# StartMail review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> StartMail is an email provider operating since 2014. 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: no account needed, no email needed and no phone number. No incidents are on record.

Source: NoKYC Score, "StartMail review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/startmail

## Key facts
- **Category:** Email
- **KYC level:** 1 of 4: No ID mentioned
- **Grades:** Privacy 6.2/10, Safety 6.5/10
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Fees:** $4.99/month billed annually when checked
- **Jurisdiction:** Netherlands
- **Incidents on record:** 0
- **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://www.startmail.com

## What it is
StartMail is a paid private email service built by the people who previously founded the Startpage search engine. It offers encrypted mail, unlimited aliases including one-click burner aliases, and custom-domain support. The pricing page listed the personal plan at $4.99 per month billed annually when checked, with a seven-day free trial, and states that customers who pay annually can do so anonymously with Bitcoin by contacting the company for the price and payment address. There is no permanent free tier. The service is operated from the Netherlands, so Dutch and EU law govern requests for data.

## What the terms say about ID
No identity documents are requested; annual plans can be paid anonymously in Bitcoin on request.

## Features and warnings
- **Identity:** ID never required: not stated; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes
- **Payment:** Accepts Monero: not stated; Accepts Lightning: not stated; Accepts cash: 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: yes; 5+ years operating: yes
- **Warnings:** May ask for ID: not in terms; Email required: not in terms; Phone number required: not in terms; Closed source: not in terms; Nobody accountable: not in terms

## Questions
### Does StartMail require KYC?
StartMail is rated KYC level 1 of 4 on this site: no ID mentioned. No identity documents are requested; annual plans can be paid anonymously in Bitcoin on request.

### Is StartMail safe to use?
StartMail 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 StartMail legit?
StartMail is a working email provider that has operated since 2014. It publishes the company that runs it, in Netherlands. 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 StartMail 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 StartMail.

### Do I need an account or email to use StartMail?
No account needed.

### What fees does StartMail charge?
$4.99/month billed annually when checked. Fees were recorded from StartMail's own pages and can change; check before you send.

### Does StartMail have a Tor onion address?
No official onion address was found on StartMail's own pages.

### Which cryptocurrencies does StartMail support?
StartMail supports BTC, and fiat payments in USD, EUR.

### Can I use StartMail over Tor?
StartMail does not publish an official onion address.

## Sources
- https://www.startmail.com
- https://www.startmail.com/pricing

How grades are calculated: https://nokycscore.com/methodology