My requirements for an email provider

jeffpan · 12 Apr 2020, 03:33 PM

Custom domain.
Decent amount of storage. I accrued 17 Gb in more than 10 years of usage. So even 5 Gb would do the trick for 1-2 years.
Server side based full text search. I want to be able to search for random emails, based on some word from the body of the email that I vaguely remember.
Ability to use multiple aliases. I want to have site_name@rolisz.ro, besides the main address I will give out, but still have everything come in to my main inbox.
Ability to use 3rd party apps to read my email. This means I want to read my email with any standards (mostly IMAP) compliant app.

Privacy stuff is not a part of my requirements. It's a nice feature to have, but it's not a blocking criterion. From the state mass surveillance perspective, I'm not going to actively implement many of the opsec measures because they are inconvenient. From the advertisement surveillance perspective, 90% of the emails I receive are automated, so there is a marketer on the other side who is probably selling my preferences anyway. If I want to keep something really private, I don't send it through email.

I have started looking at many email providers since last year, but not many of them fit the bill. And those that meet all the requirements are at least 50$/year. I signed up for the trial version of several, but none of them stuck.

Many providers boast that they are located in country X with strong privacy laws, but that is marketing only. Even Switzerland, which is famous for strong privacy laws, gave additional power to their intelligence agencies so that they could monitor the population more closely. The German intelligence agency, BND, cooperated with NSA: BND would spy on Americans, NSA would spy on Germans and they would exchange intel. So there is not much advantage in hosting your email in a Swiss underground bunker.

Some of the more notable email providers:

Tutanota
Protonmail
Fastmail
Mailbox

The first two are very security and privacy oriented. If that's your main concern, go for it. But it comes with some inconveniences: no server side search and you can't use 3rd party apps to read your email, just the apps they provide. They have some workarounds, but they just move the problem onto your machine (they offer a bridge that you install locally and which translates their custom protocol to IMAP and does indexing).

Fastmail was my top choice, from a usability perspective and I read many good reviews of it. It ticks all the boxes, at a cost of 50$ per year. I evaluated it a year ago, but because the construction of my house started, I put the email migration project on hold.

See full story:
https://rolisz.ro/2020/04/11/moving-away-from-gmail/

ankupan · 12 Apr 2020, 04:36 PM

Hi,

Yes, Fastmail will be suitable for your requirement.

Tutanota
Protonmail

both are having low storage. Protonmail is good, but for more 10 GB space, you need to go for their visionary plan and it will be costly.

So FM is good choice.

TenFour · 12 Apr 2020, 11:32 PM

Ha! I linked to the same story in another thread about Purelymail. http://www.emaildiscussions.com/showthread.php?t=74426

Berenburger · 13 Apr 2020, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffpan

See full story:
https://rolisz.ro/2020/04/11/moving-away-from-gmail/

Especial that you don’t use your ‘own’ service 199903.xyz.

jeffpan · 13 Apr 2020, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berenburger

Especial that you don’t use your ‘own’ service 199903.xyz.

That blog content was not posted by me. Thanks.

FredOnline · 13 Apr 2020, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffpan

That blog content was not posted by me.

But you did post here most of the blog content!

When I started reading the first post, I was thinking why is Jeff asking all this when he's already got his own service and seems quite savvy.

It was only when I looked at the posted link I realised he was quoting!

Quote:

You know, quoting!

Berenburger · 13 Apr 2020, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffpan

That blog content was not posted by me. Thanks.

That's how it look liked. As Fred says: use quoting.

TenFour · 13 Apr 2020, 09:27 PM

My own personal requirements for an email provider start out like this:

1. Security: Big enough to have a long track record of keeping email accounts safe and secure.
2. Reliability: Big enough and old enough to have a long track record of providing reliable service with no loss of email.

The really small and obscure providers can offer compelling products at great price points, but without my #1 and #2 above I just can't use them.

jeffpan · 13 Apr 2020, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenFour

My own personal requirements for an email provider start out like this:

1. Security: Big enough to have a long track record of keeping email accounts safe and secure.
2. Reliability: Big enough and old enough to have a long track record of providing reliable service with no loss of email.

The really small and obscure providers can offer compelling products at great price points, but without my #1 and #2 above I just can't use them.

Just curious, what providers are you going with currently? Thanks

TenFour · 13 Apr 2020, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Just curious, what providers are you going with currently?

I've been using Gmail as my main provider since 2006, and I also use Outlook.com, and at work I use Microsoft 365 and G Suite.

jeffpan · 13 Apr 2020, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenFour

I've been using Gmail as my main provider since 2006, and I also use Outlook.com, and at work I use Microsoft 365 and G Suite.

I never used MS's office products including email.
But I do use gsuite, including gdrive, online office etc. Use gsuite's gmail very few.
Currently my domains are hosting at gsuite and pobox (mailstore), both work just fine.

