Mailfence vs IONOS Mail
In short: Mailfence wins on privacy, IONOS Mail wins on price, and Mailfence wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 22 October 2026.
Mailfence or IONOS Mail: which should you choose?
- Mailfence suits you best if you want a free plan to start on; more space for your mail: 10 GB; and your diary and address book in one place with your email.
- IONOS Mail suits you best if you want the lower price (About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed)) and a company with a longer track record (since 1988).
| Feature | Mailfence | IONOS Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Price | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Entry €3.50 a month | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) |
| Free plan | Yes, 500 MB–1 GB, no own domain | No |
| Storage | 10 GB | 2 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Belgium | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | Belgium | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed |
| Founded | 2013 | 1988 |
| Free trial | Free plan | Unknown |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | No |
| Aliases | Yes | 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 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: Mailfence Entry, €3.50 a month. IONOS Mail Mail Basic, About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed).
- For free, Mailfence gives you a free plan (500 MB–1 GB, no own domain), and IONOS Mail no free plan.
- Mailfence comes with 10 GB of storage and IONOS Mail with 2 GB of storage.
- Mailfence keeps your mail in Belgium, while IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
- Mailfence is based in Belgium and IONOS Mail in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- Mailfence offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); IONOS Mail doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
Mailfence and IONOS Mail: your questions
Which is more private, Mailfence or IONOS Mail?
Mailfence scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and IONOS Mail 2.5.
Which is cheaper, Mailfence or IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail is cheaper. Its Mail Basic plan is About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed), against €3.50 a month for Mailfence's Entry. Mailfence also has a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Mailfence and IONOS Mail work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Mailfence: Yes. IONOS Mail: Yes.
Where do Mailfence and IONOS Mail keep my email?
Mailfence keeps it in Belgium. IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
Price changes and news
Neither price has changed since my first check on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Mailfence news · IONOS Mail news.
Also worth a look
Mailfence vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · Mailfence vs Posteo · IONOS Mail vs Posteo · Mailfence vs Proton Mail · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail
Moving your email
Moving to Mailfence · Moving from Mailfence. Or see all my switching guides.