Information as of 5 October 2026. You can use Gmail today; you cannot yet use privymail.eu. Later changes by Google are not reflected.
This page sets Gmail beside privymail.eu. It is written by a competitor and is not a rating. What is said here about Gmail comes from Google's own help pages, product pages and terms of service; we have not tested the service technically. The references are listed under "Sources". The comparison shows all services side by side.
In short
According to Google, Gmail can also be used at no cost and is connected with other Google services. According to Google, Gmail shows ads; for the Workspace plans, Google names an ad-free email experience. privymail.eu is a mailbox without ads, run by an operator in Germany. It confines itself to mail, calendar and contacts.
What Google states about Gmail
According to Google:
- On computer, phone, watch and tablet. Gmail is available on computer, phone, watch and tablet, including at no cost. According to Google, each Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.
- Connected with other Google services. Gmail is connected with Google Meet, Google Calendar and Google Chat.
- Protection against spam. According to Google, 99.9% of spam, phishing attempts and malware are automatically blocked in Gmail.
- Common mail apps. According to Google, IMAP access is always turned on for personal Google Accounts. As examples of mail apps, Google names Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird. According to Google, Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that require you to share your Google username and password; Google points to the option "Sign in with Google".
- Ads without a look into your messages. Gmail shows ads. According to Google, your Gmail messages are neither scanned nor read for this; the selection is based on your online activity while you are signed in to Google. For the Workspace plans, Google's pricing page names an ad-free email experience.
- Ways out. According to Google, you can export and download your data, including email, and have new messages forwarded automatically to another address. According to Google, Google Workspace administrators can manage whether users can download data.
What privymail.eu does differently
- Subscriptions instead of advertising. The business model of privymail.eu is subscriptions; advertising and analysing your mail are not part of it. The free plan, too, comes without ads and without tracking.
- An operator in Germany. The operator is patchletter UG (haftungsbeschränkt) in Gelsenkirchen. Full details are in the imprint.
- Unreadable to the provider, as a choice per folder. According to Google, client-side encryption is available for Gmail in certain Workspace editions. With privymail.eu you choose Sealed mode per folder: decryption happens on your device, and we cannot read the content. In the default Compatible mode, mail is stored encrypted with a separate key pair per account; the server processes plain text, however, while you are logged in. More under Security.
- Your own domain from the Pro plan. Domain Autopilot generates the necessary DNS records and keeps checking them. More under Your own domain.
- Mail, calendar and contacts, nothing else. Video meetings, chat and office apps are not part of it. In return, the service speaks open protocols: IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV and CardDAV. More under Mail apps and open standards.
The features side by side
| Feature | Gmail (according to Google) | privymail.eu (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| Where the provider is based | For users in the EEA and Switzerland: Ireland (Google Ireland Limited). According to Google, it belongs to the group of companies of Google LLC, USA. | Germany (patchletter UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Gelsenkirchen; operator of this website) |
| Access with common mail apps (IMAP, SMTP) | Native. According to Google, IMAP access is always turned on for personal Google Accounts. According to Google, Gmail no longer supports third-party apps or devices that require you to share your Google username and password. | Native (IMAP, SMTP) in the default Compatible mode, in all paid plans |
| Your own domain | With Google Workspace: Google's pricing page names "Secure custom business email" for the Starter plan, with an example address under the company's name. The plan comparison on the Gmail product page names "No cost" and "Business Standard" and lists "Custom domain" under Business Standard. | From the Pro plan |
| Stored mail the provider cannot read (by its own account) | Option in certain Workspace editions (client-side encryption). According to Google, it helps to keep an organisation's data private with end-to-end encryption that Google servers and third parties cannot decrypt; subject, timestamps and recipients are not additionally encrypted. Otherwise Google refers to "default encryption". | Option per folder ("Sealed", OpenPGP). In the default ("Compatible"), mail is stored encrypted, but the server processes plain text while you are logged in. |
| Free mailbox | Yes. According to Google, each Google Account includes up to 15 GB of storage, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. | Free plan with 1 GB of storage |
| Advertising | Gmail shows ads. According to Google, messages are neither scanned nor read for this. For the Workspace plans, Google's pricing page names an ad-free email experience. | No ads and no tracking, in every plan |
| Calendar and other services | Connected with Google Meet, Google Calendar and Google Chat, according to Google | Calendar and contacts over CalDAV and CardDAV, in all paid plans |
The middle column reproduces what Google writes about Gmail; "Native" is our word for a provider naming IMAP or POP3 for mail apps. The privymail.eu plans are listed under Pricing.
Who each one suits
Gmail suits you if you need a mailbox today: you can use Gmail, and you cannot yet use privymail.eu. It also suits you if you use Google Meet, Google Calendar and Google Chat from within your mailbox.
privymail.eu suits you if you want a mailbox without ads from an operator in Germany and if your address has to run under your own domain. The guide European alternatives to Gmail lists European services you can use today.
Sources
What is said about Gmail is based on the following pages by Google. The addresses are given as text because this website does not link to other sites. Retrieved on 5 October 2026.
https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en&gl=de
https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en&gl=us
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7126229?hl=en
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7104828?hl=en
https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/products/gmail/
https://workspace.google.com/pricing?hl=en
https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/security/about-client-side-encryption?hl=en
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/13317990?hl=en
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/9312312?hl=en
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6603?hl=en
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190?hl=en
Reporting errors
If anything on this page is wrong or out of date, please write to us. How to reach us is on the Contact page.
Trademarks
The names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. There is no connection between those companies and privymail.eu.