The verdict: Born at CERN, raised on Swiss privacy law. The provider itself can't read your mail, the free tier is genuinely usable, and there's a full suite behind it when you're ready to leave more than just Gmail.

The verdict: Encrypts more than anyone — subjects, calendar, contacts, the lot. The trade-off is living inside their apps, since standard mail clients can't connect. Maximal privacy, minimal flexibility.

The verdict: One euro a month, no account data required, and you can pay in an envelope. No custom domains means it's for people, not businesses — but for a personal inbox with a clear conscience, this is the quiet classic.

The verdict: The sensible workhorse — custom domains, a proper office suite, and open standards so nothing locks you in. Less flashy than the encrypted specialists, more useful for running your actual life or a small business.

The verdict: Encryption built on the open PGP standard rather than a walled garden, so you can exchange encrypted mail with anyone. A share of revenue goes to digital rights groups, which tells you where its priorities sit.

The verdict: An email company that can't be quietly flipped to a buyer you'd hate, because the people running it own it. Small, steady, and Norwegian in every sense — including the hydropowered servers.

The verdict: Bring your own domain, create as many addresses as you like, pay for what you actually send and store. The developer favourite — unglamorous, honest pricing, and your identity stays yours forever.

The verdict: The whole platform is open source and everything is stored in open formats, so leaving is always one export away — which is exactly why you might stay. Swiss hosting seals it.