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Disroot Email

disroot.org

Free plan Open source WebWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
Visit disroot.org
Spec score 9.4 #2 of 29 in Private Email Services

What it is

Disroot Email provides free email accounts through webmail and desktop or mobile email clients. Its Roundcube webmail includes threaded messages, filters, folders, attachment previews, and MIME and HTML support. Mail clients can connect using IMAP over SSL, SMTP with STARTTLS, SMTPS with TLS, or POP over SSL; suggested options include Thunderbird, Evolution, KMail, ClawsMail, Mailpile, K-9 Mail, FairEmail, and iOS Mail. Connections to the mail server use SSL, while outgoing messages use TLS if the recipient’s server supports it. Messages remain unencrypted on Disroot’s servers unless users encrypt them themselves. Disroot says its data is stored on its own servers in a Netherlands data center. Email logs may include usernames, IP addresses, and sender and recipient addresses; they are retained for 48 hours and not backed up. The free email plan includes a 1 GB mailbox and 64 MB attachments. Plus addressing routes sub-addresses to the original mailbox. Users can link a custom domain for sending and receiving mail through a lifetime feature tied to a donation amount they choose. The service supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, Windows, and extensions.

Spec sheet

What it does
Disroot provides privacy-oriented email alongside other federated online services, with browser webmail and standard mail-client protocols.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Free plan
YesRead 15 Sep 2026 · disroot.org
Support
Disroot links to setup instructions for configuring email clients and says users can consult them for extra help.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Headquarters
Amsterdam, NetherlandsRead 28 Sep 2026 · disroot.org
Founded
2015Read 28 Sep 2026 · disroot.org
Android app scope
The Android app is a launcher for services such as Etherpad, Ethercalc, PrivateBin, Upload, Poll and Searx rather than a native email client.Read 14 Oct 2026 · f-droid.org
Android requirement
F-Droid lists Disroot app version 2.2.3 as requiring Android 6.0 or newer.Read 14 Oct 2026 · f-droid.org
API availability
The product pages document IMAP, SMTP, POP and webmail but do not describe a public email REST API or SDK.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
App license
The community Disroot Android app is published under GNU LGPL v3.0-only with source code and reproducible-build metadata linked by F-Droid.Read 14 Oct 2026 · f-droid.org
Attachment limit
The service limits individual attachments to 64 MB.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Catch-all domains
A 2022 service update says linked custom domains can receive mail sent to addresses that were not explicitly created.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Client compatibility
Suggested clients include Thunderbird, Evolution, KMail, ClawsMail, Mailpile, K-9 Mail, FairEmail, and iOS Mail.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Client integrations
The official page lists Thunderbird, Evolution, KMail, Claws Mail, Mailpile, K-9 Mail, FairEmail and Apple Mail as usable clients.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Company structure
The project describes itself as community-supported and volunteer-maintained rather than an investor-funded commercial SaaS company.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Custom domain
YesRead 15 Sep 2026 · disroot.org
Custom domains
Users who make a qualifying contribution can link a domain for sending and receiving mail; the feature is described as lifetime with no fixed subscription price.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Data practices
Disroot says it does not sell data, run advertising profiles or request phone numbers and home addresses for service operation.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Documentation
Disroot links users to a separate Howto site for configuring email clients and publishes a public platform changelog.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Email storage privacy
Unless users encrypt their messages themselves, emails are stored unencrypted on Disroot servers.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
End-to-end encryption
Disroot recommends GPG for end-to-end email encryption and says Mailvelope can provide PGP encryption with webmail in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
IMAP
IMAP access uses disroot.org on SSL port 993 with normal-password authentication.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Independent editorial score
ProPrivacy gave Disroot an overall score of 3 out of 5 in its editorial review.Read 14 Oct 2026 · proprivacy.com
Intended audience
Disroot describes its project as serving people seeking open, decentralized, federated services that respect freedom and privacy.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Limit: server-side plaintext
ProPrivacy notes that email is not end-to-end encrypted by default and requires users to configure OpenPGP for message confidentiality.Read 14 Oct 2026 · proprivacy.com
Limit: signup friction
AlternativeTo's review summary reports complex or restrictive registration, including periods when registration was closed.Read 14 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Limit: small mailbox
ProPrivacy identifies the 1 GB mailbox as a significant limitation compared with larger mainstream quotas.Read 14 Oct 2026 · proprivacy.com
Limit: volunteer funding
ProPrivacy says the donation-funded model raises continuity concerns because service finances depend on community support.Read 14 Oct 2026 · proprivacy.com
Logging
Email server logs containing items such as usernames, IP addresses, and sender and recipient addresses are retained for 48 hours and are not backed up.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Logging policy
The general privacy statement says operational logs are normally retained no longer than 48 hours, while IMAP/POP login IP addresses remain while a device is logged in.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Mail protocols
The service lists IMAP over SSL on port 993, SMTP with STARTTLS on port 587, SMTPS with TLS on port 465, and POP over SSL on port 995.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Mailbox limit
Each free mailbox has a 1 GB storage quota.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Maker legal name
The privacy statement identifies the data controller as Stichting Disroot.org and gives Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 69988099.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Maker location and founding
Disroot says the project is based in Amsterdam, founded by Muppeth and Antilopa in 2015, and maintained by volunteers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Message previews
Webmail can show image attachments directly as previews.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Operational complaint
Disroot reported in 2018 that abuse accounts had become so prevalent that it temporarily closed registration while cleaning up scammers and spammers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Organization
Disroot says it is maintained by volunteers and relies on community support.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
PGP integration
Mailvelope browser extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox can provide PGP encryption in Disroot webmail.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Plus addressing
A plus suffix such as [email protected] creates routed sub-addresses for filtering or spam tracking.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
POP3
POP retrieval is available through SSL on port 995.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Praise: encrypted-client support
AlternativeTo includes positive user feedback describing PGP mail use through K-9 Mail.Read 14 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Praise: privacy and independence
AlternativeTo reviewers repeatedly praise the ad-free, privacy-focused service and its independent hosting model.Read 14 Oct 2026 · alternativeto.net
Recent webmail change
The September 2022 update announced Roundcube as the new primary webmail and described synchronization with Nextcloud contacts.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Security tooling
A 2015 Disroot development post describes SpamAssassin filtering, ClamAV and Amavis virus scanning, and Sieve rules for mail organization.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Self-hosting
Disroot offers hosted accounts and client protocols; its email page does not provide a self-hosted installation package or deployment guide.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Server storage encryption
Disroot says its servers use disk encryption and that unencrypted email remains readable on the server unless the user applies GnuPG or PGP.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Service
Disroot provides email accounts accessible through webmail or desktop and mobile email clients.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
SMTP
Message submission is supported through STARTTLS on port 587 or TLS on port 465.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Storage location
Disroot says its data is stored on its own servers in a data center in the Netherlands.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Transport encryption
Disroot states that user-to-server and server-to-server connections require SSL/TLS where provided.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Transport security
Connections to the mail server use SSL, and outgoing messages use TLS when the recipient’s mail server supports it.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Webmail
Disroot webmail is powered by Roundcube and includes threaded messages, filters, folders, attachment previews, and MIME and HTML support.Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Webmail engine
The web interface is powered by Roundcube and includes a Disroot-themed responsive layout.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Webmail languages
Roundcube's interface is translated into more than 80 languages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Webmail organization
The interface supports threaded conversations, folders, drag-and-drop message handling and rule-based filters.Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org

