DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs MailPal

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.

MailPal creates unique email aliases for sign-ups and forwards their messages to a real inbox. Aliases can be disabled manually or set to stop after an expiry date or a maximum number of forwards. Wildcard mode can create aliases automatically for new incoming addresses. One dashboard manages multiple domains, each with its own settings and default forwarding address; alias activity includes forwarded and blocked counts and a log. Notes, color tags, full-text search, and bulk actions help organize aliases. The app provides a REST API for alias, domain, tag, and destination operations, and its code is linked from a public GitHub repository. MailPal deploys its dashboard and email worker to Cloudflare using Pages, Workers, KV, and Email Routing. Setup requires a Cloudflare account, a domain added to Cloudflare, and Node.js 18+ or Bun with Wrangler CLI. The maker says email content is not stored, third parties do not access aliases or traffic, and the service uses no analytics or tracking. It is free forever with no monthly fees, running on the Cloudflare account’s free tier.