Service overview
Proton Mail
proton.me
Swiss end-to-end encrypted email with a free tier; paid plans payable in Bitcoin or cash
Open sourceTor onion service
Privacy 7.2/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
Runbox review
Long-running Norwegian email host that takes crypto and even cash by mail
Privacy score
6.2/ 10
FairHow much you reveal
See the score breakdown Safety score
6.5/ 10
FairHow well you’re protected
See the score breakdown Identity policy
1/ 4 KYC level
No ID mentioned Read the policy Evidence
Documentation reviewed Grades based on published terms and documentation.
0 published tests Two grades. Different questions.Understand the methodology
The overview
The essentials, at a glance.
Runbox is an email provider. Its terms put it at KYC level 1 of 4: no ID mentioned. NoKYC Score grades it 6.2/10 for privacy (fair) and 6.5/10 for safety (fair). In its favour: accepts cash, company named and 5+ years operating. To watch: it requires an email address. No incidents are on record.
What stands out
- Accepts cash
Cash by post or in person: no bank and no blockchain record.
- Company named
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operating
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Before you use it
- Email required
An email address is required to use the service.
No test transactions published yet.
About Runbox
Runbox is a paid email and web hosting service run by Runbox Solutions AS, incorporated in Norway, with servers in Norway; the site says addresses have been kept for 26 years. The terms give a 30-day trial. The payment-methods page lists cards, PayPal, bank transfer in USD, EUR or NOK, cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Ethereum, Litecoin, Stellar Lumens and USDC) and cash by regular mail, which it describes as at your own risk. The help centre says crypto is paid to a shown address and then reported to billing by email. The privacy policy lists name, country and an alternative email address among registration data, with a mobile phone number only "where applicable", and says delivery logs are kept for 10 days and webmail logs for one month.
Cite this review or read as plain text
NoKYC Score, "Runbox review", reviewed 23 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/runbox
Open plain-text review ↗The feature review
Privacy, without the guesswork.
3 / 14 features confirmed1 warning in the recorded terms
Identity
0 / 4 confirmed
- ID never requiredNot stated
The terms rule identity checks out, or the design makes them impossible.
- No account neededNo
Usable without creating an account, or the account is only a random number.
- No email neededNo
An email address is not required to sign up or use it.
- No phone numberNot stated
A phone number is never required.
Payment
1 / 3 confirmed
- Accepts MoneroNot stated
Monero hides sender, receiver and amount, so the payment cannot be traced to you.
- Accepts LightningNot stated
Bitcoin Lightning payments: fast, cheap and more private than on-chain.
- Accepts cashYes
Cash by post or in person: no bank and no blockchain record.
Access
0 / 2 confirmed
- Tor onion addressNot stated
An official .onion address, reachable only through Tor.
- Works without JavaScriptNot stated
Core functions work with scripts disabled, as in Tor Browser on its safest setting.
Trust
2 / 5 confirmed
- Open sourceNot stated
The code that matters is public and can be inspected.
- No-logs policyNot stated
States that connection or activity logs are not kept.
- Independent auditNot stated
A third party audited the code or the no-logs claim, and the report is public.
- Company namedYes
The operating company and its jurisdiction are published.
- 5+ years operatingYes
Has operated continuously for five years or more.
Warnings
1 flagged
- May ask for IDNot in terms
The terms reserve the right to demand identity documents, often after a risk flag.
- Email requiredYes
An email address is required to use the service.
- Phone number requiredNot in terms
A phone number is required to use the service.
- Closed sourceNot in terms
The code is not public, so its behaviour cannot be checked.
- Nobody accountableNot in terms
No company or person is publicly responsible for the service.
“Not stated” means the service’s own pages do not say. Expand a group to see every check.
Identity requirements
Does Runbox require KYC?
Level 1 of 4
No ID mentioned
- 0 Never
- 1 Not mentioned
- 2 Rare
- 3 On risk flag
- 4 Mandatory
No ID requirement appears anywhere in Runbox's terms or documentation. Checked against its own terms.
- Account required
- Email may be asked
- Phone may be asked
- No ID documents
KYC level 1: No ID mentioned. No identity requirement appears anywhere in the terms or documentation.
Limits: Email delivery logs kept 10 days, webmail logs one month
No identity-document requirement appears in the terms; registration collects a name and an alternative email address.
Transparent by design
Every point, explained.
Both grades start at 50 points and move by fixed, published amounts. Nothing is adjusted by hand. The total is divided by ten.
Privacy
6.2/ 10
- Starting points 50
- KYC level 1: No ID mentioned +12
- Accepts cash +4
- Requires email -4
- Total, clamped to 0–100 62
Safety
6.5/ 10
- Starting points 50
- 5+ years operating +10
- Legal entity disclosed +5
- Total, clamped to 0–100 65
Evidence, not promises
Test ledger 0
Published test transactions, with the route, amount and outcome available to inspect.
No test transactions published yet
The grades above rest on Runbox’s terms and documentation. Tests will appear here with the date, route, amount band and result as they are run.
The track record
Incidents 0
No incidents on record
We have no documented cases for Runbox. An empty record does not guarantee a service is risk-free.
Community experience
What users are saying 0
Reviews never change a grade. Reviews with a transaction reference are marked.
Have you used Runbox?
Be the first to share your experience. Useful details help the next person decide.
Write a review
Create an account to write a review. It takes ten seconds and needs no email: you get a random key and a random name. Already have a key? Sign in.
Alternatives to Runbox
All alternatives → Service overview
Tuta
tuta.com
German encrypted email and calendar with open-source clients and a free tier
Open source
Privacy 6.5/10
Safety 7.3/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Posteo
posteo.de
Berlin email provider at €1/month that separates payments from accounts; takes cash
Accepts cashNo email needed
Privacy 7.8/10
Safety 6.5/10
Read the evidence
Service overview
Onion Mail
onionmail.org
Email with an official onion address, PGP storage encryption and anonymous signup
Accepts MoneroTor onion service
Privacy 7.4/10
Safety 6.5/10
Read the evidence
Runbox vs Proton MailRunbox vs TutaRunbox vs PosteoRunbox vs Onion Mail
Runbox: common questions
Does Runbox require KYC?
Runbox is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. No identity-document requirement appears in the terms; registration collects a name and an alternative email address.
Is Runbox safe to use?
Runbox has a Safety grade of 6.5 out of 10 and a Privacy grade of 6.2 out of 10. No incidents are on record. Evidence level: documentation reviewed.
Is Runbox legit?
Runbox is a working email provider. It publishes the company that runs it, in Norway. Being real is not the same as being safe: its Safety grade here is 6.5 out of 10, built from custody, liquidity, track record and incidents.
Is Runbox 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 Runbox.
Do I need an account or email to use Runbox?
Email required.
What fees does Runbox charge?
Paid plans after a 30-day trial. Fees were recorded from Runbox's own pages and can change; check before you send.
What are Runbox's limits?
Email delivery logs kept 10 days, webmail logs one month.
Does Runbox have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on Runbox's own pages.
Which cryptocurrencies does Runbox support?
Runbox supports BTC, BCH, ADA, ETH, LTC, XLM, USDC, and fiat payments in USD, EUR, NOK.
Can I use Runbox over Tor?
Runbox does not publish an official onion address.
Listing history
- Listing added. Facts and KYC level set from the service's own terms and documentation.