Aster Mail vs Runbox

Aster Mail8.9Visit Runbox8.0Visit

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

vs

Runbox #7 in Secure Email Providers 8.0/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Runbox

• Aster Mail fits best

  Feature-rich secure email at a low price

• Runbox fits best

  Custom-domain users wanting mature private hosting

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 ↗	Runbox 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.0
Ranking	#3 in Secure Email Providers	#7 in Secure Email Providers
Best for	Feature-rich secure email at a low price	Custom-domain users wanting mature private hosting
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$2.42/user/mo	€1.66/user/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Integrations	6 integrations	9 integrations
Features Aster Mail 2/3 · Runbox 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	100 aliases (best)
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	Custom domains with unlimited aliases on your own domain IMAP, POP, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV support Filtering, encryption, two-factor authentication and import tools
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	The Micro plan provides only 2 GB of email storage There is no free plan Listed plan prices require annual billing
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 →	Runbox is a Norway-based private email service for individuals, families and teams. It combines webmail with custom-domain hosting, aliases, spam and virus filtering, two-factor authentication, encrypted connections, and access through… 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

• Runbox — where it wins

  • Custom domains with unlimited aliases on your own domain
  • IMAP, POP, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV support
  • Filtering, encryption, two-factor authentication and import tools

  Where it doesn't

  • The Micro plan provides only 2 GB of email storage
  • There is no free plan
  • Listed plan prices require annual billing

• Aster Mail8.9/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Aster MailFull verdict →
• Runbox8.0/10 · 30-day trial

  A mature private email host with broad protocol support, but only 2 GB on its entry plan.

  Visit RunboxFull verdict →