StartMail vs Fasthosts
In short: StartMail wins on privacy, Fasthosts wins on price, and StartMail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Should you pick StartMail or Fasthosts?
- Choose StartMail if you want 20 GB of storage and your diary and address book in one place with your email.
- Go for Fasthosts if you'd like a cheaper plan, at From £1 a month for the first year and more years of history: it started in 1998.
| Feature | StartMail | Fasthosts |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Price | 3.5 | 5.0 |
| Features | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Personal $4.99 a month | Email From £1 a month for the first year |
| Free plan | No (7-day trial) | No |
| Storage | 20 GB | 2 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ 1 | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Netherlands | United Kingdom (IONOS) |
| Your data is kept in | Netherlands | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2014 | 1998 |
| Free trial | 7 days free | Unknown |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | No |
| Aliases | Unlimited throwaway addresses | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | Offer 50% off | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- StartMail's cheapest plan is Personal ($4.99 a month); Fasthosts's is Email (From £1 a month for the first year).
- For free, StartMail gives you no free plan, and Fasthosts no free plan.
- StartMail comes with 20 GB of storage and Fasthosts with 2 GB of storage.
- Your mail is stored in the Netherlands with StartMail, and in the United Kingdom with Fasthosts.
- StartMail is based in the Netherlands and Fasthosts in the United Kingdom (IONOS), so different privacy laws apply.
- StartMail offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); Fasthosts doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- For extra addresses, StartMail has unlimited throwaway addresses and Fasthosts has yes.
StartMail and Fasthosts: your questions
Which is more private, StartMail or Fasthosts?
StartMail scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and Fasthosts 2.5.
Which is cheaper, StartMail or Fasthosts?
Fasthosts is cheaper. Its Email plan is From £1 a month for the first year, against $4.99 a month for StartMail's Personal. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do StartMail and Fasthosts work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. StartMail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one. Fasthosts: Yes.
Where do StartMail and Fasthosts keep my email?
StartMail keeps it in the Netherlands. Fasthosts keeps it in the United Kingdom.
Price changes and news
Neither price has changed since my first check on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: StartMail news · Fasthosts news.
Not sold on either? Try these
StartMail vs mailbox.org · Fasthosts vs mailbox.org · StartMail vs Posteo · Fasthosts vs Posteo · StartMail vs Proton Mail · Fasthosts vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to StartMail · Moving from StartMail. Or see all my switching guides.