Individual
$6
/month
- + 60GB storage
- + Custom email addresses
- + Masked Email privacy
- + Calendars and contacts
Fastmail
Privacy-focused email hosting service with fast performance, no ads, custom domains, and calendar for businesses seeking Gmail alternatives.
communicationsecurity-privacy
Our Score
4.5
Starting at $4 /month
Try Fastmail Free →
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4.5
Excellent ChoiceFastmail Score
Ease of Use
4.6
Features
4.4
Value
4.6
Support
4.2
Based on our editorial review across usability, features, value, support, and integrations.
Best For
Privacy-conscious businesses wanting ethical email hostingProfessionals seeking distraction-free email without adsSmall businesses needing custom domain email without Google Workspace cost
Best For
Privacy-conscious businesses wanting ethical email hosting
Free Trial
No
Standout Feature
Ad-free email with zero tracking or data mining
Track Record
Since 1999
What Problem It Solves
Fastmail solves the privacy and distraction problems of using free email services like Gmail for business. Gmail reads your emails to serve ads, tracks your behavior, and trains AI models on your data. For professionals and businesses handling sensitive communications, this privacy invasion is unacceptable. Fastmail provides fast, reliable email hosting with zero tracking, no ads, and strong privacy protections. For small businesses, it offers professional custom domain email (yourname@yourbusiness.com) at a fraction of Google Workspace's cost, without forcing you into an entire productivity suite you may not need.
Key Features
- Ad-free email with zero tracking or data mining
- Custom domain email hosting (unlimited addresses)
- Integrated calendar, contacts, and notes
- Advanced spam filtering and email organization
- IMAP, POP3, JMAP, and SMTP support
- Two-factor authentication and security keys
- Email aliases and masked emails for privacy
Pros
- + Excellent privacy (no ads, no tracking, no data mining)
- + Fast performance with modern JMAP protocol
- + Reliable uptime and strong customer support
- + Clean, distraction-free interface
- + Australian-based company subject to strong privacy laws
Cons
- - No free plan (30-day trial only)
- - Limited collaboration features compared to Google Workspace
- - Smaller storage limits than Gmail (2GB-50GB vs Gmail's 15GB free)
- - No document editing or cloud storage like Google Drive
Pricing
Business Standard
$6
/month
- + 60GB storage per user
- + Custom business domains
- + Scheduled send and snooze
- + Third-party app support
Business Professional
$10
/month
- + 150GB storage per user
- + Email retention archive for legal compliance
- + All Standard features
Starting at $4 /month
Try Fastmail Free →
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Our Verdict
Fastmail — Highly Recommended
Fastmail is the anti-Gmail, and that is exactly its appeal. After using it extensively as a primary email service, the experience is refreshingly clean—no ads, no promotional tabs, no AI reading your emails to sell you things. The interface is fast and focused, built on the modern JMAP protocol that Fastmail itself developed, and it genuinely feels snappier than Gmail for everyday email operations. Plans start at just $3/month for the Basic tier, and for small businesses needing custom domain support, the Standard plan at $5/user/month is exceptional value. You get 30GB storage, calendar, contacts, and unlimited email aliases—all without being forced into Google Workspace's full productivity suite. The masked email feature (partnered with 1Password) is a privacy standout, letting you create unique addresses for every service you sign up for. Where Fastmail cannot compete is collaboration. There are no shared documents, no video conferencing, no cloud storage, and no integrated chat. Teams relying heavily on Google Docs or Microsoft 365 collaboration will find Fastmail lacking. The calendar and contacts work well but are basic compared to Google Calendar's scheduling intelligence. The Australian jurisdiction is a genuine privacy advantage—Australia's Privacy Act provides strong protections, and Fastmail has a transparent track record of protecting user data. For professionals handling sensitive communications (legal, healthcare, finance), this matters. We recommend Fastmail for privacy-conscious individuals and small businesses that need reliable, distraction-free email without the surveillance economy. If email is your primary communication tool and you do not need a full collaboration suite, Fastmail delivers a superior experience at a fair price. It is proof that you do not need to sacrifice privacy for productivity.
Related Tools
Is Fastmail good for small businesses?
Yes, Fastmail is excellent for small businesses wanting professional custom domain email without paying for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. The Standard plan at $5/user/month includes custom domain support with unlimited email aliases, integrated calendar and contacts, 30GB storage, and advanced spam filtering — perfect for businesses that primarily need reliable email without collaborative document editing or video conferencing. Fastmail is particularly well-suited for privacy-focused businesses in legal, healthcare, and finance sectors where data protection is paramount, as the platform operates under strict Australian privacy laws with zero tracking, no ads, and no data mining. The JMAP protocol delivers noticeably faster performance than most competitors, and the masked email feature adds an extra layer of privacy for business signups.
Does Fastmail offer a free plan?
Fastmail does not offer a permanent free plan, but you can start with a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, giving you full access to test the service, import your existing email, and evaluate the interface and performance. Paid plans start at $3/month for the Basic tier with 2GB storage, which is ideal for individuals. The Standard plan at $5/month adds 30GB storage and custom domain support, making it the sweet spot for small businesses. The Professional plan at $9/month provides 50GB storage and advanced features for power users. All plans include ad-free email, integrated calendar and contacts, and Fastmail's industry-leading JMAP performance.
What is the starting price of Fastmail?
Fastmail offers three straightforward plans. The Basic plan costs $3/month per user with 2GB storage, ideal for personal use and individuals who want private, ad-free email. The Standard plan at $5/month per user includes 30GB storage, custom domain support with unlimited aliases, and is the recommended tier for small businesses wanting professional email hosting. The Professional plan at $9/month per user provides 50GB storage, retention policies, and advanced features for power users. All prices are per user, billed annually for the best rates. Every plan includes Fastmail's zero-tracking privacy guarantee, integrated calendar and contacts, masked email addresses, and two-factor authentication.
Starting at $4 /month
Try Fastmail Free →
Affiliate link
Try Fastmail Free →
Affiliate link