TenFour · 13 Apr 2020, 10:10 PM

I should add that I consider Fastmail/Pobox to be among the best, and I have used them both in the recent past. I believe they both meet my #1 and #2 requirements. In fact, I had a Fastmail account before I had a Gmail account, and it worked great. Today, however, I need to have everything in the cloud because I am rarely living or working in one place for long. The online office suites offered by Google and Microsoft are critical to me and it is far easier to utilize one ecosystem of products.

TenFour · 13 Apr 2020, 11:29 PM

I should add that Apple Mail should be right up there too, and their online office suite is quite usable. I have lots of friends that are all Apple to the point they struggle a bit using mainstream stuff like Gmail and Microsoft Office. A lot of people are totally all-in with Apple. I read the other day that 83% of teens in the USA have an iPhone, and in most business settings it is the defacto phone choice, so Apple Mail is well tested and trusted.

12 Apr 2020, 03:33 PM	#1
jeffpan The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Macao Posts: 2,145 Representative of: tls-mail.com	My requirements for an email provider Custom domain. Decent amount of storage. I accrued 17 Gb in more than 10 years of usage. So even 5 Gb would do the trick for 1-2 years. Server side based full text search. I want to be able to search for random emails, based on some word from the body of the email that I vaguely remember. Ability to use multiple aliases. I want to have site_name@rolisz.ro, besides the main address I will give out, but still have everything come in to my main inbox. Ability to use 3rd party apps to read my email. This means I want to read my email with any standards (mostly IMAP) compliant app. Privacy stuff is not a part of my requirements. It's a nice feature to have, but it's not a blocking criterion. From the state mass surveillance perspective, I'm not going to actively implement many of the opsec measures because they are inconvenient. From the advertisement surveillance perspective, 90% of the emails I receive are automated, so there is a marketer on the other side who is probably selling my preferences anyway. If I want to keep something really private, I don't send it through email. I have started looking at many email providers since last year, but not many of them fit the bill. And those that meet all the requirements are at least 50$/year. I signed up for the trial version of several, but none of them stuck. Many providers boast that they are located in country X with strong privacy laws, but that is marketing only. Even Switzerland, which is famous for strong privacy laws, gave additional power to their intelligence agencies so that they could monitor the population more closely. The German intelligence agency, BND, cooperated with NSA: BND would spy on Americans, NSA would spy on Germans and they would exchange intel. So there is not much advantage in hosting your email in a Swiss underground bunker. Some of the more notable email providers: Tutanota Protonmail Fastmail Mailbox The first two are very security and privacy oriented. If that's your main concern, go for it. But it comes with some inconveniences: no server side search and you can't use 3rd party apps to read your email, just the apps they provide. They have some workarounds, but they just move the problem onto your machine (they offer a bridge that you install locally and which translates their custom protocol to IMAP and does indexing). Fastmail was my top choice, from a usability perspective and I read many good reviews of it. It ticks all the boxes, at a cost of 50$ per year. I evaluated it a year ago, but because the construction of my house started, I put the email migration project on hold. See full story: https://rolisz.ro/2020/04/11/moving-away-from-gmail/

12 Apr 2020, 04:36 PM	#2
ankupan Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 812	Hi, Yes, Fastmail will be suitable for your requirement. Tutanota Protonmail both are having low storage. Protonmail is good, but for more 10 GB space, you need to go for their visionary plan and it will be costly. So FM is good choice.

12 Apr 2020, 11:32 PM	#3
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,742	Ha! I linked to the same story in another thread about Purelymail. http://www.emaildiscussions.com/showthread.php?t=74426

13 Apr 2020, 09:27 PM	#8
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,742	My own personal requirements for an email provider start out like this: 1. Security: Big enough to have a long track record of keeping email accounts safe and secure. 2. Reliability: Big enough and old enough to have a long track record of providing reliable service with no loss of email. The really small and obscure providers can offer compelling products at great price points, but without my #1 and #2 above I just can't use them.

13 Apr 2020, 10:10 PM	#12
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,742	I should add that I consider Fastmail/Pobox to be among the best, and I have used them both in the recent past. I believe they both meet my #1 and #2 requirements. In fact, I had a Fastmail account before I had a Gmail account, and it worked great. Today, however, I need to have everything in the cloud because I am rarely living or working in one place for long. The online office suites offered by Google and Microsoft are critical to me and it is far easier to utilize one ecosystem of products.

13 Apr 2020, 11:29 PM	#13
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,742	I should add that Apple Mail should be right up there too, and their online office suite is quite usable. I have lots of friends that are all Apple to the point they struggle a bit using mainstream stuff like Gmail and Microsoft Office. A lot of people are totally all-in with Apple. I read the other day that 83% of teens in the USA have an iPhone, and in most business settings it is the defacto phone choice, so Apple Mail is well tested and trusted.