DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs GhostRelay

DuckDuckGo Email Protection is a free forwarding service that removes multiple types of hidden email trackers while working with an existing email account. Users select a personal @duck.com address, and messages sent there are checked against DuckDuckGo’s block list before forwarding to a regular inbox. The service can also create distinct private Duck Addresses that can be turned off individually if they attract spam or other unwanted mail. DuckDuckGo browsers and extensions can recognize email fields and fill in either the personal or a generated private address. Forwarded messages can arrive in accounts such as Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail or Proton, but Email Protection does not include a separate inbox. DuckDuckGo says it forwards messages without retaining the emails or their headers on its systems. Replies use the Duck Address, though the service cannot guarantee that message text will not expose the forwarding address or other identifiers. It is listed for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web and browser extensions.

GhostRelay is a web service that creates email aliases and forwards their messages to a real inbox. Users can make random or custom aliases, monitor them, and disable or delete them from a dashboard. The free plan costs nothing, requires no credit card, and allows up to 20 aliases with unlimited forwarding, custom names, and enable or disable controls. Forwarded messages preserve the Reply-To header, and the service supports replying from an alias. Mail can be sent to any receiving address, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, ProtonMail, and iCloud. Disabled aliases reject incoming messages and return a bounce to the sender. GhostRelay says email is processed in memory without disk or database storage and content is not retained. It describes TLS 1.3, AES-256, bcrypt hashing, and signed JWT authentication. Custom domains and a browser extension are available; mobile apps and a public API are not.