Email Aliasing Comparison

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Email Aliasing Comparison ​

🛡️ The Complete Guide to Email Privacy & Security

A comprehensive comparison of pricing, features, and security of email alias providers inlcuding Addy.io, SimpleLogin, Adguard-Mail, DuckDuckGo Email, ForwardMail, Apple Hide My Email, Firefox Relay, 33Mail, IronVest and Erine.email.

AwesomeLicense: MITWebsiteGitHub Stars

Table of Contents ​

What is Email Aliasing? ​

Email aliasing is a privacy technique that lets you create multiple email addresses that all forward to your real inbox. Think of it like having multiple front doors to your house - visitors use different entrances, but they all lead to the same place.

Simple Example:

  • Your real email: john.doe@gmail.com
  • Your alias for shopping: shopping.alias@provider.com
  • Your alias for newsletters: news.alias@provider.com
  • Both aliases forward emails to your real Gmail account

Why Use Email Aliasing? ​

Privacy Protection ​

  • Hide your real email address from websites and services
  • Prevent companies from tracking you across different platforms
  • Keep your personal email private

Spam Prevention ​

  • Create disposable aliases for one-time signups
  • Easily block spam by deactivating compromised aliases
  • Keep your main inbox clean

Security Benefits ​

  • Reduce risk of your main email being exposed in data breaches
  • Limit damage if one alias gets compromised
  • Better control over who can contact you

Organization ​

  • Use different aliases for different purposes (work, shopping, social media)
  • Track which services share or sell your email
  • Organize incoming emails by source

How Email Aliasing Works ​

Website/App → Alias Provider → Your Inbox

When you use an email alias, emails sent to your alias are automatically forwarded to your real email address by the alias provider.

Step-by-Step Process: ​

  1. Create an alias through your chosen provider
  2. Use the alias when signing up for websites or services
  3. Emails are forwarded from the alias to your real inbox
  4. You can reply through the alias (your real email stays hidden)
  5. Manage aliases - deactivate, delete, or organize as needed

Email Aliasing Providers ​

There are two main types of email aliasing solutions:

Built-in Aliases: ​

Many email providers offer free aliasing features like Gmail's + addressing (yourname+tag@gmail.com) or Apple's Hide My Email. These are free but often have limited management options.

Dedicated Services: ​

Third-party providers specializing in alias management with advanced features like custom domains, PGP encryption, and detailed dashboards.

Provider Comparison ​

💡 This is a simplified comparison, For a detailed comaprison visit Email Alias Providers Comparison

Free Plans Detail ​

ProviderFree AliasesReply SupportCustom DomainsMonthly LimitsEncryption
Addy.ioUnlimited Standard + 10 SharedNoNo10 MBGPG/OpenPGP
SimpleLogin10 aliasesYesNoUnlimitedPGP
DuckDuckGoUnlimited @duck.comYesNoUnlimitedTLS
Firefox Relay5 aliasesNoNoUnlimitedTLS
AdGuard Mail10 aliasesNoNo2,000 emailsTLS
33MailUnlimitedNoNo10 MBTLS
Erine.emailUnlimitedYesNoUnlimitedTLS
ForwardMailUnlimited (own domain)YesYes50 MBTLS/Quantum
Apple Hide My EmailUnlimitedYesNoUnlimitedTLS
ProviderStarting PriceAliasesReply SupportCustom DomainsEncryption
Addy.io$1/mo (Lite)Unlimited Standard + 50 SharedYes1GPG/OpenPGP
$3/mo (Pro)Unlimited + Unlimited SharedYes20GPG/OpenPGP
SimpleLogin$4/moUnlimitedYesUnlimitedPGP
AdGuard Mail$2.99/mo1,000Yes1TLS
33Mail$1/mo (Premium)UnlimitedYes 20/day5TLS
$5/mo (Pro)UnlimitedYes 1000/dayUnlimitedTLS
IronVest$39/yr ($3.25/mo)50 masked emailsYesNoTLS
ForwardMail$3/mo (Enhanced)UnlimitedYesUnlimitedTLS/Quantum
Apple Hide My Email$0.99/mo (iCloud+ 50GB)UnlimitedYesYesTLS
$2.99/mo (iCloud+ 200GB)UnlimitedYesYesTLS
👉 Pricing Notes

Always refer to official pricing and feature pages for latest and up-to-date information.

