Why Email Aliases Matter
Your email address is the skeleton key to your online identity. It links your accounts together, appears in data breaches, and gets sold to data brokers. Every time you sign up for a newsletter or create an account, you're handing over a permanent identifier.
Email alias services let you create unique, disposable addresses that forward to your real inbox. When a service gets breached or sells your data, you disable that alias and move on.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | SimpleLogin | addy.io | Firefox Relay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Aliases | 10 | Unlimited* | 5 |
| Premium Price | $30/year | $12-36/year | $12/year |
| Open Source | Yes (full) | Yes (full) | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Custom Domains | Premium | Lite+ ($1/mo) | Premium |
| Reply from Alias | Yes | Yes | Premium only |
| PGP Encryption | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile Apps | iOS & Android | iOS & Android | No |
| Our Rating | Recommended | Recommended | Good for basics |
*addy.io free tier has bandwidth limits and 10 aliases/hour creation rate
The Services Compared
SimpleLogin — Best for Proton Users
SimpleLogin was acquired by Proton (the company behind ProtonMail) in 2022. If you already have a paid Proton account, you get SimpleLogin Premium for free. This makes it the obvious choice for anyone in the Proton ecosystem.
Pricing
- Free: 10 aliases, unlimited bandwidth, browser extensions, mobile apps
- Premium: $30/year ($4/month) — unlimited aliases, unlimited custom domains, 5 subdomains, 50 directories, PGP encryption
- Included with Proton Unlimited: Full Premium features at no additional cost
Strengths
- Integrated with Proton ecosystem (Mail, VPN, Drive, Pass)
- Fully open source and audited
- Can self-host for complete control
- PGP encryption for forwarded emails
- Browser extensions for all major browsers
- 30% household discount for additional subscriptions
Weaknesses
- Only 10 free aliases (vs unlimited on addy.io)
- Premium required for custom domains
- Proton ownership may concern some privacy advocates
Best for: Proton users, anyone wanting a polished all-in-one experience, users who value mobile apps
addy.io (formerly AnonAddy) — Best Value
addy.io offers the most generous free tier and the lowest entry price for premium features. At $1/month for the Lite plan, it's the cheapest way to get custom domain support.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited standard aliases, 10 aliases/hour creation limit, bandwidth limits
- Lite: $1/month ($12/year) — 1 custom domain, 5 recipients, 100MB bandwidth, 50 shared domain aliases
- Pro: $3/month ($36/year) — 20 custom domains, 20 usernames, unlimited bandwidth, 200 sends/day, regex support
Strengths
- Most generous free tier — unlimited aliases
- Cheapest premium option at $1/month
- Fully open source (AGPL-3.0)
- Self-hostable
- PGP/GPG encryption support
- Regex-based alias auto-creation (Pro)
- API access for automation
Weaknesses
- Free tier has bandwidth restrictions
- Less polished interface than SimpleLogin
- Smaller company (one-person project originally)
- Some users report slower email delivery
Best for: Budget-conscious users, power users who want regex support, self-hosters, anyone needing unlimited free aliases
Firefox Relay — Best for Casual Users
Firefox Relay is Mozilla's email aliasing service. It's the simplest option with the tightest browser integration, but the free tier is limited to just 5 aliases.
Pricing
- Free: 5 email masks only
- Premium: $0.99/month ($12/year) — unlimited aliases, reply capability, custom subdomain, phone masking
Strengths
- Cheapest premium option at $0.99/month
- Tight Firefox integration
- Mozilla's reputation and infrastructure
- Phone number masking included in Premium
- Simple, no-frills interface
- Promotional email blocking (separates receipts from marketing)
Weaknesses
- Only 5 free aliases — extremely limited
- No mobile apps
- No PGP encryption
- Limited self-hosting options
- Mozilla has killed services before (Lockwise, Persona)
- Not available in all countries
Best for: Firefox users, people wanting phone masking, those who need extreme simplicity
Feature Deep Dive
Custom Domains
Using your own domain (like @yourdomain.com) means your aliases survive even if the service shuts down. You can point your domain at a different provider and keep receiving mail.
