Comparison
VaelMail vs addy.io
addy.io forwards unlimited aliases to a mailbox you already have, with replies on its paid plans. VaelMail is the mailbox itself with receive-only aliases, so there is no forwarding hop, but its aliases cannot send.
Last verified 14 November 2026
At a glance
| addy.io | VaelMail | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Alias forwarding to the inbox you already use, such as Gmail, Outlook or Proton. No built-in inbox found. | A mailbox plus aliases. Mail to an alias lands in your VaelMail inbox. | [1] |
| Replying and sending from an alias | Lite and Pro only: 50 and 200 replies or sends a day. Not included on Free. | No. Aliases only receive. You send from your main address on Plus. | [1], [2] |
| Free plan | Unlimited standard aliases on your username, 10 shared-domain aliases, 1 recipient, 10 MB of forwarded mail a month. | Free: 50 MB, receives mail, 3 custom and 50 random aliases. Free cannot send. | [1], [2] |
| Paid plans | Lite $1 a month billed yearly; Pro $3 a month billed yearly or $4 monthly. | Plus: from €5 for 1 month, €48 for 12 months, prepaid. 1 GB, sending, 3 custom domains, IMAP and SMTP. | [2] |
| Custom domains | Lite: 1 domain. Pro: 20 domains. Not on Free. | Plus: up to 3 domains, receive only, up to 25 addresses each. | [2] |
| Payment | Card or PayPal, or cryptocurrency for yearly plans. Vouchers through the reseller ProxyStore accept Monero, Bitcoin, cash and SEPA transfer. | Prepaid cryptocurrency (Monero, Bitcoin, Litecoin, USDT, USDC and others) or Telegram Stars. No card, no recurring billing. | [2] |
| Ownership and code | Open source with a self-hosting guide. Built and run by an independent developer in the UK, with no venture funding. | An independent service. How it is built is described on the system page. | [1], [2] |
When addy.io is the better choice
- You already have a mailbox and want unlimited aliases in front of it.
- You want to reply or send from aliases (Lite and Pro).
- You want open-source software you can self-host, built by an independent developer with no venture funding.
- You want the lowest price: Lite is listed at $1 a month billed yearly.
When VaelMail is the better choice
- You want the mailbox and aliases together, so mail is stored with VaelMail instead of forwarded elsewhere.
- You want a free plan with a real inbox that is not capped at 10 MB of mail a month.
- You want to pay directly with Monero, Bitcoin and other coins for a monthly term.
Forwarding versus a mailbox
addy.io puts a layer of aliases in front of an inbox you already use, and the forwarded mail still ends up with that provider. VaelMail replaces the inbox as well, so the aliases and the mail are in one place.
If you only want to stop giving sites your real address and are happy with your current provider, addy.io is a light, cheap way to do it. If you want to leave your current provider, VaelMail gives you somewhere to go.
Common questions
Does addy.io have its own inbox?
It forwards to an inbox you already use. We found no built-in inbox on its pages.
Can I reply from an addy.io alias on the free plan?
No. Replies and sends are part of Lite and Pro.
Can I reply from a VaelMail alias?
No. VaelMail aliases only receive. You send from your main address on Plus.
Sources
Provider claims come from the provider's own pages and independent reviews, checked on the dates shown. Providers change plans and policies; if something here is out of date, tell us.
- addy.io home page, retrieved 14 November 2026
- addy.io pricing, retrieved 14 November 2026
Keep reading
Try VaelMail without committing
Free accounts receive mail with no phone number and no payment. Upgrade only if you need to send.