Plans and prices

Free Price not published 1 GB mailbox storage · Webmail access · IMAP, SMTP, SMTPS and POP support · Optional PGP encryption with Mailvelope Read 15 Sep 2026 · disroot.org
Free email Free 1 GB mailbox · 64 MB attachments Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Free mailbox Free 1 GB mailbox · 64 MB attachments · webmail and IMAP/SMTP/POP access Read 14 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Extra mailbox storage €0.15 a month per GB per month Up to 10 GB mailbox storage described by reviewer · EU VAT may apply Read 14 Oct 2026 · proprivacy.com
Custom domain linking Price not published Lifetime feature; donation amount is user-decided Use your own domain to send and receive email · Disroot does not sell domains Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org
Extra storage Price not published Prices per year; EU transactions add 21% VAT Extra storage can be allocated between mail, cloud, and CryptPad Read 7 Oct 2026 · disroot.org

Every Disroot Email plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free email plan includes a 1 GB mailbox
  • Webmail offers filters, folders, and attachment previews
  • Supports IMAP, SMTP, SMTPS, and POP
  • Custom domain linking is available as a lifetime feature
  • Plus addressing routes sub-addresses to the original mailbox

Limits

  • Stored messages are unencrypted unless users encrypt them
  • Outgoing TLS depends on recipient server support
  • Logs containing identifying details are retained for 48 hours
  • Custom domain linking requires a user-chosen donation

Who it suits

It suits people seeking a free mailbox with webmail or compatibility with a range of desktop and mobile clients. Disroot describes its services as serving people seeking open, decentralized, federated services that respect freedom and privacy.

Disroot Email in depth

Read the full write-up

Disroot Email is a mailbox service for people who want webmail or the freedom to use their own mail client. It is strongest for users who value community-maintained, decentralized services and broad protocol support. Its 1 GB free mailbox is useful, but messages are not encrypted on the server unless users encrypt them themselves.

Overview

Disroot pairs Roundcube webmail with standard mail protocols, so users can work in a browser or connect desktop and mobile clients. Server connections use SSL, while outgoing messages use TLS when the recipient’s mail server supports it. These protections secure transport, not stored mail: messages remain unencrypted on Disroot’s servers unless users encrypt them themselves.

