MailGuard
StartMail
MailGuard vs StartMail: Unbundling Your Privacy
StartMail is a great secure email provider. But do you really want to change your entire inbox just to get aliases?
MailGuard vs StartMail: The "Switch" vs. The "Shield"
StartMail is a secure email provider from the founders of StartPage. It is excellent. It offers PGP encryption, burner aliases, and zero tracking.
But it demands a huge commitment: You have to change your email address. You have to migrate your contacts, move your old mail, and start living inside their inbox.
MailGuard is a Shield, not a destination. We believe you should be able to keep your current inbox (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud) and simply put a shield in front of it.
The Freedom of "Unbundling"
When you use StartMail, your aliases are tied to your StartMail subscription. If you ever leave StartMail, you lose your aliases. You are locked in.
MailGuard is infrastructure-agnostic. Because you bring your own Custom Domain, you own your aliases forever.
- Today, you point MailGuard to forward to your Gmail.
- Tomorrow, you point MailGuard to forward to your new Proton Mail account.
- Next year, you point it to your self-hosted server.
Your public-facing aliases (contact@my-domain.com) never change. Your backend can change whenever you want.
Feature Showdown
| Feature | StartMail (Personal) | MailGuard (Pro) | The Winner? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | ~$60/year | $24/year | MailGuard |
| Requirement | New Inbox | Keep Existing Inbox | MailGuard |
| Aliases | Unlimited | Unlimited | Draw |
| Custom Domains | Yes | Unlimited | MailGuard |
| PGP Encryption | Yes (Native) | No | StartMail |
| Smart Expiry | Basic (Time) | Advanced (Time/Count/Sender) | MailGuard |
| Lock-in | High (Email Provider) | None (MX Forwarder) | MailGuard |
Deep Dive: Where MailGuard Wins
1. The Cost of Switching
Moving to StartMail is a life event. You have to tell your bank, your mom, and your boss your new address. Moving to MailGuard takes 5 minutes. You just set up a domain, and start handing out aliases. Your "real" life continues in your existing inbox, but now your privacy is protected.
2. Granularity
StartMail's burner aliases are good, but basic. MailGuard allows for Programmable Privacy.
airbnb.trip-to-paris.14d@my-domain.comThis alias is specific. It tells you what it is for (Trip to Paris) and when it dies (14 days). You can't get that level of semantic logic from a standard provider.
3. Price
StartMail is ~$5/month ($60/yr). MailGuard is $2/month ($24/yr). If you love your current email provider (e.g. standard Gmail interface), why pay $60/year to switch to a new interface just for aliases? Pay $24/year and get better aliases inside the interface you already know.
Verdict
- Choose StartMail if: You hate Gmail/Outlook/Big Tech and want to migrate to a private, encrypted inbox provider completely.
- Choose MailGuard if: You are happy with your inbox interface but want a powerful layer of privacy sitting in front of it. You want to pay less and get more control.
Keep your inbox. Upgrade your privacy. Choose MailGuard.