mailbox.org vs HEY
Mailbox.org wins on privacy, mailbox.org wins on price and mailbox.org wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 25 October 2026.
mailbox.org or HEY: which should you choose?
- mailbox.org is the better pick if you want your mail kept in Germany; to pay less: €3 a month, yearly (from summer 2026); and freedom to use the mail app you already like.
- HEY suits you best if you want more space for your mail: 100 GB.
| Feature | mailbox.org | HEY |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| Privacy | 4.5 | 0.5 |
| Price | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Features | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Standard €3 a month, yearly (from summer 2026) | HEY for You $99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month) |
| Free plan | No (30-day trial) | No (30-day trial) |
| Storage | 20 GB | 100 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ On HEY for Domains |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Germany | United States |
| Your data is kept in | Germany | United States |
| Founded | 2014 | 2020 |
| Free trial | 30 days free | 30 days free on HEY for You; no trial on HEY for Domains |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | No, its own apps only |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | No |
| Sign up without ID | ✓ Yes | 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
- mailbox.org's cheapest plan is Standard (€3 a month, yearly (from summer 2026)); HEY's is HEY for You ($99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month)).
- mailbox.org comes with 20 GB of storage and HEY with 100 GB of storage.
- mailbox.org keeps your mail in Germany, while HEY keeps it in the United States.
- mailbox.org is based in Germany and HEY in the United States, so different privacy laws apply.
- mailbox.org offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); HEY doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- mailbox.org works in any mail app over IMAP, and HEY only works in its own apps.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, mailbox.org or HEY?
mailbox.org scores 4.5 out of 5 for privacy and HEY 0.5. mailbox.org gives you your mail kept in Germany, open-source apps anyone can check and sign-up without ID.
Which is cheaper, mailbox.org or HEY?
mailbox.org is cheaper. Its Standard plan is €3 a month, yearly (from summer 2026), against $99 a year (own domain: $12 per user a month) for HEY's HEY for You. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do mailbox.org and HEY work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. mailbox.org: Yes. HEY: On HEY for Domains.
Where do mailbox.org and HEY keep my email?
mailbox.org keeps it in Germany. HEY keeps it in the United States.
Do mailbox.org and HEY work in other mail apps?
mailbox.org works in any mail app over IMAP. HEY only works in its own apps.
Prices and the latest news
- 1 September 2026 mailbox.org: €3.00 (announced 15 July 2026)
- 1 June 2026 mailbox.org: €2.50
The latest headlines: mailbox.org news · HEY news.
Also worth a look
mailbox.org vs Posteo · HEY vs Posteo · mailbox.org vs Proton Mail · HEY vs Proton Mail · mailbox.org vs Tuta · HEY vs Tuta
Moving your email
Moving to mailbox.org · Moving from mailbox.org. Or see all my switching guides.