Forward Email vs WEB.DE
In short: WEB.DE wins on privacy, Forward Email wins on price, and Forward Email wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Forward Email or WEB.DE: which should you choose?
- Choose Forward Email if you want a provider with no advertising business behind it; the lower price ($3 a month); and to use your own domain, like you@yourname.co.uk.
- Choose WEB.DE if you want your email to stay in Germany and a provider that's been going since 1995.
| Feature | Forward Email | WEB.DE |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Price | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Features | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Enhanced Protection $3 a month | WEB.DE Club €6.49 a month |
| Free plan | Yes, forwarding only | Yes, with adverts |
| Storage | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Unlimited | No |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | United States | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | United States | Germany |
| Founded | 2017 | 1995 |
| Free trial | Free plan | Free plan |
| Funded by advertising | No | Yes, or its parent company is |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Yes | 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 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: Forward Email Enhanced Protection, $3 a month. WEB.DE WEB.DE Club, €6.49 a month.
- For free, Forward Email gives you a free plan (forwarding only), and WEB.DE a free plan (with adverts).
- Forward Email keeps your mail in the United States, while WEB.DE keeps it in Germany.
- Forward Email is based in the United States and WEB.DE in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Forward Email lets you bring your own domain name; WEB.DE doesn't.
- Only WEB.DE is part of an advertising business.
Common questions
Which is more private, Forward Email or WEB.DE?
WEB.DE scores 3 out of 5 for privacy and Forward Email 2. WEB.DE gives you your email to stay in Germany.
Which is cheaper, Forward Email or WEB.DE?
Forward Email is cheaper. Its Enhanced Protection plan is $3 a month, against €6.49 a month for WEB.DE's WEB.DE Club. Forward Email and WEB.DE also have a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Forward Email and WEB.DE work with my own domain?
Only Forward Email does (Unlimited). With WEB.DE your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Forward Email and WEB.DE keep my email?
Forward Email keeps it in the United States. WEB.DE keeps it in Germany.
Prices and the latest news
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Forward Email news · WEB.DE news.
Not sold on either? Try these
Forward Email vs mailbox.org · WEB.DE vs mailbox.org · Forward Email vs Posteo · WEB.DE vs Posteo · Forward Email vs Proton Mail · WEB.DE vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.