Fastmail
Fastmail is a privacy-focused, ad-free email hosting service based in Australia with custom domains, masked email, JMAP support, and CalDAV/CardDAV sync — a Gmail alternative built for users who want their data off advertising infrastructure.
Our take
Fastmail is the most practical Gmail alternative for users who want to pay for email instead of being the product. The $5/month price is fair for what you get: custom domain support, 60 GB of storage, masked email aliases, IMAP/CalDAV/CardDAV access from any client, and no advertising model. The business model is simple — you pay, your email is yours.
The honest comparison with Proton or Tuta: Fastmail is not end-to-end encrypted by default. Messages are stored encrypted at rest, but Fastmail has the technical ability to access them (which Proton and Tuta’s zero-knowledge model does not). If E2EE is a requirement, Fastmail is not the answer. If a clean, standard, IMAP-accessible email service that avoids Google is the goal, Fastmail is the strongest option in this price range.
What stands out
Masked Email + 1Password integration. Fastmail’s masked email system generates a unique email address for each service you sign up with. The 1Password integration makes this seamless — you create an alias during sign-up and route replies to your main inbox. It is a practical privacy tool.
JMAP and IMAP breadth. Fastmail supports JMAP (the modern, efficient successor to IMAP), plus full IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV, and CardDAV. You can use it with Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Spark, Airmail, or any other standard email client — no vendor lock-in to the Fastmail app.
No advertising. The entire business model is subscription revenue. There is no incentive to analyze message content for targeting.
Where it falls short
Fastmail is not E2EE, which matters if message confidentiality from the provider is a requirement. The web interface is also less refined than Gmail’s, and the lack of AI-powered features (smart compose, summarization) is increasingly noticeable as Gmail integrates more Workspace AI.
Who should pick Fastmail
Fastmail is the right choice for users who want to exit Google’s advertising infrastructure while keeping a fully IMAP-compatible, standards-based email service. It is especially well-suited to privacy-conscious individuals, small businesses needing custom domain email, and anyone who values using their email with any client they choose.
References
- Fastmail product: fastmail.com
- Pricing: fastmail.com/pricing/us
- Masked Email: fastmail.com/features/masked-email
Pros
- Full IMAP/SMTP/CalDAV/CardDAV support means you can use Fastmail with any existing email client, not just the Fastmail web app
- 1Password Masked Email integration is a best-in-class privacy feature for managing per-service email addresses
- Australian jurisdiction (Privacy Act 1988) with a clear no-advertising, no-tracking business model
- JMAP support is forward-looking — faster and more efficient than IMAP for modern email clients
- The $5/month individual plan includes custom domains and masked email — value that Gmail charges nothing for but monetizes via ads
Cons
- No free plan — the $5/month entry is fair but still a cost most users compare against Gmail's zero price
- The Fastmail web interface is functional but less polished than Gmail's, and lacks the AI features Google has added
- Fastmail is an email hosting service, not an email client — you still need a client app for the best mobile experience
- Business retention archiving (for legal/compliance) is Business Professional only at $10/user/month
- Migration from Gmail requires manual effort; label hierarchies do not map cleanly to Fastmail's folder model
Features
- Custom domain email with full DNS management
- Masked Email: generate unique, private email aliases per service (1Password integration)
- JMAP protocol support for fast, bandwidth-efficient sync (alongside IMAP/SMTP/CalDAV/CardDAV)
- Full IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV, and CardDAV support for any third-party email client
- Advanced filtering rules with sieve scripting support
- Shared mailboxes and calendar collaboration (Business plans)
- Built-in contacts manager synced across devices
- Send-later and scheduled delivery
- No advertising and no tracking of email content
- 1Password Masked Email integration for privacy-preserving sign-ups
- Admin controls and user management (Business plans)
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required