Gmail vs mail.de
On privacy it's mail.de. On price it's a tie. On features it's Gmail. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Gmail suits you best if you want a mailbox that costs nothing and more space for your mail: 15 GB.
- mail.de suits you best if you want your mailbox stored in Germany.
| Feature | Gmail | mail.de |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Price | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Free (Google One 100 GB for more space) Free; 100 GB about £1.59–£1.99 a month | PureMail €0.99 a month |
| Free plan | Yes, 15 GB shared with Drive | Yes, 1 GB, with adverts |
| Storage | 15 GB | 2.5 GB |
| Your own domain | No | No |
| End-to-end encryption | No | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) |
| Company based in | United States | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | United States and worldwide | Germany |
| Founded | 2004 | Unknown |
| Free trial | Free | 30 days free on paid plans |
| Funded by advertising | Yes, or its parent company is | Yes, or its parent company is |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Plus addressing only | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
Where they differ
- Gmail's cheapest plan is Free (Google One 100 GB for more space) (Free; 100 GB about £1.59–£1.99 a month); mail.de's is PureMail (€0.99 a month).
- For free, Gmail gives you a free plan (15 GB shared with Drive), and mail.de a free plan (1 GB, with adverts).
- Gmail comes with 15 GB of storage and mail.de with 2.5 GB of storage.
- Gmail keeps your mail in the United States and worldwide, while mail.de keeps it in Germany.
- Gmail is based in the United States and mail.de in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Gmail doesn't encrypt mail end to end; mail.de offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage).
- For extra addresses, Gmail has plus addressing only and mail.de has yes.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, Gmail or mail.de?
mail.de scores 3 out of 5 for privacy and Gmail 0. mail.de gives you your mailbox stored in Germany.
Which is cheaper, Gmail or mail.de?
Gmail costs nothing to start (Free; 100 GB about £1.59–£1.99 a month). mail.de's cheapest plan, PureMail, is €0.99 a month. mail.de has a free plan too: 1 GB, with adverts.
Do Gmail and mail.de work with my own domain?
No, neither lets you use your own domain, so your address stays on theirs.
Where do Gmail and mail.de keep my email?
Gmail keeps it in the United States and worldwide. mail.de keeps it in Germany.
Recent price changes
- 22 October 2026 mail.de: €2.49 a month, when I checked
The latest headlines: Gmail news · mail.de news.
Also worth a look
Gmail vs Posteo · mail.de vs Posteo · Gmail vs Proton Mail · mail.de vs Proton Mail · Gmail vs mailbox.org · mail.de vs mailbox.org
Switching between them
Moving to Gmail · Moving from Gmail. Or see all my switching guides.