Forward Email

Overview

Forward Email combines custom-domain forwarding with paid hosted mail, so it can serve both people routing addresses to an existing inbox and those who want a mailbox of their own. Its free tier is useful for forwarding, but anyone who needs to send or store mail on the service must move to a paid plan.

Custom domains, catch-all forwarding, multiple recipients, delivery logs, and API access make it more than a basic redirect. The company says the service is built with open-source software and lists self-hosted Docker email for users who prefer to manage deployment themselves.

Key features

Routing, sending, and protocols

Forward Email supports unlimited inbound email on Free, with spam protection and a 50 MB attachment limit. That is a generous routing allowance, but the plan cannot send mail or store it on Forward Email’s servers, so it is not a free hosted mailbox. Paid options add sending and storage; listed integrations include Gmail send-as, SMTP, email-to-webhook delivery, and a developer API.

IMAP and POP3 support standard email clients, while CalDAV and CardDAV extend protocol support to calendars and contacts. Native apps cover macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, alongside a web app. This breadth gives users several ways to work with hosted mail rather than tying them to a single client.

Security and storage

Email traffic uses TLS 1.2 or higher, and stored email is encrypted at rest with ChaCha20-Poly1305 in SQLite files. Multi-factor authentication, DKIM, SPF, DMARC, spam filtering, real-time attachment virus scanning, and phishing detection address account and message risks. The service also states GDPR-compliant data handling, CCPA privacy controls, SOC 2 Type II audited processes, and a DPA for business customers.

Enhanced Protection includes 10 GB of pooled storage. Additional storage costs $3 per month per 10 GB, a material ongoing expense for users who keep large archives.

Pricing

Forward Email uses a freemium model, with paid plans starting at $3/mo. Free is billed $0/month for unlimited domains and includes unlimited inbound forwarding, spam protection, and a 50 MB attachment limit. It excludes sending and server-side storage, making it best for forwarding to another mailbox rather than replacing one.

Enhanced Protection costs 3.00 USD per month, billed $3/month for unlimited domains. It includes unlimited aliases, 10 GB pooled storage, 9000+ outbound / month, and API access. This is the entry point for individuals, freelancers, and small businesses that need a hosted mailbox and outbound mail; additional 10 GB storage costs $3 per month.

Team costs 9.00 USD per month, billed $9/month for unlimited domains. Unlimited team members, team permissions, shared organizational access, and priority support make it the fit for groups that need shared administration. Enterprise costs 250.00 USD per month, billed $250/month for unlimited domains; it adds unlimited API requests, a dedicated support chatroom, an enterprise contract, onboarding, and real-time engineering support. It is positioned for education, healthcare, government, and custom implementations.

Platforms

Forward Email supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, API access, and self-hosted deployment. Native apps and standard mail protocols suit users who want client choice; the web app and API also cover browser-based and automated workflows.

Who it's for

Choose Forward Email if you want custom-domain routing that can grow into paid hosted mail, or need aliases, delivery logs, and automation options. Enhanced Protection is aimed at individuals, freelancers, and small businesses; Team suits organizations needing shared access and permissions. Enterprise is the more appropriate tier for organizations seeking dedicated engineering support or custom implementations. It is not the right free option for someone who needs to send or retain mail on the service.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free supports unlimited inbound mail and unlimited domains, making it useful for routing a domain without a paid mailbox.
• Pros: Paid mail works with IMAP, POP3, CalDAV, and CardDAV, plus apps across desktop and mobile platforms.
• Pros: Encryption, multi-factor authentication, spam and phishing defenses, and stated compliance controls provide a substantial security feature set.
• Cons: Free cannot send or store mail on Forward Email’s servers, so it cannot replace a hosted mailbox.
• Cons: Enhanced Protection’s 10 GB pool may require recurring add-on charges for larger archives, at $3 per additional 10 GB per month.
• Cons: The $250/month Enterprise plan is a significant step up from the individual and team tiers, and is best justified by its dedicated support and enterprise requirements.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Email Forwarding Services.

Choose Mailcast if its free plan’s limit of one domain and 25 aliases is enough and you want a free trial; it has no webhook support, a 10Mb attachment limit, and no domain sending on Free. Forward is another free option, with one domain, 25 aliases, 500 forwards per day, seven days of logs, and one team seat. ImprovMX may suit a smaller forwarding setup: its free tier has one domain, 25 aliases, 500 forwarded emails per day, seven-day log retention, API access, and a 99% uptime guarantee.

Pick MailerZ if a 14-day message store matters more than sending or SMTP on the free tier, which also limits users to one seat and three aliases. EForw is a free web-based choice with one domain and unlimited catch-all aliases, plus SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass. Gomailify is for users linking Gmail accounts rather than hosting domain mail: its paid plan costs 12.00 USD per year for up to two linked Gmail accounts, then $6/year for each additional account.

InboxMail may fit users seeking a wider set of email tools: its free tier includes one custom domain, unlimited aliases, 50 emails/day, AI actions, a campaign allowance, and agent inboxes. Mailwip is a paid alternative with an Individual plan at 2.00 USD per month for up to four domains, unlimited aliases, no SMTP emails per day, and up to 30 days of mail history.

Verdict

Forward Email is a strong fit for people and organizations that want custom-domain email with a clear path from forwarding to hosted mail, supported by broad client and protocol coverage. Its main advantage is that one service spans routing, sending, storage, and team options; its main limitation is that Free stops at forwarding, while storage beyond 10 GB adds a monthly charge. Choose it when those paid capabilities and deployment choices matter; look elsewhere if you need a free sending mailbox or a lower-cost home for a large archive.