Side by side

Gmail vs Thelemail

Both stand on personal email services. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Gmail

Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb

Gmail combines email with writing assistance and links to other Google services. Storage is shared across Google products, and custom-domain email is part of paid business plans.

Visit Gmail

Thelemail combines device-encrypted mail, EU-hosted storage and custom-domain support with individual, family and team plans. Readers who depend on standard IMAP/SMTP clients should note that those connections and a local bridge are unavailable.

Visit Thelemail

The facts

	Gmail	Thelemail
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Android, iPhone, Web	Android, iPhone, Mac, Web
Lowest paid plan	See the plans	Personal: €2 a month
Plans published	11	8
Maker	Gmail	Thelemail
Website	mail.google.com	thelemail.com
On personal email services	#5 of 115	#9 of 115

Gmail: what it does well

Free accounts include up to 15 GB shared storage.
Gemini can help draft, reply, and summarize.
Connects with Meet, Calendar, Tasks, and Chat.
Supports aliases and business custom-domain email.
Mail merge supports up to 1,500 spreadsheet recipients.

What to know first

A Google Account is required to sign in.
Free storage is shared with Drive and Photos.
The inbox is not ad-free.
Some plan and feature age limits may apply.

Thelemail: what it does well

Mail between accounts is encrypted on users’ devices.
Mailbox storage is encrypted with a key the server lacks.
Custom-domain setup prepares SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
TOTP and WebAuthn two-factor authentication are included.
Local export tool writes decrypted mail to MBOX files.

What to know first

Standard IMAP/SMTP access is not currently available.
There is no local bridge for other mail clients.
No independent security audit or formal certification is complete.

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