StartMail vs Stalwart
In short: StartMail wins on privacy, StartMail wins on price, and StartMail wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
StartMail or Stalwart: which should you choose?
- StartMail is the better pick if you want your email to stay in the Netherlands and more years of history: it started in 2014.
- Choose Stalwart if you want a free plan before you pay anything and open-source apps.
| Feature | StartMail | Stalwart |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.0 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 3.5 | Not rated |
| Price | 3.5 | Not rated |
| Features | 5.0 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Personal $4.99 a month | Community Free (Enterprise from €2 per mailbox a year) |
| Free plan | No (7-day trial) | Yes, open source |
| Storage | 20 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | ✓ 1 | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Netherlands | United Kingdom |
| Your data is kept in | Netherlands | Your own server |
| Founded | 2014 | 2019 |
| Free trial | 7 days free | Free to download |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Unlimited throwaway addresses | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | ✓ Yes |
| 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.
How StartMail and Stalwart differ
- Cheapest plans: StartMail Personal, $4.99 a month. Stalwart Community, Free (Enterprise from €2 per mailbox a year).
- StartMail has no free plan; Stalwart has a free plan (open source).
- Space: StartMail gives 20 GB of storage, Stalwart storage not confirmed.
- Data location: Netherlands for StartMail, Your own server for Stalwart.
- The companies sit under different laws: StartMail in Netherlands, Stalwart in United Kingdom.
- On encryption, StartMail offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage), whereas Stalwart doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- Aliases: StartMail offers unlimited throwaway addresses, Stalwart yes.
Common questions
Can I use my own domain with StartMail or Stalwart?
Yes, both do. StartMail: 1 domain on its cheapest plan that allows one. Stalwart: Yes.
Where is my email stored with StartMail and Stalwart?
StartMail keeps it in the Netherlands. Stalwart keeps it in Your own server.
Price changes and news
No price changes for either since 22 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: StartMail news · Stalwart news.
Also worth a look
StartMail vs mailbox.org · Stalwart vs mailbox.org · StartMail vs Posteo · Stalwart vs Posteo · StartMail vs Proton Mail · Stalwart vs Proton Mail
Switching between them
Moving to StartMail · Moving from StartMail. Or see all my switching guides.