Gmail vs Mail-in-a-Box
In short: Mail-in-a-Box wins on privacy, Gmail wins on price, and Gmail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Gmail or Mail-in-a-Box: which should you choose?
- Gmail suits you best if you want more years of history: it started in 2004.
- Mail-in-a-Box suits you best if you want a provider with no advertising business behind it; email at your own domain name; and open-source apps.
| Feature | Gmail | Mail-in-a-Box |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2.5 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 0.0 | Not rated |
| Price | 5.0 | Not rated |
| Features | 4.0 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Free (Google One 100 GB for more space) Free; 100 GB about £1.59–£1.99 a month | Open source Free |
| Free plan | Yes, 15 GB shared with Drive | Yes, open source |
| Storage | 15 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | No | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | United States | United States |
| Your data is kept in | United States and worldwide | Your own server |
| Founded | 2004 | 2013 |
| Free trial | Free | Free to download |
| Funded by advertising | Yes, or its parent company is | No |
| 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 | ✓ Yes |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | No |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: Gmail Free (Google One 100 GB for more space), Free; 100 GB about £1.59–£1.99 a month. Mail-in-a-Box Open source, Free.
- For free, Gmail gives you a free plan (15 GB shared with Drive), and Mail-in-a-Box a free plan (open source).
- Gmail comes with 15 GB of storage and Mail-in-a-Box with storage not confirmed.
- Your mail is stored in the United States and worldwide with Gmail, and in Your own server with Mail-in-a-Box.
- Mail-in-a-Box lets you bring your own domain name; Gmail doesn't.
- Only Gmail is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Gmail has plus addressing only and Mail-in-a-Box has yes.
Common questions
Do Gmail and Mail-in-a-Box work with my own domain?
Only Mail-in-a-Box does (Yes). With Gmail your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Gmail and Mail-in-a-Box keep my email?
Gmail keeps it in the United States and worldwide. Mail-in-a-Box keeps it in Your own server.
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: Gmail news · Mail-in-a-Box news.
Also worth a look
Gmail vs mailbox.org · Mail-in-a-Box vs mailbox.org · Gmail vs Posteo · Mail-in-a-Box vs Posteo · Gmail vs Proton Mail · Mail-in-a-Box vs Proton Mail
How to switch
Moving to Gmail · Moving from Gmail. Or see all my switching guides.