DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs MailMask

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.

MailMask creates unique email aliases that forward incoming messages to an existing mailbox. Aliases can be created, disabled, or removed; disabling one immediately stops new mail from being accepted. MailMask is not a mailbox or email-provider replacement, and it cannot send messages from alias addresses. The service says it processes email only for forwarding and does not retain message content longer than technically necessary for delivery. Its infrastructure and data handling remain within Europe, under European law including the GDPR. MailMask says it uses no advertising, analytics, or third-party tracking, and does not sell or share user data. The Free plan costs nothing for aliases and forwarding, with no price or usage limits stated. The operator describes it as a personal risk-reduction layer, not for critical, account-recovery, or mission-critical communication. Availability is best-effort, and uninterrupted service is not guaranteed.