Aster Mail vs mailbox

Aster Mail8.9Visit mailbox8.2Visit

Higher score Aster Mail #3 in Secure Email Providers 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Aster Mail

vs

mailbox #6 in Secure Email Providers 8.2/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit mailbox

• Aster Mail fits best

  Feature-rich secure email at a low price

• mailbox fits best

  Low-cost secure hosting with client flexibility

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Aster Mail 8.9/10 Visit ↗	mailbox 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.2
Ranking	#3 in Secure Email Providers	#6 in Secure Email Providers
Best for	Feature-rich secure email at a low price	Low-cost secure hosting with client flexibility
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$2.42/user/mo	€1/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations	6 integrations	10 integrations
Features Aster Mail 2/3 · mailbox 2/3
End-to-end encryption	✓	✓
Custom domain	✓	✓
Encrypted calendar	—	Not checked yet
Specs
Mailbox storage	50 GB (best)	2 GB
Email aliases	15 aliases (best)	3 aliases
Mail protocol support	Bridge	Imap_smtp
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes 10 GB encrypted storage and five aliases OpenPGP, tracker blocking, import, export, and mail rules Web, desktop, and mobile apps plus Aster Bridge support	Optional PGP and S/MIME encryption with spam and virus protection IMAP, POP3, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV support Six-platform coverage with custom domains on paid tiers
Cons	Encrypted calendar is still in active development Server code is not public, despite open-source apps and cryptography Founded in 2026, so long-term maturity evidence is limited	No free plan is available Light has 2 GB storage and three @mailbox.org aliases Annual Light billing requires a €12 minimum deposit
Our verdict	Aster Mail is an encrypted email service for privacy-conscious individuals, families, and teams. Its core design combines local encryption on supported devices with a zero-access encrypted mailbox architecture. Users can access mail… Read the review →	mailbox is a Germany-hosted email and collaboration service for private individuals, families, businesses, and public-sector organizations. It combines webmail with PGP and S/MIME encryption, spam and malware filtering, aliases, calendars,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Aster Mail — where it wins

  • Free plan includes 10 GB encrypted storage and five aliases
  • OpenPGP, tracker blocking, import, export, and mail rules
  • Web, desktop, and mobile apps plus Aster Bridge support

  Where it doesn't

  • Encrypted calendar is still in active development
  • Server code is not public, despite open-source apps and cryptography
  • Founded in 2026, so long-term maturity evidence is limited

• mailbox — where it wins

  • Optional PGP and S/MIME encryption with spam and virus protection
  • IMAP, POP3, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV support
  • Six-platform coverage with custom domains on paid tiers

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Light has 2 GB storage and three @mailbox.org aliases
  • Annual Light billing requires a €12 minimum deposit

• Aster Mail8.9/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost secure email service with encryption, aliases, domains, and broad device support.

  Visit Aster MailFull verdict →
• mailbox8.2/10 · 30-day trial

  A flexible secure email service with low-cost annual plans and broad client support.

  Visit mailboxFull verdict →