--- title: mailbox.org canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/mailbox-org/ category: Encrypted Email Services points: 49 rank: 4 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # mailbox.org German mailbox with optional OpenPGP encryption, standard IMAP access and plans from €1 a month. 49 points out of 100. #4 of 9 encrypted email services. Vendor: Heinlein Support. Website: https://mailbox.org/en - Light costs €1 a month on a 12-month term, with 2 GB of mail storage [1]. - Standard costs €3 a month on yearly billing, with 20 GB and your own domain [1]. - Mail is served over IMAP and SMTP to Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail [6]. - Encryption of stored mail is an optional Guard setting; existing mail is left as it is when you switch it on [3]. - There is no permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial [1]. Verdict: mailbox.org suits people who want a low-cost mailbox that works in standard mail programs, with encryption they switch on [1][3][6]. Standard at €3 a month adds 20 GB and a custom domain [1]. The catch: encryption is opt-in and applies to new incoming mail, and it has no free plan or official mail app [1][3][6]. Best for: People who want to read their mail in Thunderbird or Outlook and switch on encryption themselves. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Encryption | Stored mail the provider cannot read | Yes | 10/10 | Optional: Guard encrypts new incoming mail; its key is decrypted only with your Guard password, which mailbox.org does not store [3][4]. | | Encryption | Automatic end-to-end encryption between its own users | Not published | 0/8 | Not published on the vendor's Guard help pages [3][4]. | | Encryption | Encrypted mail to other providers | Yes | 6/6 | Guard sets up a temporary mailbox on mailbox.org for recipients without a PGP key [5]. | | Encryption | Encrypted contacts or calendar | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's address book and calendar help page [10]. | | Trust and audits | Independent audit since 2024 | Not published | 0/8 | Not published on the vendor's security page, which names no outside firm or audit report [9]. | | Trust and audits | Open-source apps | Not published | 0/6 | Not published on the vendor's home or security pages [2][9]. | | Trust and audits | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | Yes | 4/4 | The home page says the service is backed by ISO 27001 certification and BSI C5 attestation [2]. | | Trust and audits | Transparency report | Yes | 4/4 | The Transparency Report 2025, dated 10 February 2026, counts 74 requests from authorities, 18 rejected [7]. | | Trust and audits | Security key for two-factor sign-in | Not published | 0/4 | Not published: help pages describe authenticator-app codes and YubiKey one-time passwords, with no FIDO2 or WebAuthn [8][11]. | | Apps and access | Official apps | None | 0/10 | The help page lists third-party mail programs for each system and no mailbox.org mail app [6]. | | Apps and access | Works in standard mail programs | Yes | 8/8 | Mail is served via IMAP and SMTP to programs such as Outlook and Thunderbird [6]. | | Mailbox | Your own domain | Yes | 5/5 | Standard and Premium let you use your own domain [1]. | | Mailbox | Mail storage on the cheapest paid plan | 2 | 2/5 | Light, the cheapest paid plan, has 2 GB of mail storage [1]. | | Mailbox | Export your whole mailbox | Not published | 0/3 | Not published: the backup page describes saving selected messages as .eml files, not the whole mailbox [6]. | | Price | Free plan with an encrypted mailbox | No | 0/6 | There is no permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial [1]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $1.12/mo | 10/10 | Light, €1 a month on a 12-month term (€12 a year) [1]. Converted at €1 = $1.1186 [12]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Light | €12/year [1] | $1.12 | | Standard | €36/year [1] | $3.36 | | Premium | €108/year [1] | $10.07 | Prices are shown in euros and include VAT at the user's country rate [1]. ## Strengths - Works in desktop mail programs over IMAP and SMTP [6]. - Guard encrypts incoming mail with a key that mailbox.org cannot open without your Guard password [3][4]. - Sends encrypted mail to people without PGP through a temporary mailbox [5]. - Publishes a transparency report; the 2025 report counts 74 requests [7]. - Says it holds ISO 27001 certification [2]. ## Limits - Encrypting stored mail is a setting; existing mail is unaffected and the Sent folder is not stored encrypted [3]. - No permanent free plan; the trial lasts 30 days [1]. - Light has 2 GB and a one-year minimum term [1]. - The help pages list no mailbox.org mail app and describe two-factor with authenticator-app or one-time-password codes [6][8][11]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - mailbox.org says it stores data in certified German data centres [2]. ## Sources 1. [mailbox.org prices](https://mailbox.org/en/prices/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [mailbox.org home page](https://mailbox.org/en/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Encrypting incoming emails](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/encryption/your-encrypted-mailbox/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [How is the private key protected?](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/encryption/how-is-the-private-key-protected/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Sending encrypted emails with Guard](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/encryption/my-recipient-does-not-use-pgp/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Data interfaces](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/faq/data-synchronization-overview/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Transparency Report 2025](https://mailbox.org/en/news/transparency-report-2025/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Setting up two-factor authentication in mailbox](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/security-and-privacy/how-to-use-two-factor-authentication-2fa/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Security](https://mailbox.org/en/security), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Address book and calendar](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/addressbook-and-calendar/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [YubiKey: webmail with one-time passwords](https://kb.mailbox.org/en/private/security-and-privacy/yubikey-webmail-with-one-time-passwords/), mailbox.org, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Euro foreign exchange reference rates: US dollar](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-usd.en.html), European Central Bank, accessed 2026-10-08