Best Email Alias Services in 2026: An Independent Comparison

Every time you type your email into a signup form, you hand over a piece of your identity. That address follows you across data breaches, marketing lists, and broker databases. Once it leaks, there is no taking it back.

Email alias services solve this by giving you a unique forwarding address for every account. Your real email stays hidden. If one alias gets compromised, you disable it and move on. The rest of your inbox stays clean.

The market has matured since the early days of throwaway inboxes. In 2026, there are several solid options, each with different trade-offs around pricing, privacy, and features. This guide breaks down six of the most notable services so you can pick the one that fits how you actually use email.

What to look for in an email alias service

Before diving into individual reviews, here is what matters most:

• Unlimited aliases. A cap on aliases defeats the purpose. You want one per service, forever.
• Custom domain support. Using your own domain means your aliases look professional and you are not locked into any single provider.
• Two-way replies. You should be able to reply through your alias without exposing your real address.
• Kill switch. Disabling a compromised alias should take one click.
• Privacy model. Who runs the service, where is your data stored, and is the code open source?
• Pricing transparency. Flat rate, usage-based, or bundled with other services. Know what you are paying for.

SimpleLogin

Owned by Proton AG (Switzerland) since 2022

SimpleLogin is the most widely known email alias service, largely because of its acquisition by Proton. It integrates directly with Proton Mail and Proton Pass, making it the default choice for anyone already in the Proton ecosystem.

Pricing:

• Free: 10 aliases, 1 mailbox, browser extensions, mobile apps
• Premium: $4/month or $36/year for unlimited aliases, unlimited mailboxes, custom domains, PGP encryption, and catch-all support

Key features: Unlimited aliases on premium, browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, iOS and Android apps, subdomain support (up to 5), directory-based alias creation (up to 50), and integration with Proton Pass for auto-generated aliases at signup.

Privacy model: Fully open source. Hosted in Switzerland under Proton's infrastructure. Community-funded with no ads or tracking. PGP encryption available on premium for end-to-end protection. Can be self-hosted.

Ideal user: Anyone already using Proton Mail or Proton Pass. The integration is seamless, and the $36/year price is reasonable for unlimited aliases. If you are building your privacy stack around Proton, SimpleLogin is the obvious companion.

Full comparison: Maskmail vs SimpleLogin

Addy.io

Independent, open-source project (formerly AnonAddy)

Addy.io is the power user's alias service. It has more configuration options than any other provider on this list, including regex-based alias creation, a full REST API, and GPG encryption with per-recipient keys.

Pricing:

• Free: Unlimited standard aliases, 2 shared domains, 1 recipient, 10 MB/month bandwidth
• Lite: €1/month for 50 shared domain aliases, 5 recipients, 1 custom domain, 100 MB bandwidth
• Pro: €3/month for unlimited everything, 20 custom domains, 30 recipients, blocklist, regex aliases

Key features: Unlimited standard aliases on all plans (including free), GPG/OpenPGP encryption with optional subject-line encryption, REST API for developers, regex-based auto-creation rules, multiple usernames for identity separation, self-hosting support, and browser extensions across all major browsers.

Privacy model: Fully open source. Can be self-hosted for complete control. GPG encryption prevents even your inbox provider (Gmail, Outlook) from reading forwarded messages. Recently partnered with Tuta for encrypted email integration.

Ideal user: Developers and privacy enthusiasts who want maximum control. The free tier is the most generous on this list (unlimited standard aliases), and the Pro tier at €3/month packs more features than services charging twice the price. Best for people who want to tinker.

Full comparison: Maskmail vs Addy.io

Firefox Relay

Operated by Mozilla (USA)

Firefox Relay is Mozilla's answer to email privacy. It started as a simple email masking tool and has expanded to include phone number masking in the US and Canada. The Mozilla brand carries trust, though the free tier is limited to just 5 masks.

Pricing:

• Free: 5 email masks, browser extension, email tracker removal
• Premium: ~$1/month (billed annually) for unlimited masks, custom Relay subdomain, anonymous replies, promotional email blocking
• Premium + VPN bundle: $6.99/month for email masks plus Mozilla VPN

Key features: Email tracker removal on all tiers (including free), phone number masking on premium (US and Canada only), custom subdomain for on-the-fly alias creation (e.g., [email protected]), and promotional email blocking on paid plans.

Privacy model: Operated by Mozilla, a nonprofit-backed organization with a strong privacy reputation. Not open source. Tracker removal is a standout feature that actively strips tracking pixels from forwarded emails before they reach your inbox.

Ideal user: Firefox users who want basic email masking without switching tools. The tracker removal feature is genuinely useful, and the Mozilla brand is a trust signal. The 5-mask free tier is too restrictive for most people, though, so plan on paying if you use it seriously.

Full comparison: Maskmail vs Firefox Relay

Fastmail Masked Email

Fastmail Pty Ltd (Australia), operating since 1999

Fastmail takes a different approach: masked email is a feature inside a full email provider, not a standalone service. You get a complete email platform with calendars, contacts, and 60 GB of storage, and alias creation is built in.

Pricing:

• Individual: €5/month (billed yearly) or €6/month (billed monthly), 60 GB storage
• Duo: €8/month (billed yearly), 120 GB storage, 2 users
• Family: Up to 6 users (pricing varies)

All plans include masked email, custom domains, 30-day free trial, and 24/7 human support.

