Gmail vs Thelemail

Gmail is an email service available on the web, Android, and iOS. A Google Account is required to sign in. Free accounts include up to 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Google Photos; Google One Basic costs $1.99 a month for 100 GB, shareable with up to five others. Gmail supports aliases, and business plans can provide email addresses on a customer's own domain. Gemini in Gmail can help draft or reply to messages, find information in Gmail or Drive, and summarize long threads. Smart Reply, Smart Compose, and Nudges offer writing and follow-up assistance. Gmail connects with Meet, Calendar, Tasks, and Chat, while mail merge can use up to 1,500 recipients from a linked spreadsheet. Google says Gmail automatically blocks 99.9% of spam, phishing attempts, and malware. Messages use TLS, and content is encrypted in transit and at rest. Business Starter costs $7 a month per user and includes 30 GB pooled storage per user and custom business email; higher business plans list additional storage and features. Some Google One plans allow storage sharing with up to five others.

Thelemail provides private email hosting for individuals, families, and small teams, including people with custom domains. Mail between Thelemail accounts is encrypted on the sender’s device and decrypted on the recipient’s device; stored mailbox content is ciphertext protected by a random key the server does not hold. For outbound mail, it uses WKD/OpenPGP when the recipient publishes a compatible key, or standard SMTP with TLS where supported. Custom-domain setup verifies ownership and prepares SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before incoming mail is moved. Core mail processing and encrypted mailbox storage are hosted in the EU. The service includes TOTP and WebAuthn two-factor authentication. Its production browser and macOS clients, key transparency log, and local export tool are published under AGPL-3.0; the export tool decrypts mail locally into MBOX files. Apps are listed for Android and iOS. Free plans are available; paid plans start at €2 / month, billed annually. Standard IMAP/SMTP access and a local bridge are not currently available, and Thelemail has not completed an independent security audit or formal compliance certification.