I use Thunderbird on desktop and K9-Mail on Android.
Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
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Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#12Most important thing is to buy a domain so you can port your email address from provider to provider. I’ve had the same email address and several hosts over the years. I’m currently on Fastmail and find the service good.
+1 nice having your own domain so you can port to different providers.
Used fastmail for a few years and it is fine although their android app isn't great and hangs a fair bit needing to be restarted.
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#13https://forwardemail.net if you are just forwarding domain aliases and want to switch off
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#14I switched from Gmail too a few months ago, setting up my own domain as well.
I went with Mailfence, it's slightly cheaper than proton mail (€2.50 per month, but there's also a free tier), and still privacy focused. I think a few things could be improved (no catch all email address available, for example), but for that price I don't think I can complain.
Edit: forgot to add that I used this website to compare different email providers: https://thatoneprivacysite.net/email-section/
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#15I went with Outlook 365. I've been using it for the last 2 years at my office and really like the rules options. It's been really pleasant and the Office web compatibility is nice.
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#16I'd love to switch away from Gmail, but its security is so compelling that, afaik, nobody else comes close. How many other companies have Tavis Ormandy's on staff to do security audits for their users, let alone free users? Is there a single other email provider that gets security right to the extent Google does?
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#17If you have your own domain, and self-host or have a small reliable provider host for you, client doesn't matter so much. You can pick your mix of clients for various devices. This is how I've done it for over 20 years now.
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#18I like fastmail personally because aside from being a fast experience, I like their well written guides and articles. It helps me set stuff up without feeling like I'm just following instructions and helps me understand what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.
I can't recommend them because they recycle email addresses when you stop paying for them. Not really something I can take seriously. They should just hold your email hostage until you start paying them again. Instead, they leave money on the table and create an amateur security failure.
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#19Most important thing is to buy a domain so you can port your email address from provider to provider. I’ve had the same email address and several hosts over the years. I’m currently on Fastmail and find the service good.
Another vote for fastmail. They even do a pretty decent job being a DNS host as well. Simple setup to add subdomains if you're already using them as your primary/sec NS.
Re: Ask HN: Best alternative to Gmail?
#20Outlook.com (free) and Office365 (a few $/month/user on your own domain) are both great options. I personally much prefer both the web client and the various app clients to gmail's equivalents.