Key features: Native integration with 1Password and Bitwarden for auto-generating masked addresses during signups, custom domain support, imposter detection (the dashboard shows which service each masked address was given to, flagging suspicious senders), and full IMAP/SMTP/JMAP access for third-party email clients.

Privacy model: No ads, no tracking. Employee access to customer data requires a logged and audited justification. 25+ year track record with no privacy incidents requiring employee sanctions. Not open source.

Ideal user: People who want to replace their email provider entirely. If you are considering leaving Gmail or Outlook and want a privacy-respecting email service with built-in alias support, Fastmail is the all-in-one option. Not the right choice if you just want aliasing on top of your existing inbox.

Full comparison: Maskmail vs Fastmail

DuckDuckGo Email Protection

DuckDuckGo Inc. (USA)

DuckDuckGo Email Protection is completely free and focuses on one thing: removing trackers from your emails. You get a personal @duck.com address plus unlimited private aliases, all forwarding to your existing inbox.

Pricing:

• Free. No paid tier for email protection.
• Optional DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro subscription adds personal information removal from data brokers (separate from email protection).

Key features: Unlimited @duck.com aliases, automatic tracker removal before emails reach your inbox, works with any email provider, available through DuckDuckGo browsers (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows) and browser extensions (Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera).

Privacy model: DuckDuckGo's core business is private search. Email Protection extends that ethos by stripping trackers and not storing your emails after forwarding. No permanent data retention.

Ideal user: Anyone who wants a free, set-and-forget solution. DuckDuckGo Email Protection is the easiest entry point into email aliasing. The trade-off is no custom domain support, no two-way replies through aliases, and you need the DuckDuckGo browser or extension to sign up. Good for casual use, limited for power users.

Full comparison: Maskmail vs DuckDuckGo Email Protection

Maskmail

Independent

Maskmail is a newer, independently built service with a different pricing philosophy. Instead of tiered plans that bundle features you may not need, it uses a simple usage-based model: a low base fee plus a small charge per email forwarded.

Pricing:

• 14-day free trial, then $0.99/month base + $0.006 per email sent or received
• At roughly 50 emails per month, the total comes to about $1.29/month
• No feature tiers. Every user gets everything: unlimited masks, custom domains, two-way replies

Key features: Unlimited masked addresses, unlimited forwarding inboxes, custom domain support with automatic catch-all (any address at your domain forwards without setup), two-way replies through masks, real-time forwarding, full delivery visibility showing what arrived, what bounced, and which mask it came from, and a one-click kill switch for compromised masks.

Privacy model: Independent and bootstrapped (no venture capital, no growth-at-all-costs pressure). Each service gets its own mask, isolating breaches to a single address. Works with any existing email provider (Gmail, Proton, iCloud, Outlook).

Ideal user: People who want all features unlocked from day one without paying for a tier. The usage-based model works well for light-to-moderate email users who do not want to subsidize heavy users. Also a good fit if you want custom domain support without committing to a premium plan elsewhere.

Comparison table

Which service should you pick?

There is no single "best" alias service. The right choice depends on how you use email and what you already pay for.

Pick SimpleLogin if you are already a Proton Mail or Proton Pass user. The integration is tight, the pricing is fair at $36/year, and you get the benefit of Proton's Swiss privacy infrastructure. It is the safe, well-supported default.

Pick Addy.io if you are technical and want maximum flexibility. The free tier is unmatched (unlimited standard aliases), and the Pro tier at €3/month gives you features like regex rules, API access, and GPG encryption that no other provider matches at this price.

Pick Firefox Relay if you value tracker removal and trust Mozilla. The free tier is too limited for serious use, but the premium tier is affordable and the tracker-stripping feature is genuinely useful if you receive a lot of marketing emails.

Pick Fastmail if you want to replace your email provider entirely. Masked email is a feature within a premium email service, so it only makes sense if you are ready to move your whole inbox. The 1Password integration is excellent for people who already use that password manager.

Pick DuckDuckGo Email Protection if you want something free with zero setup. It is the lowest-friction option for casual users. The lack of custom domains and two-way replies limits its usefulness for anything beyond basic signups.

Pick Maskmail if you want every feature unlocked without paying for a tier. The usage-based model means you pay for what you actually use. It is a good fit for people who want custom domains and full functionality at a predictable, low cost, especially if you are a light-to-moderate email user.

FAQ

Is there a way to mask my email?

Yes. Email alias services like Maskmail, SimpleLogin, and Addy.io let you create unique forwarding addresses for every account you sign up for. Your real email stays hidden. Messages sent to your alias forward to your real inbox, and you can reply through the alias so the recipient never sees your actual address. If an alias starts receiving spam, you disable it in one click without affecting your other accounts.

What is the best email hiding service?

It depends on your needs. SimpleLogin is the best choice if you already use Proton Mail. Addy.io offers the most features for technical users who want open-source and self-hosting. DuckDuckGo Email Protection is the best free option with tracker removal. Maskmail is ideal if you want simple usage-based pricing and custom domain support without paying for features you do not use.

Does email masking work?

Yes, email masking is proven and effective. When you use an alias service, websites and companies only see your alias address, not your real one. If that alias gets leaked in a data breach, you know exactly which company was responsible and you can disable that single alias. Your other accounts and your real inbox remain unaffected. Most alias services forward messages in real time with no noticeable delay.