DuckDuckGo Email Protection vs Shroud.email

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.

Shroud.email creates email aliases that forward incoming messages to your real inbox, keeping the real address private. It removes tracking pixels from forwarded mail and proxies email images through its servers. You can delete or disable aliases and block individual senders, and the service says it works with all email providers, including Gmail and Proton Mail. Paid users can attach custom domains, configure catch-all aliases, and recreate those addresses elsewhere if they leave. The API manages aliases and discovers custom domains with bearer-token authorization. The project is open source under AGPL v3 and includes a Docker Compose deployment for self-hosting. Self-hosting requires a public server with ports 25, 80, and 443 open, plus keys for S3-compatible storage. Detected spam remains viewable in the web portal for seven days. The hosted service is EU-hosted on renewable energy. The Free plan costs nothing and includes five aliases and tracker blocking; the paid plan has no listed price and renews annually.