mail.de gives you your email to stay in Germany.
Which is cheaper, Firefox Relay or mail.de?
Firefox Relay is cheaper. Its Premium plan is $0.99 a month, against €0.99 a month for mail.de's PureMail. Firefox Relay and mail.de also have a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Firefox Relay and mail.de work with my own domain?
No, neither lets you use your own domain, so your address stays on theirs.
Where do Firefox Relay and mail.de keep my email?
Firefox Relay keeps it in the United States. mail.de keeps it in Germany.
Do Firefox Relay and mail.de work in other mail apps?
Firefox Relay only works in its own apps. mail.de works in any mail app over IMAP.
Recent price changes
- 22 October 2026 mail.de: €2.49 a month, when I checked
The latest headlines: Firefox Relay news · mail.de news.
Not sold on either? Try these
Firefox Relay vs Posteo · mail.de vs Posteo · Firefox Relay vs Proton Mail · mail.de vs Proton Mail · Firefox Relay vs mailbox.org · mail.de vs mailbox.org
How to switch
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.