| Service | Custom Domains | Minimum Plan |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleLogin | Unlimited | Premium ($30/yr) |
| addy.io | 1 domain | Lite ($12/yr) |
| addy.io | 20 domains | Pro ($36/yr) |
| Firefox Relay | Subdomain only | Premium ($12/yr) |
PGP Encryption
Both SimpleLogin and addy.io support PGP encryption for forwarded emails. This means emails are encrypted before they reach your inbox provider, adding an extra layer of privacy even if you use Gmail or another non-encrypted provider.
Firefox Relay does not support PGP encryption.
Reply Capability
All three services let you reply from your alias address on paid plans. SimpleLogin and addy.io include this in their free tiers (with limits), while Firefox Relay requires Premium.
Privacy Considerations
Jurisdiction
- SimpleLogin: Switzerland (Proton) — strong privacy laws, outside Five Eyes
- addy.io: UK — Five Eyes member, but open source means you can self-host elsewhere
- Firefox Relay: USA — subject to US data laws, FISA court orders
Logging Policies
All three services claim minimal logging, but only SimpleLogin and addy.io can be fully audited since they're open source. For maximum privacy, self-host addy.io or SimpleLogin on your own infrastructure.
Service Longevity
Mozilla's Track Record
Mozilla has discontinued services before (Firefox Lockwise, Persona, Firefox Send). While Firefox Relay is currently active, consider using your own domain so you can migrate if the service shuts down.
Use Cases
E-commerce Shopping
Create a unique alias for each online store. When you start getting spam, you know exactly which company sold your data. Disable the alias and move on.
Newsletter Subscriptions
Use aliases for newsletters so unsubscribe actually works. If it doesn't, just disable the alias.
Account Compartmentalization
Keep your financial accounts, social media, and random signups completely separate. A breach in one category doesn't expose the others.
Data Broker Protection
When opting out of data brokers (see our data removal services comparison), use unique aliases. This prevents them from re-correlating your data.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose SimpleLogin if:
- You already use Proton Mail, VPN, or Pass
- You want polished mobile apps
- You prefer a larger company with established infrastructure
- PGP encryption matters to you
Choose addy.io if:
- You want the most generous free tier
- Budget is a primary concern ($1/month for custom domains)
- You need regex-based alias creation
- You plan to self-host
Choose Firefox Relay if:
- You only need 5 or fewer aliases
- You want phone number masking
- You prefer extreme simplicity
- You're already deep in the Firefox ecosystem
Our Recommendation
For Most Users: SimpleLogin
SimpleLogin offers the best balance of features, usability, and privacy. The Proton integration is a significant advantage, and the open-source codebase provides transparency. At $30/year for unlimited aliases, it's reasonable value.
If you're on a tight budget, addy.io's Lite plan at $12/year is hard to beat for custom domain support.
Getting Started
- Pick a service based on your needs above
- Consider buying a domain — ~$10-15/year for a .com, ensures portability
- Start with high-risk signups — e-commerce, newsletters, forums
- Gradually migrate important accounts to unique aliases
- Use naming conventions — e.g., [email protected] makes sources obvious
Related Guides
- Encrypted Email Providers Comparison
- Data Removal Services Comparison
- Data Broker Opt-Out Guide
- Password Manager Comparison
- Delete Yourself from the Internet
Frequently Asked Questions
Can websites detect I'm using an alias?
Some services block known alias domains. Using a custom domain solves this since it looks like a normal email address.
What happens if the alias service goes down?
Without a custom domain, you lose access to those email addresses. With a custom domain, you can point it at a different provider and continue receiving mail.
Do aliases protect against phishing?
They help identify phishing attempts. If you get an "Amazon" email at an alias you never gave to Amazon, it's obviously fake.
Can I use aliases for important accounts like banking?
Yes, but use a custom domain for critical accounts so you maintain control even if the service shuts down.
Last updated: 2025-12-13
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