Mailfence vs GMX
In short: Mailfence wins on privacy, GMX wins on price, and Mailfence wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Should you pick Mailfence or GMX?
- Mailfence suits you best if you want email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts and an address on your own domain.
- GMX suits you best if you want a mailbox that costs nothing; more space for your mail: 65 GB; and more years of history: it started in 1997.
| Feature | Mailfence | GMX |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| Price | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Entry €3.50 a month | Free Free (paid plans only for German and Austrian residents) |
| Free plan | Yes, 500 MB–1 GB, no own domain | Yes, with adverts |
| Storage | 10 GB | 65 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | No |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Belgium | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | Belgium | Germany (European data centres) |
| Founded | 2013 | 1997 |
| Free trial | Free plan | 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 | Yes | Up to 10 addresses |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| 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.
Where they differ
- Cheapest plans: Mailfence Entry, €3.50 a month. GMX Free, Free (paid plans only for German and Austrian residents).
- For free, Mailfence gives you a free plan (500 MB–1 GB, no own domain), and GMX a free plan (with adverts).
- Mailfence comes with 10 GB of storage and GMX with 65 GB of storage.
- Mailfence keeps your mail in Belgium, while GMX keeps it in Germany (European data centres).
- Mailfence is based in Belgium and GMX in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Mailfence offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); GMX doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Mailfence lets you bring your own domain name; GMX doesn't.
- Only GMX is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Mailfence has yes and GMX has up to 10 addresses.
Questions people ask
Which is more private, Mailfence or GMX?
Mailfence scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and GMX 2. Mailfence gives you email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts.
Which is cheaper, Mailfence or GMX?
GMX costs nothing to start (Free (paid plans only for German and Austrian residents)). Mailfence's cheapest plan, Entry, is €3.50 a month. Mailfence has a free plan too: 500 MB–1 GB, no own domain.
Do Mailfence and GMX work with my own domain?
Only Mailfence does (Yes). With GMX your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Mailfence and GMX keep my email?
Mailfence keeps it in Belgium. GMX keeps it in Germany (European data centres).
Recent price changes
No price changes for either since 22 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: Mailfence news · GMX news.
Not sold on either? Try these
Mailfence vs mailbox.org · GMX vs mailbox.org · Mailfence vs Posteo · GMX vs Posteo · Mailfence vs Proton Mail · GMX vs Proton Mail
How to switch
Moving to Mailfence · Moving from Mailfence. Or see all my switching guides.