StartMail
Email encryption software
Email security software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$4.99 per user per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
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Medium
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- Media and communications
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Education and training
What is StartMail
StartMail is a hosted email service focused on encrypted email and privacy-oriented mailbox features for individuals and small organizations. It supports sending encrypted messages to recipients with or without PGP keys and provides options such as disposable aliases to reduce exposure of a primary address. The product is typically used by users who want a dedicated secure mailbox rather than adding encryption to an existing corporate email platform. It differentiates through built-in encryption workflows and alias management within a standalone email service.
Built-in encrypted email workflows
StartMail supports encrypted email using PGP and also provides a password-protected message flow for recipients who do not use PGP. This reduces friction compared with solutions that require both parties to manage keys and compatible clients. It fits common use cases such as sending sensitive documents or personal data over email. The encryption features are integrated into the service rather than requiring a separate gateway product.
Disposable alias address support
StartMail includes disposable email aliases that can be created and retired to limit spam and credential reuse risk. This is useful for sign-ups, vendor communications, and situations where users do not want to expose their primary address. Alias management is part of the mailbox experience rather than an external add-on. It can reduce the operational overhead of maintaining multiple mailboxes.
Standalone secure mailbox offering
Because StartMail is a full email provider, it can be deployed without changing an organization’s existing security stack or adding plugins to third-party mail systems. This can simplify adoption for small teams or individuals who want a separate secure channel. It also avoids dependency on a specific productivity suite’s admin controls. The approach is straightforward when the goal is a dedicated secure inbox.
Not a full email security suite
StartMail focuses on encrypted email and mailbox privacy features rather than comprehensive inbound threat protection. Organizations looking for advanced phishing detection, attachment sandboxing, or security awareness features may need additional tools. It is not positioned as a complete secure email gateway replacement for larger environments. This can limit fit for regulated enterprises with layered email security requirements.
Limited enterprise administration features
As a privacy-focused mailbox service, StartMail is generally better aligned to individuals and smaller teams than to large-scale centralized administration. Capabilities such as advanced policy enforcement, detailed compliance reporting, and complex role-based administration may be less extensive than enterprise-focused platforms. This can increase manual work for IT in larger deployments. Buyers should validate admin, audit, and retention needs against product capabilities.
Requires mailbox migration to use
Using StartMail typically means adopting it as the primary mailbox rather than adding encryption to an existing corporate email tenant. That can introduce migration effort, user change management, and potential integration gaps with existing identity, archiving, or eDiscovery tooling. For organizations standardized on a major email platform, a bolt-on encryption/security layer may be operationally simpler. This constraint can narrow deployment scenarios.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Monthly (month-to-month): $6.99 per month | |
| --- | --- | |
| Annual: $59.88 billed annually (equivalent to $4.99 per month) | 20 GB storage; email address with @startmail.com or one custom domain; unlimited email aliases; additional accounts 25% off; Bitcoin payment possible on annual plans; Free 7-day trial available | |
| Business | Monthly (month-to-month): $8.99 per month | |
| Annual: $83.88 billed annually (equivalent to $6.99 per month) | 30 GB storage; email address with custom domain; unlimited email aliases; add unlimited domains; shared aliases for group subscriptions; additional accounts 25% off; Free 7-day trial available |
Additional notes:
- Group subscriptions: unlimited additional accounts can be added at a 25% discount (group subscription / add-on feature).
- Trial: StartMail offers a 7-day free trial; payment details required at signup but not charged until trial ends.
- Promotional pricing: the site may display limited-time promotional first-year pricing in some pages; the table above uses the standard monthly and annual prices shown on the official pricing pages.
Seller details
StartMail B.V.
Netherlands (exact city unspecified)
Private
https://www.startmail.com/
https://x.com/startmail
https://www.linkedin.com/company/startmail/
