Sustainable Substitutes for Email

Sustainable alternatives to Gmail and other US-based email services, focusing on privacy and security.

Posteo

A German eco-friendly email provider with optional encryption.

Posteo is based in Germany, ensuring compliance with GDPR and strong privacy laws.
Posteo is completely ad free.
Posteo uses renewable energy to power its servers, reducing its carbon footprint.
Posteo does not track users or display personalised ads. It offers encrypted mailboxes and allows anonymous registration.
Posteo supports open-source standards and transparency, allowing independent audits.
Website

Tuta

A German email provider with encryption by default powered by green energy.

All Tuta clients are open-source, allowing for transparency and community contributions.
Tuta uses green energy to power its servers, reducing its environmental impact.
Tuta does not track users or display personalised ads, it offers end-to-end, quantum-safe encryption, ensuring a private email experience.
Tuta is based in Germany, ensuring compliance with strong privacy laws and ISO/IEC 27001-certified data centers.
Tuta offers one email address with 1GB of storage free of charge and promises that this will not change.
Tuta is ad-free, providing a clean and distraction-free email experience.
Tuta allows management of custom domain emails for paying users. The domain must be registered elsewhere though.
Website

Mailbox

A German email provider with optional encryption running on renewable energy.

Mailbox uses renewable energy to power its servers, reducing its carbon footprint.
Mailbox offers self-hosting options for enterprises, giving full control over data.
Mailbox does not track users or display personalised ads. It offers optional PGP Email encryption.
Mailbox is based in Germany, ensuring compliance with strong privacy laws.
Mailbox is ad-free, providing a clean and distraction-free email experience.
Mailbox allows using custom domain emails through its service for all users except those on a lite plan without family. Domains must be registered through a registrar.
Website

Soverin

An ISO-certified Dutch email provider with optional encryption.

Soverin is ad-free, providing a clean and distraction-free email experience.
Soverin is ISO 14001 certified. No evidence could be found that its servers are powered by renewable energy though.
Soverin does not track users or display personalised ads and allows encryption via PGP.
Soverin supports open-source standards and transparency, allowing independent audits.
Soverin is based in the Netherlands, ensuring compliance with strong European privacy laws.
Soverin allows to register custom domains or manage an existing domain's emails through its service.
Website
protonmail logo

Proton Mail

An encrypted email service based in Switzerland.

Proton Mail clients are open-source, allowing for community audits and transparency.
Proton Mail offers self-hosting options for enterprises, giving full control over data.
Proton Mail does not track users or display personalised ads, ensuring a private email experience.
Proton Mail is based in Switzerland, it's relocating its infrastructure to other more privacy-friendly European countries.
Proton Mail does not show ads to their users apart from upgrade suggestions for their own services.
Proton Mail offers one email address with 1GB of storage free of charge.
Users can use a custom domain with one of Proton Mail's paid plans. The domain must be registered elsewhere though.
Website

How to move away from Big Tech Email Providers

Here's a guide on how to easily get away from Gmail.

Most providers offer step-by-step migration tools to transfer your emails, contacts, and calendars seamlessly. Once you’ve chosen a new provider, update your email address with important contacts and services, and carefully consider setting up automatic forwarding from your old account during the transition. It might make the transition process smoother, but it also scrutinizes your privacy by sharing your new contact with a Big Tech service.