Mail.cx vs Mailinator
Mail.cx
mail.cx
Mailinator
mailinator.comSide by side
| Figure | Mail.cx | Mailinator |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.82/mo | $79/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 13 |
| Spec score · Temporary email services | 9.1 (#4) | 8.7 (#10) |
| Spec score · Temporary Email Services | 8.9 (#6) | 9.0 (#5) |
| Receive-only | The service receives email but does not provide email-sending functionality. | Mailinator is receive-only and cannot send email or fill out forms. |
| Security | Mail.cx says connections use TLS, passwords are hashed with bcrypt, and API tokens are stored as SHA-256 hashes. | Mailinator says web traffic is served over HTTPS, private system email bodies are encrypted at rest, and public system email is not encrypted. |
| Support | The contact page says support normally responds within two business days and prioritizes security and abuse reports. | Documentation is available 24/7/365; the support page says public issue emails are usually answered within 24–72 hours and subscribers receive priority support. |
| What it does | Mail.cx provides short-lived email inboxes for receiving messages and testing email workflows. | Mailinator provides public and private inboxes for automated email and SMS workflow testing, including sign-ups, 2FA and password resets. |
Plans
Mailinator
- Public - FreeFree
- Public - FreeFree
- Verified ProFree
- Verified ProFree
- Business$79 a month
- Business (annual)$79 a month
- Business$99 a month
- Business Plus$159 a month
- Business Plus (annual)$159 a month
- Business Plus$199 a month
In their own words
Mail.cx
Mail.cx provides short-lived inboxes for developers, QA teams, and product teams checking account verification, transactional messages, notification pipelines, or application integrations. It only receives email; it does not send it. A web inbox can be opened without signup by choosing a username or generating one, and server-sent events can push arriving mail to the browser. Its REST API supports long-polling, retrieval of parsed or raw email, attachment downloads, and event delivery. API use is limited to 10 requests per second per token; long-polling allows one concurrent wait per token and 10 per address. Free messages are automatically deleted after one hour, while Pro messages are retained for 72 hours. The Free plan is free, and Pro is $9.90 a year. A separate pricing note lists paid plans from $4/mo. Mail.cx says connections use TLS and that passwords and API tokens are stored as hashes. Its terms caution that message retention and recovery are not guaranteed, and advise against relying on the service for critical, sensitive, or business-essential communications.
Mailinator
Mailinator provides temporary inboxes and tools for testing email and SMS workflows. Developers, QA teams, and businesses can use it to check delivery for OTP, MFA, onboarding, password recovery, and other email processes at scale. Paid subscriptions include private testing domains, where messages can arrive at any address without creating an inbox first. The REST API retrieves inboxes, messages, and SMS, injects messages, and connects with CI/CD pipelines. Inbound webhooks can accept HTTP POST messages from sources such as alert systems, Zapier, or Twilio, then apply configured rules. SMS can be routed to an inbox or API for automated OTP and 2FA testing. The free public inboxes are readable by anyone, and messages typically auto-delete after several hours. Mailinator is receive-only: it cannot send email or fill out forms. The Public - Free plan is free to use without sign-up. Business costs $79 a month billed yearly; a two-week Business trial is listed. Other plans include Verified Pro at free, Business Plus at $159 a month billed yearly, and Enterprise at a price agreed with the maker with custom pricing.