Posteo vs StartMail
They are level on Safety. Posteo has the higher Privacy grade, 7.8 against 6.2.
Posteo
Berlin email provider at €1/month that separates payments from accounts; takes cash
Privacy
7.8/ 10
Strong
Safety
6.5/ 10
Fair
ID never required KYC 0 Docs reviewed Full review →
StartMail
Paid private email from the Startpage founders; annual plans payable in Bitcoin
Privacy
6.2/ 10
Fair
Safety
6.5/ 10
Fair
No ID mentioned KYC 1 Docs reviewed Full review →
Side by side
| Posteo | StartMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | ||
| KYC policy | ID never required | No ID mentioned |
| Custody | N/A | N/A |
| Sign-up | No account needed | No account needed |
| Open source | No | No |
| Tor onion address | No | No |
| Coins | Not published | BTC |
| Pay with | Cash, Bank transfer, Card, PayPal | Crypto, Card |
| Fees | €1 per month | $4.99/month billed annually when checked |
| Founded | 2009 | 2014 |
| Jurisdiction | Germany | Netherlands |
| Incidents on record | 0 | 0 |
| Published tests (180 days) | 0 | 0 |
Only Posteo
No email neededNo phone neededAccepts cash
Both
5+ years operatingLegal entity disclosed
Only StartMail
Nothing distinct
Where they sit among email
Questions
Is Posteo or StartMail safer?
They have the same Safety grade, 6.5 out of 10.
Does Posteo or StartMail require KYC?
Posteo is KYC level 0 (ID never required). StartMail is KYC level 1 (no ID mentioned).
Which has more incidents on record?
Posteo has 0 and StartMail has 0 documented incidents in the registry.