Alternatives to Mailfence
Encrypted email service from Belgium with OpenPGP support, calendars, contacts and document storage. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Mailfence
Encrypted email service from Belgium with OpenPGP support, calendars, contacts and document storage.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Mailfence.
Proton Mail
Official Proton Mail apps for reading and sending end-to-end encrypted email on phones, desktops and the web.
Proton Mail encrypts mail end to end by default and offers apps for desktop, mobile and web, but only works with a Proton account and lacks standard IMAP without Bridge.
Tuta Desktop
The desktop client for Tuta's encrypted mail service, with end-to-end encrypted mail, calendar and contacts.
Tuta encrypts subject lines, calendar and contacts too and has an open-source client, but offers no IMAP or SMTP, so third-party mail apps cannot be used.
Posteo
German ad-free email provider with calendar, address book and notes, run on green energy.
Posteo is a German paid provider with no free tier, signup without personal details, IMAP and POP3, and calendar and contact sync, but no built-in OpenPGP web client.
StartMail
Paid private email service from the Netherlands with unlimited aliases and one-click encryption.
StartMail is a paid Dutch service with unlimited disposable aliases and password-based encryption to any recipient, with no free tier beyond the trial.
Disroot
Donation-funded platform offering free email, cloud storage, XMPP chat and other privacy-focused online services.
Disroot is a donation-funded free service bundling email with cloud storage and XMPP chat, with custom domains limited to regular supporters and a small team.
mailbox.org
A German email and workspace service with mail, cloud storage, video meetings and office tools.
mailbox.org is a paid German service hosting mail, storage, meetings and office tools under GDPR, with ISO 27001 certification.
Fastmail
A paid, privacy-focused email, calendar and contacts service with web and mobile apps.
Fastmail is a paid host with email, calendar, contacts and custom domains plus EU or USA data residency, without built-in OpenPGP listed.
Gmail
Google's email service, used on the web and through Android and iOS apps.
Gmail is a free, widely supported service with strong spam filtering and AI features, but it is tied to a Google account without built-in OpenPGP.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Mailfence as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
AOL Mail
A free web-based email service from AOL with spam filtering and mobile apps.
Mailfence is a Belgian service with OpenPGP encryption in the browser and standard IMAP access, with advanced features on paid plans.
FlowCrypt
A browser extension that adds OpenPGP encryption for sending and receiving email in Gmail.
Mailfence is a hosted Belgian email service with OpenPGP encryption and signing in the browser, plus calendar, contacts, documents and IMAP access, so you move away from Gmail.
GMX Mail
A free email service with webmail, cloud storage, calendar and support for several addresses.
Mailfence adds OpenPGP encryption, IMAP access, calendar and documents from a Belgian provider, with advanced features on paid plans.
HEY
An email and calendar service from 37signals that screens senders before they reach your inbox.
Mailfence brings OpenPGP encryption, calendar, contacts and document storage with standard IMAP access and a free tier, keeping advanced features on paid plans.
Hushmail
An encrypted email service with secure forms and e-signatures, aimed at healthcare and small practices.
Mailfence offers OpenPGP encryption in the browser with Android and iOS apps and IMAP access, without the healthcare-focused secure forms.
Mailvelope
Browser extension that adds OpenPGP encryption to webmail.
Mailfence is a hosted email service with OpenPGP encryption built into the browser plus calendars and contacts, but it means switching providers and is not open source.
Migadu
Email hosting for custom domains, priced by usage rather than by mailbox, with webmail.
Mailfence supports custom domains and aliases with OpenPGP encryption and mobile apps, with advanced features on paid plans.
Proton Calendar
An end-to-end encrypted calendar from Proton, available on the web and on iOS and Android.
Mailfence is a Belgian encrypted email service with OpenPGP, calendar, contacts and documents in one account, offering standard IMAP access and a free tier.
Purelymail
Low-cost email hosting for your own domains, with IMAP, POP3, SMTP and optional webmail.
Mailfence adds OpenPGP encryption, calendar and document storage with custom domains, placing advanced features on paid plans.
Runbox
A paid, ad-free email service hosted in Norway and powered by renewable energy.
Mailfence is a Belgian service with OpenPGP encryption, a freemium plan, and Android and iOS apps alongside IMAP access.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo's free web and mobile email service with inbox organisation and AI-assisted features.
Mailfence is a Belgian freemium service with OpenPGP encryption, IMAP and POP access, calendar and contacts, and advanced features on paid plans.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Thunderbird
Mozilla’s desktop mail client, with calendar, contacts and a unified inbox, funded by donations rather than ads.
Proton Mail Bridge
Local gateway that lets standard mail clients read a Proton Mail account.
Zoho Workplace
An online suite from Zoho combining mail, team chat, meetings, file storage and office editors.
GPG Suite
An OpenPGP toolkit for macOS for encrypting, signing and verifying files and email.
FairEmail
An open-source, privacy-oriented email app for Android that works with almost any email provider.
