iCloud Mail vs AOL Mail
ICloud Mail wins on privacy, they tie on price and iCloud Mail wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 22 October 2026.
iCloud Mail or AOL Mail: which should you choose?
- iCloud Mail suits you best if you want a company that isn't funded by advertising and to use your own domain, like you@yourname.co.uk.
- AOL Mail is the better pick if you want a mailbox that costs nothing and a provider that's been going since 1993.
| Feature | iCloud Mail | AOL Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| Privacy | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Price | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | iCloud+ 50 GB £0.99 a month | Free Free |
| Free plan | Yes, 5 GB, no own domain | Yes |
| Storage | 50 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | ✓ Up to 5 | No |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | United States | United States |
| Your data is kept in | United States and worldwide | United States |
| Founded | 2011 | 1993 |
| Free trial | Free (5 GB) | Free |
| 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 | Hide My Email | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | No |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
How iCloud Mail and AOL Mail differ
- Cheapest plans: iCloud Mail iCloud+ 50 GB, £0.99 a month. AOL Mail Free, Free.
- For free, iCloud Mail gives you a free plan (5 GB, no own domain), and AOL Mail a free plan ().
- iCloud Mail comes with 50 GB of storage and AOL Mail with storage not confirmed.
- Your mail is stored in the United States and worldwide with iCloud Mail, and in the United States with AOL Mail.
- iCloud Mail lets you bring your own domain name; AOL Mail doesn't.
- Only AOL Mail is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, iCloud Mail has hide my email and AOL Mail has yes.
Common questions
Which is more private, iCloud Mail or AOL Mail?
iCloud Mail scores 0.5 out of 5 for privacy and AOL Mail 0. iCloud Mail gives you a company that isn't funded by advertising.
Which is cheaper, iCloud Mail or AOL Mail?
AOL Mail costs nothing to start (Free). iCloud Mail's cheapest plan, iCloud+ 50 GB, is £0.99 a month. iCloud Mail has a free plan too: 5 GB, no own domain.
Do iCloud Mail and AOL Mail work with my own domain?
Only iCloud Mail does (Up to 5). With AOL Mail your address stays on its own domain.
Where do iCloud Mail and AOL Mail keep my email?
iCloud Mail keeps it in the United States and worldwide. AOL Mail keeps it in the United States.
Recent price changes
- 1 July 2023 iCloud Mail: £0.99 (UK price rise, 2023)
- 1 June 2023 iCloud Mail: £0.79
The latest headlines: iCloud Mail news · AOL Mail news.
Also worth a look
iCloud Mail vs mailbox.org · AOL Mail vs mailbox.org · iCloud Mail vs Posteo · AOL Mail vs Posteo · iCloud Mail vs Proton Mail · AOL Mail vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to iCloud Mail · Moving from iCloud Mail. Or see all my switching guides.