Open-source email alias service owned by Proton; self-hostable, crypto via reseller
Privacy 6.7
Safety 6.6
Email Aliases Reviewed 22 Oct 2026
DuckDuckGo Email Protection review
Free forwarding service that strips email trackers and generates private addresses
- Email required
No ID mentioned KYC 1 Documentation reviewed
Privacy
5.8/ 10
Fair
Safety
5.0/ 10
Caution
Based on terms and documentation. No test transactions published yet. See the arithmetic
DuckDuckGo Email Protection review in short
DuckDuckGo Email Protection is an email alias service. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 5.8/10 for privacy (fair) and 5.0/10 for safety (caution). To watch: it requires an email address. No incidents are on record.
- Category
- Email Aliases
- KYC level
- 1 of 4: No ID mentioned
- Grades
- Privacy 5.8/10, Safety 5.0/10
- Sign-up
- Email required
- Fees
- Free
- Incidents on record
- 0
- Last reviewed
- 22 Oct 2026
Cite this review
NoKYC Score, "DuckDuckGo Email Protection review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/duckduckgo-email-protection
Also available as plain text.
What DuckDuckGo Email Protection is
Email Protection is DuckDuckGo's free email forwarding service. According to its help pages it removes several types of hidden email trackers from incoming messages and then forwards them to the user's existing inbox, and it can generate an unlimited number of unique private addresses to hand out instead of a real one. It works with existing mail providers such as Gmail, Outlook or Proton. Setting it up requires a DuckDuckGo browser or browser extension: on mobile it is enabled in the app's settings and on desktop through the Email Protection page. The service is free, so no payment details are involved, but it does need a real forwarding address to deliver mail to.
What DuckDuckGo Email Protection offers, and what to watch
0 of 13 privacy and safety features, 1 warning in its terms.
"Not stated" means its own pages do not say.
Identity
- ID never required Not stated
- No account needed No
- No email needed No
- No phone number Not stated
Payment
- Accepts Monero Not stated
- Accepts Lightning Not stated
Access
- Tor onion address Not stated
- Works without JavaScript Not stated
Trust
- Open source Not stated
- No-logs policy Not stated
- Independent audit Not stated
- Company named Not stated
- 5+ years operating Not stated
Warnings
- May ask for ID Not in terms
- Email required Yes An email address is required to use the service.
- Phone number required Not in terms
- Closed source Not in terms
- Nobody accountable Not in terms
Does DuckDuckGo Email Protection require KYC?
- 0 Never
- 1 Not mentioned
- 2 Rare
- 3 On risk flag
- 4 Mandatory
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
Setup needs a DuckDuckGo app or extension and an existing mailbox to forward to; no identity documents are mentioned.
How the grades add up
Both grades start at 50 points and move by fixed, published amounts. Nothing is adjusted by hand. The total is divided by ten.
Privacy
5.8- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- Requires email -4
- Total, clamped to 0–100 58
Safety
5.0- Starting points 50
- Total, clamped to 0–100 50
Test ledger
Real transactions run by our editors. A badge without a ledger is an assertion; this is the proof.
No test transactions published yet
The grades above rest on DuckDuckGo Email Protection’s terms and documentation. Tests will appear here with the date, route, amount band and result as they are run.
Incidents on record
No incidents are on record for DuckDuckGo Email Protection. If you have a documented case, report it.
User reviews
Reviews never change a grade. Reviews with a transaction reference are marked.
No reviews yet.
Write a review
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Alternatives to DuckDuckGo Email Protection
All alternatives → 
Open-source email forwarding and hosting that processes forwarded mail in memory
Privacy 6.0
Safety 6.3
Open-source password and email alias manager with a built-in mail server
Privacy 6.7
Safety 6.1
Open-source email forwarding with on-the-fly aliases; yearly plans payable in crypto
Privacy 6.3
Safety 6.1
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DuckDuckGo Email Protection: common questions
Does DuckDuckGo Email Protection require KYC?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. Setup needs a DuckDuckGo app or extension and an existing mailbox to forward to; no identity documents are mentioned.
Is DuckDuckGo Email Protection safe to use?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection has a Safety grade of 5.0 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 5.8 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is DuckDuckGo Email Protection legit?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection is a working email alias service. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 5.0 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.
Is DuckDuckGo Email Protection a scam?
NoKYC Score does not label services as scams; it records documented incidents with their sources and outcomes. No incidents are on record for DuckDuckGo Email Protection.
Do I need an account or email to use DuckDuckGo Email Protection?
Email required.
What fees does DuckDuckGo Email Protection charge?
Free. Fees were recorded from DuckDuckGo Email Protection's own pages and can change; check before you send.
Does DuckDuckGo Email Protection have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on DuckDuckGo Email Protection's own pages.
Can I use DuckDuckGo Email Protection over Tor?
DuckDuckGo Email Protection does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.