--- title: Forward Email canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/forward-email/ category: Encrypted Email Services points: 56 rank: 3 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Forward Email Mailboxes on your own domain, each stored in its own password-encrypted database, for $3 a month. 56 points out of 100. #3 of 9 encrypted email services. Vendor: Forward Email LLC. Website: https://forwardemail.net/ - The paid Enhanced Protection plan costs $3 a month and includes 10 GB of storage shared across all your domains and aliases [1]. - Each mailbox is a separate encrypted database, locked with a password that only the user has [4]. - The free plan forwards mail only; it cannot send [1]. - Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android are on the download page; the iOS build must be sideloaded [9][8]. - The mail is open to standard programs through IMAP, SMTP and POP3 [2]. Verdict: Forward Email suits people who already own a domain and want a cheap mailbox that works in Thunderbird or Outlook. Stored mail sits in encrypted databases tied to a password, and a Cure53 penetration test report is published [2][4][5]. The catch: the free plan cannot send, its code uses a source-available licence rather than an open-source one, and the Android app is a direct download and the iOS build must be sideloaded [1][6][9]. Best for: People with their own domain who want IMAP access and a low price. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Encryption | Stored mail the provider cannot read | Yes | 10/10 | Each mailbox is an SQLite database encrypted with a password only you have; the FAQ says Forward Email cannot access email content [2][4]. | | Encryption | Automatic end-to-end encryption between its own users | Not published | 0/8 | Not published on the vendor's FAQ [2]: no automatic end-to-end encryption between its own users is described. | | Encryption | Encrypted mail to other providers | Not published | 0/6 | Not published on the vendor's FAQ [2]: webmail lists PGP decryption only, and outbound WKD encryption is applied by the server. | | Encryption | Encrypted contacts or calendar | Yes | 3/3 | Apps are set up for 'encrypted mailboxes, calendars, and contacts' [1]; the encrypted SQLite file holds contact and calendar records [2]. | | Trust and audits | Independent audit since 2024 | Yes | 8/8 | The FAQ names Cure53; its penetration test report, dated September 2026, is published on the vendor's site [2][5]. | | Trust and audits | Open-source apps | No | 0/6 | Apps repo is Business Source License 1.1; the server repo is BUSL-1.1 with some files under MPL-2.0. Neither is open source overall [6][7]. | | Trust and audits | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | No | 0/4 | The FAQ says Forward Email does not directly hold SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001; its hosting providers do [2]. | | Trust and audits | Transparency report | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's security page [3] or FAQ [2]. | | Trust and audits | Security key for two-factor sign-in | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's FAQ [2]: passkey sign-in and one-time-code 2FA are described, security keys are not named. | | Apps and access | Official apps | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 8/10 | Download page lists Windows, macOS, Linux and Android builds; the iOS build must be sideloaded and the App Store listing is not live, so it is excluded [9][8]. | | Apps and access | Works in standard mail programs | Yes | 8/8 | The FAQ lists IMAP, SMTP and POP3 and gives setup steps for Thunderbird and Outlook [2]. | | Mailbox | Your own domain | Yes | 5/5 | Enhanced Protection sends and receives as you@yourdomain.com, with unlimited domains [1]. | | Mailbox | Mail storage on the cheapest paid plan | 10 | 3/5 | Enhanced Protection includes 10 GB pooled across all domains and aliases [1]. | | Mailbox | Export your whole mailbox | Yes | 3/3 | The FAQ describes exporting a mailbox as EML, MBOX or encrypted SQLite, with contacts and calendars [2]. | | Price | Free plan with an encrypted mailbox | No | 0/6 | The free plan is email forwarding only and cannot send mail, so it has no mailbox [1]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $3/mo | 8/10 | Enhanced Protection, $3 a month; only monthly prices are listed [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Free | Free [1] | $0 | | Enhanced Protection | $3/month [1] | $3 | | Team | $9/month [1] | $9 | The pricing page lists monthly prices only, with no yearly plan. Extra storage costs $3 a month for each additional 10 GB [1]. ## Strengths - Enhanced Protection costs $3 a month with 10 GB of storage and unlimited domains [1]. - Works with standard mail programs through IMAP, SMTP and POP3, and with CalDAV and CardDAV [2]. - Names Cure53 as the outside firm behind a published penetration test report dated September 2026 [2][5]. - Exports a mailbox as EML, MBOX or an encrypted SQLite file, with contacts and calendars included [2]. - Passkeys can be used to sign in to the account [2]. ## Limits - The free plan is forwarding only and cannot send mail [1]. - Code is under Business Source License 1.1, not an open-source licence [6][7]. - The Android app is a direct download (Google Play is internal testing), and the iOS build must be sideloaded [9][8]. - The company says it holds no SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 certification itself [2]. - A forgotten mailbox password means the mailbox is lost, unless you restore from a backup [4]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Forward Email says it serves more than 1.6 million domains [2]. ## Sources 1. [Forward Email pricing](https://forwardemail.net/en/private-business-email), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Forward Email FAQ](https://forwardemail.net/en/faq), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Forward Email security practices](https://forwardemail.net/en/security), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Best quantum-safe encrypted email service](https://forwardemail.net/en/blog/docs/best-quantum-safe-encrypted-email-service), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Pentest report: Forward Email](https://forwardemail.net/pentest-report_forward-email.pdf), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [forwardemail/forwardemail.net](https://github.com/forwardemail/forwardemail.net), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [forwardemail/mail.forwardemail.net](https://github.com/forwardemail/mail.forwardemail.net), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Release readiness](https://github.com/forwardemail/mail.forwardemail.net/blob/main/docs/release-readiness.md), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Download Forward Email](https://forwardemail.net/en/download), Forward Email, accessed 2026-10-08