--- title: Posteo canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/posteo/ category: Encrypted Email Services points: 43 rank: 7 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Posteo German paid mailbox for 1 euro a month, with optional encryption of stored mail, contacts and calendar. 43 points out of 100. #7 of 9 encrypted email services. Vendor: Posteo e.K.. Website: https://posteo.de/en - One plan costs 1 euro a month and includes a 4 GB mailbox [1]. - Crypto mail storage is switched on by you; Posteo says it can then no longer read stored mail [4][8]. - Contacts and calendar can also be encrypted so Posteo cannot read them [9]. - Posteo's latest transparency report lists 85 legal requests received in 2025 [6]. - There is no free plan and no own-domain option [5]. Verdict: Posteo suits people who want a low-cost mailbox that opens in Thunderbird or Outlook over IMAP, with optional encryption of stored data [1][2][4]. Its transparency report is current, and it holds a German BSI certificate for secure mail transport [6][7]. The catch: encryption is opt-in, mail between Posteo users is not automatically end-to-end encrypted, and there are no native apps or custom domains [3][4][5]. Best for: People who want a cheap mailbox that works in standard mail programs. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Encryption | Stored mail the provider cannot read | Yes | 10/10 | With crypto mail storage on, Posteo says stored mail is no longer readable by it; the key is protected by your password [4][8]. | | Encryption | Automatic end-to-end encryption between its own users | No | 0/8 | Mail between Posteo users stays on its servers; end-to-end encryption is optional and needs S/MIME or OpenPGP keys set up by users [4]. | | Encryption | Encrypted mail to other providers | Yes | 6/6 | Webmail sends OpenPGP-encrypted mail through the Mailvelope browser extension; S/MIME is also supported [2][4]. | | Encryption | Encrypted contacts or calendar | Yes | 3/3 | Optional setting encrypts address book and calendar; Posteo says it cannot view the data [9]. | | Trust and audits | Independent audit since 2024 | Not published | 0/8 | Posteo says Cure53 audited crypto mail storage, but gives no report, summary or date [4][11]. | | Trust and audits | Open-source apps | Not published | 0/6 | Posteo says it uses open-source software, but names no licence or repository for its own apps [2]. | | Trust and audits | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's security page; it names only a BSI TR-03108 certificate [7]. | | Trust and audits | Transparency report | Yes | 4/4 | Transparency report has a 2025 section: 85 requests received [6]. | | Trust and audits | Security key for two-factor sign-in | Not published | 0/4 | Help page names YubiKey as an alternative to a TOTP app; FIDO2 or WebAuthn keys are not mentioned [10][3]. | | Apps and access | Official apps | None | 0/10 | Only a web app and external mail clients are listed; no native apps [2][3]. | | Apps and access | Works in standard mail programs | Yes | 8/8 | Mailbox works with all devices and apps over IMAP and POP3 [2]. | | Mailbox | Your own domain | No | 0/5 | FAQ says own domains are not supported [5]. | | Mailbox | Mail storage on the cheapest paid plan | 4 | 2/5 | 4 GB included in the 1 euro plan; can be raised to 75 GB [2]. | | Mailbox | Export your whole mailbox | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's features page or FAQ; they describe only import into Posteo [2][5]. | | Price | Free plan with an encrypted mailbox | No | 0/6 | FAQ says Posteo cannot offer free accounts [5]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $1.12/mo | 10/10 | One plan, 1 euro a month [1]. Converted at €1 = $1.1186 [12]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Posteo mailbox | 1 euro/month [1][2] | - | Posteo shows its price in euros only; the build converts it to dollars [1]. ## Strengths - Costs 1 euro a month for 4 GB, with no tiers to compare [1]. - Crypto mail storage covers existing and new mail, and Posteo says it cannot read it or switch the encryption off [4][8]. - Address book and calendar can be encrypted so that Posteo cannot view them [9]. - Works with standard mail programs over IMAP and POP3 [2]. - Publishes a transparency report with a 2025 section giving request counts [6]. ## Limits - Posteo says it offers no free accounts [5]. - Own domains are not supported [5]. - Crypto mail storage is off until you turn it on, and a forgotten password means the archive is lost [8]. - Mail between Posteo users is not end-to-end encrypted automatically; OpenPGP or S/MIME must be set up [4]. - Only a web app is offered; no native desktop or mobile apps are listed [2][3]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Posteo says its product offering uses only open-source software and free protocols [2]. ## Sources 1. [Posteo](https://posteo.de/en), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Features](https://posteo.de/en/site/features), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Feature table](https://posteo.de/en/site/featurelist), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Encryption](https://posteo.de/en/site/encryption), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [FAQ](https://posteo.de/en/site/faq), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Transparency report](https://posteo.de/en/site/transparency_report), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Security](https://posteo.de/en/site/security), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [How do I activate Posteo crypto mail storage?](https://posteo.de/en/help/how-do-i-activate-posteo-crypto-mail-storage), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [How does encryption of the address book and calendar work?](https://posteo.de/en/help/how-does-encryption-of-the-address-book-and-calendar-work), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [What is two-factor authentication and how do I set it up](https://posteo.de/en/help/what-is-two-factor-authentication-and-how-do-i-set-it-up), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [New: Posteo S/MIME add-on available now](https://posteo.de/en/blog/new-posteo-smime-add-on-available-now), Posteo, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Euro foreign exchange reference rates: US dollar](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/eurofxref-graph-usd.en.html), European Central Bank, accessed 2026-10-08