What Makes Startmail Different From Other Privacy Email Providers?

We often get asked what makes StartMail different from other privacy-focused email providers. With numerous options available in the market, it's important to understand what sets each provider apart, so you can find the service that aligns best with your privacy needs. In this article, we'll take a look at the unique features of StartMail, and explore what sets us apart from other privacy email providers, so you can find the one that’s right for you.

1. Strong privacy foundation

At StartMail, we firmly believe in privacy as a fundamental human right. We have always been vocal advocates for protecting people's privacy and civil liberties, actively opposing online tracking and government surveillance.

Founded by Robert E.G. Beens and David Bodnick, the creators of private search engine Startpage, our team has a strong background in privacy technology. Since our launch in 2013 as one of the first private email providers, we have earned the trust of tens of thousands of privacy-conscious individuals worldwide, and our CEO Robert E.G. Beens has become a recognized privacy expert and advocate.

At StartMail, our mission is to empower you by putting you back in control of your data. We provide the tools you need to manage your email account and keep your data private. Transparency is important to us, and we openly communicate our policies to ensure our customers understand how their data is protected. You have the freedom to choose what data you share with us and the ability to delete your account and associated data at any time. Rest assured that when you delete an email or your account, it's gone for good.

2. Based in Europe

StartMail operates independently from commercial third parties and governments. Our headquarters and servers are located in the Netherlands, ensuring that your emails and data are safeguarded by the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the world's highest privacy standard.

3. Unlimited email aliases

One of the unique things about StartMail is the provision of unlimited aliases. These disposable email addresses act as a shield for your real email address, allowing you to sign up for services, register for coupons, or communicate with others without giving away your real address. By using email aliases, you make it more challenging for companies to track your online activity. They also help reduce junk mail, protect your inbox from spam, and enable you to identify instances where your data may have been leaked or sold. If an alias is exposed in a data breach, you can easily delete it and create a new one.

StartMail offers both burner and custom aliases that can be created with a few clicks. With a custom alias, you can create a unique address and decide how long it remains active, while a burner alias is a system-generated address that remains active for just one hour.

While many other providers limit the number of aliases available or charge extra for additional ones, StartMail understands the importance of flexibility. That’s why we provide unlimited aliases without any hidden fees. Many of our privacy-conscious customers tell us they can't imagine going back to a limited number of aliases.

4. Generous storage and easy migration

At StartMail, our goal is to make sure our customers have ample secure storage for all their emails and attachments. That’s why we offer 20GB of email storage across all our plans, so you can have peace of mind without worrying about running out of space. StartMail now offers significantly larger email storage capacity than other secure email providers on comparable plans and popular free email providers like Gmail.

And thanks to our convenient email migration tool, transferring emails from any provider, including Gmail and Yahoo, has never been easier. You can securely migrate your emails with just a few simple clicks.

5. Accepting Bitcoin payments

For users seeking an extra layer of anonymity, StartMail accepts Bitcoin payments on personal accounts. By accepting Bitcoin as payment method, we want to empower users to maintain their anonymity even during the payment process, further solidifying our commitment to privacy.

When users pay with Bitcoin, they don't have to provide any personal information, such as their name, address, or credit card number. Instead, the transaction is processed using a transaction ID that enables us to verify a payment. This transaction ID cannot be traced back to the user's personal information, offering an extra level of security and privacy.

6. Keeping it simple

StartMail is designed with security, simplicity, and privacy in mind. We offer a user-centric email service that is accessible to everyone. We focus on our core competency, which is email privacy, without any confusing extras or distractions. Our goal is to provide a secure email service that makes it easy to protect your privacy with a few simple clicks, without requiring you to be a tech or privacy expert. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, you can easily navigate through our webmail interface. If you prefer to use your favorite email app, StartMail's full IMAP/SMTP support gives you that flexibility too.

7. Price stability

We take pride in our decade-long commitment to keeping the same price on all StartMail plans since day one. Despite inflation causing many services to become more expensive over the years, we keep our prices stable, making it easier for users to budget and plan for their email needs without worrying about unexpected fees.

8. Fast, friendly, and dedicated support

One of the things that sets us apart from other privacy email providers is our commitment to providing dedicated customer support. We believe that when it comes to secure email, you should never feel left in the dark or frustrated by unresponsive customer support. Our dedicated support team is available 24/7 to provide you with prompt and reliable assistance in both English and German language

We understand that every user's situation is unique, which is why we have real people available to help you whenever you need it. We also have an extensive support center that provides articles, guides, and background information about our service and features.

Your privacy, your choice

We hope this article has shed light on some of the unique features of StartMail and what sets us apart from other privacy email providers. When comparing secure email providers, keep in mind that everyone has different privacy needs. Consider what’s important to you and look for the service that best suits your situation. And regardless of which service you choose, every step you take towards enhancing your online privacy and protecting your data is a step in the right direction!