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Head-to-head · Personal Email Services

Gmail vs Fastmail Email

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Gmail #1 in Personal Email Services 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Gmail
Fastmail Email #7 in Personal Email Services 8.5/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Fastmail

Gmail leads on 2 checks, Fastmail Email on 2, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGmail · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Gmail
  • Free trialonly Fastmail Email
  • Most featuresFastmail Email · 2 of 3

Gmail scores higher on our rubric for personal email services: 9.4 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Gmail offers free plan; Fastmail Email doesn't. Gmail leads on mailbox storage: 100 GB versus 5 GB. Fastmail Email leads on attachment limit: 50 MB versus 25 MB. Fastmail Email offers ad-free inbox; Gmail doesn't.

Gmail is the better fit for people who want free email across web and mobile. Fastmail Email is the better fit for ad-free paid email with broad clients.

  • Gmail fits best

    People who want free email across web and mobile

  • Fastmail Email fits best

    Ad-free paid email with broad clients

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 Gmail 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Fastmail Email 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.5
Ranking #1 in Personal Email Services #7 in Personal Email Services
Best for People who want free email across web and mobile Ad-free paid email with broad clients
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $1.99/mo 30-day trial
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations 2 integrations 5 integrations
Features Gmail 1/3 · Fastmail Email 2/3
Custom domain — —
Email aliases ✓ ✓
Ad-free inbox — ✓ (best)
Specs
Mailbox storage 100 GB (best) 5 GB
Attachment limit 25 MB 50 MB (best)
Platform access Web_mobile_desktop Web_mobile_desktop
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos
  • Inbox categories, search, labels, and spam and phishing protection
  • Web and mobile access, plus IMAP and POP for compatible clients
  • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
  • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
  • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access
Cons
  • Free storage is shared with Google Drive and Google Photos
  • Google One Basic adds shared storage, not a standalone Gmail tier
  • Custom-domain email requires Google Workspace
  • There is no free plan
  • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
  • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment
Our verdict

Gmail is Google's personal email service for people who want an inbox accessible on the web and on iOS and Android. A free account includes a Gmail address and 15 GB of storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Inbox…

Read the review →

Fastmail Email is a paid email service for individuals, families, and businesses that want ad-free mail alongside calendar, contacts, and file storage. It supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android access, with deployment across…

Read the review →
  1. GmailPersonal Email Services 9.4Free plan
  2. Fastmail EmailPersonal Email Services 8.530-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Gmail — where it wins

    • Free plan includes 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos
    • Inbox categories, search, labels, and spam and phishing protection
    • Web and mobile access, plus IMAP and POP for compatible clients

    Where it doesn't

    • Free storage is shared with Google Drive and Google Photos
    • Google One Basic adds shared storage, not a standalone Gmail tier
    • Custom-domain email requires Google Workspace

  • Fastmail Email — where it wins

    • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
    • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
    • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access

    Where it doesn't

    • There is no free plan
    • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
    • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment

More comparisons

All personal email services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update