Migadu: 19 Dollars Per Year Link to heading
I needed an email provider for a couple of custom domains. After about an hour of research, I chose Migadu. The basic plan costs 19 dollars per year and offers unlimited domains, unlimited addresses, unlimited aliases. Limits are on daily email volume, not on the number of mailboxes or artificial features.
What really convinced me was their philosophy. Migadu is a small independent Swiss company, bootstrapped without external investors. On their website they explicitly state: “Our interests align with those of users, not with those of investors.” They’re very transparent and honest, both about the pros and cons of their service. No ads, no tracking, no proprietary lock-in. They fully support standard SMTP, IMAP4, POP3. If tomorrow I want to migrate, I export everything and leave. (ps. hosting in France, here the reason why)
The infrastructure runs entirely on open source software to which they contribute. Support is handled directly by postmasters, not outsourced call centers. The interface is deliberately minimalist: it works, it doesn’t try to impress you with useless graphics. Operating since 2014, profitable and sustainable.
The Discarded Alternatives Link to heading
I’ve been using Proton Mail for years on the free plan for personal emails. For custom domains you need 4 euros per month. Fastmail was another good option: very fast app, includes files, contacts and calendar. Basic plan at 6 euros per month. The problem with both is that you pay per user, with limits on the number of accounts.
Infomaniak seemed interesting, but in mid-2024 publicly criticized Proton for their opposition to an amendment to Swiss surveillance law that would require providers to identify and retain user data. The controversy in the privacy community was significant. For a service based on trust, that wasn’t enough for me.
Mailbox.com had OK pricing but rigid limits on aliases. Someday I might need many, I didn’t want artificial constraints.
I found Migadu on Reddit, along with Mxroute. Both with positive reviews and unconventional pricing approaches. The key difference: no limits on number of accounts and mailboxes. You pay for email volume, not for artificial mailboxes.
Setup Link to heading
Immediate migration. DNS configuration, verification, done. Fast webmail, IMAP on client configured in 30 seconds. No upsells, no dark patterns, no hidden limitations.
19 dollars per year for everything I need.
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