Quick Comparison by Use Case ​

🆓 Best Free Options ​

  • Addy.io - Unlimited standard aliases, no reply support, GPG encryption
  • DuckDuckGo - Unlimited aliases, reply support, tracker removal, zero setup
  • SimpleLogin - 10 aliases with reply support and PGP encryption
  • Erine.email - Unlimited aliases with reply support, open-source
  • ForwardMail - Most features (requires own domain setup)

💰 Best Value Paid ($1-3/month) ​

  • Addy.io Lite ($1/mo) - 50 shared aliases, reply support, GPG encryption
  • 33Mail Premium ($1/mo) - Unlimited aliases, custom domains, 20 replies/day
  • AdGuard Mail ($2.99/mo) - 1,000 aliases, reply support, custom domain
  • Apple iCloud+ ($0.99/mo) - Unlimited aliases, integrated with Apple ecosystem
  • ForwardMail Enhanced ($3/mo) - Unlimited aliases, custom domains

🚀 Premium Features ($4+/month) ​

  • SimpleLogin ($4/mo) - Unlimited aliases, PGP encryption, Proton ecosystem
  • Addy.io Pro ($3/mo) - Unlimited aliases, 20 domains, GPG encryption

What Happens When Your Subscription Ends? ​

Understanding what happens to your aliases when you stop paying is crucial for long-term planning:

Addy.io: ​

  • Any custom domains will be deactivated
  • Any additional usernames will be deactivated
  • If you have any more than 1 recipient they will be deleted
  • Paid account settings will be reverted to default values
  • Any aliases using paid plan only domains will be deactivated
  • If you have any more than 10 aliases using a shared domain e.g. anonaddy.me they will be deactivated
  • If your account username has catch-all disabled then it will be enabled

Source

SimpleLogin: ​

  • All aliases/domains/directories/mailboxes you have created are kept and continue working normally.
  • You cannot create new aliases if you exceed the free plan limit, i.e. have more than 10 aliases.
  • All aliases/domains/directories/mailboxes you have created are kept and continue working normally.
  • You cannot create new aliases if you exceed the free plan limit, i.e. have more than 10 aliases.

Source

Apple Hide My Email: ​

  • No new Hide My Email addresses: You will not be able to create any new unique, random email addresses.
  • Existing addresses may stop working

Source

ForwardMail: Downgrades to free forwarding-only plan ​

33Mail: ​

  • Loses custom domain features
  • Keeps basic forwarding

AdGuard Mail: ​

  • Keeps basic service (always has free tier)

IronVest: ​

Aliases may stop working after grace period

Firefox Relay: ​

Premium features lost, back to 5 aliases

💡 Recommendation: Always test the free tier first and understand the downgrade policy before committing.

Getting Started Guide ​

Step 1: Choose Your Provider ​

  • New to aliasing? Start with DuckDuckGo (unlimited free, no setup) or Addy.io (generous free plan)
  • Want advanced security? Try SimpleLogin (PGP encryption) or Addy.io (GPG encryption)
  • Apple user? Use Hide My Email (integrated, affordable)
  • Developer/Technical user? Consider ForwardMail (open-source, self-hostable)

Step 2: Sign Up and Set Up ​

  1. Create your account with chosen provider
  2. Verify your real email address
  3. Set up your first alias
  4. Test by sending an email to the alias
  5. Configure reply settings if supported

Step 3: Best Practices ​

  • Use descriptive aliases: amazon-shopping@provider.com instead of random strings
  • Create categories: Different aliases for shopping, newsletters, social media, work
  • Regular cleanup: Deactivate aliases you no longer need
  • Keep records: Note which alias you used where (most providers have dashboards)
  • Test periodically: Ensure important aliases still work

Additional Resources ​

Contributing ​

Found an error or want to add a provider? Contributions are welcome!

  1. Fork this repository
  2. Make your changes (please verify pricing/features from official sources)
  3. Submit a pull request

License ​

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Released under the MIT License.

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