Email providers: European providers compared

Email mailboxes and groupware with a focus on privacy, European servers and partly end-to-end encryption.

Recommendations

Infomaniak

Switzerland

Confidence: high

Independent Swiss cloud and hosting provider with own data centers – from web hosting and email to public cloud, 100% green electricity.

EFTA

Tuta (Tutanota)

Germany

Confidence: high

End-to-end encrypted email and calendar from Germany – open source and ad-free.

EUOpen Source

mailbox.org

Germany

Confidence: high

German business email and groupware with servers in Berlin – based on Open-Xchange, ISO 27001 and BSI C5.

Comparison table

Providers	Score	Headquarters	Pricing
Infomaniak	86	Switzerland	Web hosting / cloud (pay-as-you-go)
Tuta (Tutanota)	84	Germany	from 3 € / Monat
mailbox.org	84	Germany	from 1 € / Monat
Posteo	84	Germany	from 1 € / Monat
Proton	82	Switzerland	from 3,99 € / Monat

Selection criteria

For private users, encryption and ad-free use are the main priorities. Companies also need calendars, contacts, team features and a DPA. Check whether open standards (IMAP/SMTP) are supported so you are not locked into one provider.

Data protection & compliance

Email is a central channel with lots of personal data. Pay attention to EU server location, encryption (transport and ideally end-to-end), open standards and a DPA for companies.

The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice.

Typical use cases

Privacy-friendly private mailbox
Business email with own domain
Groupware with calendar and contacts for teams
Encrypted communication with PGP/S/MIME

Pricing guidance

Private mailboxes start at around €1–4 per month. Business/groupware plans are usually billed per mailbox per month and increase with storage and feature set.

Providers in this category

5 results

Infomaniak

Switzerland

Confidence: high

Independent Swiss cloud and hosting provider with own data centers – from web hosting and email to public cloud, 100% green electricity.

EFTA

Tuta (Tutanota)

Germany

Confidence: high

End-to-end encrypted email and calendar from Germany – open source and ad-free.

EUOpen Source

mailbox.org

Germany

Confidence: high

German business email and groupware with servers in Berlin – based on Open-Xchange, ISO 27001 and BSI C5.

Posteo

Germany

Confidence: high

Ad-free, green email service from Berlin with strong privacy – anonymous sign-up and payment, servers in Germany.

Proton

Switzerland

Confidence: high

Swiss privacy suite with end-to-end encrypted email, calendar, drive, password manager and VPN.

EFTAOpen Source

Related alternative pages

Gmail Alternative

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my existing email address with me?

Provider addresses (e.g. @gmail.com) cannot be taken with you. With your own domain, you stay independent and can switch freely in future.

Encryption or groupware – which is better?

It depends on your needs: end-to-end encrypted services are ideal for maximum confidentiality; if you need calendar, contacts and open standards, groupware providers are the better choice.

The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice. How we rate.