Disroot says it keeps data on its own servers in a Netherlands data center. Email server logs can include usernames, IP addresses, and sender and recipient addresses; they are retained for 48 hours and are not backed up. Volunteer maintenance and community support will appeal to people who prefer community-run infrastructure, but do not make stored email private by default.

Key features

Roundcube webmail: Threaded messages, filters, folders, attachment previews, and MIME and HTML support cover common reading and inbox-organization needs without a separate client.

Protocol choice: IMAP over SSL uses port 993, SMTP with STARTTLS port 587, SMTPS with TLS port 465, and POP over SSL port 995. This range accommodates different client setups, including Thunderbird, Evolution, KMail, ClawsMail, Mailpile, K-9 Mail, FairEmail, and iOS Mail.

Optional encryption: The free plan includes optional PGP encryption with Mailvelope. This gives users a way to encrypt messages themselves, but it is not end-to-end encryption built into the service; users who do not encrypt mail should assume it is stored in readable form on Disroot’s servers.

Plus addressing: Adding a plus sign creates sub-addresses that route to the same mailbox, which can help organize incoming mail or identify where spam originated.

Custom domains: Users can link their own domain to send and receive email. The feature is a lifetime perk for a donation of the user’s choice; Disroot does not sell domains.

Pricing

Disroot’s pricing model is free, and its free email option costs nothing. It includes a 1 GB mailbox, webmail, IMAP, SMTP, SMTPS and POP support, and optional PGP encryption with Mailvelope. Attachments are capped at 64 MB. This is a practical starting point for light personal use, but the storage limit is restrictive for large archives or frequent attachment-heavy mail.

Extra storage has custom pricing, billed per year. It can be allocated among mail, cloud, and CryptPad; EU transactions add 21% VAT. That flexibility may suit users who need more room across Disroot services, though the annual billing and donation-supported model are worth weighing against a fixed-cost plan.

Custom domain linking also has custom pricing: it is a lifetime feature for a user-decided donation, not a recurring subscription. Users must bring their own domain, since Disroot does not sell domains.

Platforms

Disroot supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web, with an extension also listed. Its protocols and suggested clients make it a better fit for users who want to choose their own email software than for those seeking an email service limited to a single app.

Who it's for

Disroot suits people looking for open, decentralized, federated services that respect freedom and privacy, especially those comfortable configuring a mail client or managing message encryption themselves. It is less suitable for anyone who needs end-to-end encryption by default, a larger free mailbox, or assurance that server-stored messages are unreadable to the provider.

Pros and cons

Pro: Broad protocol support and compatibility with desktop and mobile clients let users choose how they access mail.

Pro: Plus addressing and custom-domain support offer useful routing and identity options, with the latter available for a one-time, user-decided donation.

Pro: The free mailbox includes webmail and standard mail protocols, with no recurring price.

Con: The 1 GB mailbox and 64 MB attachment cap can constrain users with growing archives or larger files.

Con: Email is unencrypted on the server unless users encrypt it themselves, so transport security does not provide private-by-default storage.

Con: Logs can contain identifying connection and address data, even though they are retained for only 48 hours and are not backed up.

Alternatives

For users comparing Private Email Services, Secure Email Providers, or Email providers, the right choice depends on the balance between storage, encryption, and client flexibility.

Aster Mail is worth considering for users who want an open-source service with 10 GB of encrypted storage, five aliases, and one custom domain on its free plan.

Proton Mail offers a free 1 GB plan with one email address; it may suit readers seeking an alternative free provider, though Disroot offers broader protocol access.

4SecureMail is a paid option with a free trial; its Personal Basic plan costs $7.49 a month for one mailbox, three aliases, and 500 MB, with no custom domain.

eclipso Mail Europe has a free plan at free with 4 GB, one address, no aliases, and POP3/SMTP, IMAP, CalDAV/CardDAV, and Office features; it may fit users who prioritize a larger free quota and those additional protocols.

Tuta Mail offers a free 1 GB plan with end-to-end encryption, one calendar, and three labels, making it a stronger fit for readers who prioritize encryption over Disroot’s client and protocol flexibility.

Thelemail is another freemium email option.

Riseup Email has a free 1 GB plan, but requires an invitation.

Hushmail is a paid alternative with a free trial; its Personal Basic plan costs $59.99 a year and includes encrypted email, 15 GB of storage, and unlimited aliases.

Verdict

Choose Disroot Email if you want a community-maintained mailbox with broad mail-client compatibility, standard protocols, and a free 1 GB account. Its central trade-off is clear: the service protects connections, but users must encrypt messages themselves to keep stored mail from being readable on the server. Readers who need more free storage or end-to-end encryption by default should look elsewhere.

Verdict

Disroot Email offers broad client and protocol compatibility, plus a free 1 GB mailbox. Readers should weigh the storage and logging details against their privacy needs.

Where Specifiction places it

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