StartMail vs IONOS Mail
StartMail wins on privacy, IONOS Mail wins on price and StartMail wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 22 October 2026.
StartMail or IONOS Mail: which should you choose?
- StartMail suits you best if you want more room (20 GB, against 2 GB) and your diary and address book in one place with your email.
- Go for IONOS Mail if you'd like to pay less: About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) and a provider that's been going since 1988.
| Feature | StartMail | IONOS Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Price | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Features | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Personal $4.99 a month | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) |
| 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 | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | Netherlands | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed |
| Founded | 2014 | 1988 |
| 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 | 22 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
Where they differ
- On price: StartMail Personal at $4.99 a month, against IONOS Mail Mail Basic at About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed).
- StartMail has no free plan; IONOS Mail has no free plan.
- Space: StartMail gives 20 GB of storage, IONOS Mail 2 GB of storage.
- Your mail is stored in the Netherlands with StartMail, and in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed with IONOS Mail.
- The companies sit under different laws: StartMail in Netherlands, IONOS Mail in Germany.
- On encryption, StartMail offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage), whereas IONOS Mail doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Aliases: StartMail offers unlimited throwaway addresses, IONOS Mail yes.
StartMail and IONOS Mail: your questions
Is StartMail more private than IONOS Mail?
StartMail scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and IONOS Mail 2.5.
Is StartMail cheaper than IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail is cheaper. Its Mail Basic plan is About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed), against $4.99 a month for StartMail's Personal. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Can I use my own domain with StartMail or IONOS Mail?
Yes, both do. StartMail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one. IONOS Mail: Yes.
Where is my email stored with StartMail and IONOS Mail?
StartMail keeps it in the Netherlands. IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
Recent price changes
Neither price has changed since my first check on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: StartMail news · IONOS Mail news.
Not sold on either? Try these
StartMail vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · StartMail vs Posteo · IONOS Mail vs Posteo · StartMail vs Proton Mail · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to StartMail · Moving from StartMail. Or see all my switching guides.