Fastmail

Most people switch away from Gmail because they're tired of being the product. Fastmail solves that problem and solves well. It's ad-free, has zero interest in selling your data, and has been independently owned since 2013. It's also fast, reliable, and significantly easier to use than most of the other privacy-focused alternatives. What it isn't is end-to-end encrypted by default, and that distinction matters enough to be upfront about before anything else.

What Fastmail does well

The interface is one of the best I've used. It has fast search, a clean layout, proper keyboard shortcuts, solid mobile apps, and it works with any email client you already use. It supports IMAP, CalDAV, and CardDAV without making you install a bridge or use a proprietary app, so if you use Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail, or anything else, Fastmail will plug straight in.

It has an extremely useful feature called Masked Email. It let's you generate unique email aliases for every site you sign up for so your real address never gets exposed. Combine that with a custom domain and you get a setup that's flexible, professional, and doesn't tie your identity to any one address. If you use 1Password or Bitwarden as your password manager, Fastmail's masked email feature integrates directly with it. When you're saving a new login you can generate a Fastmail masked email address from within the password manager interface without needing to switch apps. It's a small convenience but a extremely useful one.

Migration is considerably better than most competitors. Fastmail has an import tool that handles the move from Gmail, and other providers, very cleanly. They also offer live migration support if you get stuck. If the friction of switching email has been holding you back, Fastmail makes it easier than pretty much any competitor.

Calendar and contacts are also first-class, not afterthoughts. Shared calendars, shared address books, and proper family plan support for up to six people with separate inboxes under one subscription.

The drawbacks you need to know about

Fastmail does not offer end-to-end encryption. Your email is encrypted at rest on their servers, but Fastmail holds the keys. That means they can read your email if compelled to do so by Australian law enforcement, and they will comply with lawful requests. They publish a transparency report and say they review every request carefully, but there is no technical barrier preventing access the way there is with Proton or Tuta.

For most people, their threat model does not require E2EE email. You're moving away from Gmail, not hiding from a government. But if you need your email to be unreadable to anyone except you, Fastmail is the wrong tool.

The jurisdiction situation is also worth understanding. Fastmail is an Australian company, and in 2018 Australia passed the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Act, a law that gives authorities the power to compel companies to assist with data access. Fastmail has publicly opposed this law and says their service is not materially affected since they already respond to warrants through existing channels. They have a point, because Fastmail isn't E2EE, there's no encryption to circumvent. They can already hand over readable email under a warrant. The TOLA law changes the process more than the practical outcome for Fastmail customers.

There is no free plan but they do offer a 30-day free trial. It does require a payment method to signup.. Fastmail starts at $3 per month for a basic plan, with the most useful individual plan at $5 per month.

Who should choose Fastmail over Proton or Tuta

Fastmail makes the most sense if any of these apply to you:

• You want something that works exactly like normal email. Proton requires a bridge for third-party clients, and Tuta uses a proprietary protocol that locks you into their apps. Fastmail works with everything out of the box.

• You're migrating a family or household. Fastmail's family plan covers six people for $11/month (or $8/month for the Duo plan) and has proper shared calendar and address book support. Proton's family plan costs more and Tuta's multi-user setup is more limited.

• Your threat model is corporate surveillance, not state surveillance. If what you want is to stop Google from reading your email and collecting your data, Fastmail does that. If you need protection from government access specifically, Proton's or Tuta is a stronger way to go.

• You care about interface and reliability. Proton and Tuta are improving, but Fastmail has been building email service since 1999 and it shows. The search is faster, the interface is more polished, and the apps generally feel better to use.