Comparison
VaelMail vs Fastmail
Fastmail is a mature paid mailbox with Masked Email on every plan, custom domains and third-party app support. It has no free plan and no end-to-end encryption in its own apps. VaelMail has a free tier, optional encryption you control and crypto payment; Fastmail has the polish and track record.
Last verified 14 November 2026
At a glance
| Fastmail | VaelMail | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No free plan. A free trial of up to 30 days. | Free: 50 MB, receives mail, 3 custom and 50 random aliases. Free cannot send. | [1] |
| Paid plans | Individual $6 a month or $5 a month billed yearly ($60), 60 GB. Basic $4 or $3, 6 GB. Prices exclude tax. | Plus: from €5 for 1 month, €48 for 12 months, prepaid. 1 GB, sending, 3 custom domains, IMAP and SMTP. | [1] |
| Payment | Cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Cash, cheques, bank transfers and money orders are not accepted. No crypto found. | Prepaid cryptocurrency (Monero, Bitcoin, Litecoin, USDT, USDC and others) or Telegram Stars. No card, no recurring billing. | [1] |
| Encryption | Encrypted in transit and at rest. No end-to-end encryption in its own apps; PGP and S/MIME through third-party apps. | Encrypted disks and backups. Optional encrypted mailbox sealed with a key only you hold, and OpenPGP in the browser. Not zero-knowledge: mail from other providers reaches the server as it arrives and is decrypted in memory while you are unlocked. | [2] |
| Mail apps | Third-party apps on Standard, Professional, Individual, Duo and Family; not on Basic. | IMAP on every account; SMTP on Plus; app credentials, never your account number. | [1] |
| Aliases | Masked Email on all plans. | Receive-only aliases on @vael.pw, @reca.st or @extradit.ing (3 custom and 50 random on Free). | [1] |
| Custom domains | On every plan except Basic. | Plus: up to 3 domains, receive only, up to 25 addresses each. | [1] |
| Data residency | Choose EU or US. | Regular site, plus a script-free site and Tor and I2P mirrors. | [1], [2] |
When Fastmail is the better choice
- You want a polished, mature mailbox and are happy to pay for it.
- You want Masked Email on every plan and your own domain.
- You want to choose EU or US data residency.
When VaelMail is the better choice
- You want a free plan that receives mail.
- You want to sign up with no phone number or identity and pay in crypto.
- You want optional encryption of stored mail with a key only you hold, and OpenPGP in the browser.
Masked Email versus receive-only aliases
Fastmail's Masked Email gives you throwaway addresses on every plan inside a full mailbox, which is close to what VaelMail's aliases do. The difference is cost and identity: Fastmail is a paid, card-and-PayPal service, while VaelMail's aliases are on a free account that needs no phone number.
Common questions
Does Fastmail have a free plan?
No. It offers a free trial of up to 30 days on each plan.
Does Fastmail offer end-to-end encryption?
Its security page says it does not offer end-to-end encryption in its own apps, and that PGP or S/MIME are available through third-party apps.
Does Fastmail have aliases?
Yes. Masked Email is listed on all plans.
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.
- Fastmail pricing, retrieved 14 November 2026
- Fastmail security, 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.