StartMail vs netcup
On privacy it's StartMail. On price it's netcup. On features it's StartMail. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Go for StartMail if you'd like a calendar and contacts alongside your mail.
- Go for netcup if you'd like to pay less: From €2.69 a month, with web hosting (50 GB) and more years of history: it started in 2008.
| Feature | StartMail | netcup |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Price | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Features | 5.0 | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Personal $4.99 a month | Webhosting 1000 From €2.69 a month, with web hosting (50 GB) |
| Free plan | No (7-day trial) | No |
| Storage | 20 GB | Not confirmed |
| 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 | Germany |
| Founded | 2014 | 2008 |
| Free trial | 7 days free | 30-day money-back on the basic fee |
| 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.
Where they differ
- Cheapest plans: StartMail Personal, $4.99 a month. netcup Webhosting 1000, From €2.69 a month, with web hosting (50 GB).
- For free, StartMail gives you no free plan, and netcup no free plan.
- StartMail comes with 20 GB of storage and netcup with storage not confirmed.
- Data location: Netherlands for StartMail, Germany for netcup.
- StartMail is based in the Netherlands and netcup in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
- StartMail offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); netcup doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- For extra addresses, StartMail has unlimited throwaway addresses and netcup has yes.
Common questions
Which is more private, StartMail or netcup?
StartMail scores 3.5 out of 5 for privacy and netcup 2.5.
Which is cheaper, StartMail or netcup?
netcup is cheaper. Its Webhosting 1000 plan is From €2.69 a month, with web hosting (50 GB), 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 netcup work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. StartMail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one. netcup: Yes.
Where do StartMail and netcup keep my email?
StartMail keeps it in the Netherlands. netcup keeps it in Germany.
Price changes and news
- 22 October 2026 netcup: €1.99 a month, with web hosting, when I checked
The latest headlines: StartMail news · netcup news.
Alternatives to StartMail and netcup
StartMail vs Posteo · netcup vs Posteo · StartMail vs mailbox.org · netcup vs mailbox.org · StartMail vs Proton Mail · netcup vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to StartMail · Moving from StartMail. Or see all my switching guides.