Posteo vs AOL Mail
In short: Posteo wins on privacy, they tie on price, and AOL Mail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 22 October 2026.
Posteo or AOL Mail: which should you choose?
- Posteo suits you best if you want your mail kept in Germany; email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts; and extras such as PGP encryption as well as pay with cash or crypto.
- AOL Mail suits you best if you want a mailbox that costs nothing; to try it free first; and a company with a longer track record (since 1993).
| Feature | Posteo | AOL Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | 2.0 |
| Privacy | 4.5 | 0.0 |
| Price | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Features | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Posteo €1 a month | Free Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Storage | 4 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | No | No |
| 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 | 2009 | 1993 |
| Free trial | No, €1 a month from the start | 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 (posteo.de only) | 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 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- On price: Posteo Posteo at €1 a month, against AOL Mail Free at Free.
- For free, Posteo gives you no free plan, and AOL Mail a free plan ().
- Posteo comes with 4 GB of storage and AOL Mail with storage not confirmed.
- Posteo keeps your mail in Germany, while AOL Mail keeps it in the United States.
- Posteo is based in Germany and AOL Mail in the United States, so different privacy laws apply.
- Posteo offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); AOL Mail doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Only AOL Mail is part of an advertising business.
- For extra addresses, Posteo has yes (posteo.de only) and AOL Mail has yes.
Posteo and AOL Mail: your questions
Which is more private, Posteo or AOL Mail?
Posteo scores 4.5 out of 5 for privacy and AOL Mail 0. Posteo gives you your mail kept in Germany, email from a company that doesn't make money from adverts and open-source apps anyone can check.
Which is cheaper, Posteo or AOL Mail?
AOL Mail costs nothing to start (Free). Posteo's cheapest plan, Posteo, is €1 a month.
Do Posteo and AOL Mail work with my own domain?
No, neither lets you use your own domain, so your address stays on theirs.
Where do Posteo and AOL Mail keep my email?
Posteo keeps it in Germany. AOL Mail keeps it in the United States.
Prices and the latest news
Neither price has changed since my first check on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: Posteo news · AOL Mail news.
Also worth a look
Posteo vs mailbox.org · AOL Mail vs mailbox.org · Posteo vs Proton Mail · AOL Mail vs Proton Mail · Posteo vs Tuta · AOL Mail vs Tuta
How to switch
Moving to Posteo · Moving from Posteo. Or see all my switching guides.