Comparison
VaelMail vs Posteo
Posteo costs €1 a month with no personal details at sign-up and lets you pay in cash by post. It has no free plan and no custom domains, and we found no crypto payment. VaelMail has a free tier, takes crypto, and supports your own domain on Plus.
Last verified 14 November 2026
At a glance
| Posteo | VaelMail | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-up | No personal details are requested at sign-up. | A 16-digit account number. No phone number, name, ID or recovery email is requested. | [1], [2] |
| Free plan | No free plan and no trial account. | Free: 50 MB, receives mail, 3 custom and 50 random aliases. Free cannot send. | [3] |
| Price | €1 a month for the base account with 4 GB. Extra storage is €0.25 per GB a month. | Plus: from €5 for 1 month, €48 for 12 months, prepaid. 1 GB, sending, 3 custom domains, IMAP and SMTP. | [1], [3] |
| Payment | Bank transfer, cash by post, PayPal and cards, as prepaid credit with top-ups of €12 to €120. No crypto found. | Prepaid cryptocurrency (Monero, Bitcoin, Litecoin, USDT, USDC and others) or Telegram Stars. No card, no recurring billing. | [2] |
| Encryption | Encrypted storage for the entire mailbox, encrypted drives, PGP or S/MIME for inbound mail, and PGP in webmail. | 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. | [1] |
| Mail apps | IMAP and POP3. | IMAP on every account; SMTP on Plus; app credentials, never your account number. | [1] |
| Custom domains | Not supported. | Plus: up to 3 domains, receive only, up to 25 addresses each. | [3] |
| Aliases | 3 included. | Receive-only aliases on @vael.pw, @reca.st or @extradit.ing (3 custom and 50 random on Free). | [1] |
| Location | Servers in German data centres. | Regular site, plus a script-free site and Tor and I2P mirrors. | [1] |
When Posteo is the better choice
- You want the cheapest paid mailbox with a real inbox: €1 a month with 4 GB.
- You want to pay in cash by post with prepaid credit.
- You want encrypted storage for the whole mailbox, PGP or S/MIME and servers in Germany.
When VaelMail is the better choice
- You want a free plan with no payment at all.
- You want to use your own domain.
- You want to pay with Monero or other crypto.
- You want receive-only aliases and Tor and I2P mirrors.
Price and payment
Posteo's €1 a month for a 4 GB mailbox is hard to beat, and its prepaid credit and cash-by-post option suit people who want to pay without a card. VaelMail Free is free but cannot send, and Plus is €5 for 1 month or €48 for 12 months in return for sending, custom domains and 1 GB of storage.
Common questions
Does Posteo require personal details?
Its pages say the sign-up process does not require any personal details.
Can I use my own domain with Posteo?
No. Posteo's FAQ says custom domains are not supported.
Does Posteo have a free plan?
No. Its FAQ says there is no trial account.
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.
- Posteo home page, retrieved 14 November 2026
- Posteo payment, retrieved 14 November 2026
- Posteo FAQ, 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.