Mailfence, developed by ContactOffice Group and launched in 2013, operates out of Brussels, Belgium. This jurisdiction is meaningful: Belgian law requires a court order before authorities can access user data, and there is no mandatory data retention law for email providers of this type. The company has published a transparency report and has stated it has resisted certain data requests in the past, which provides a degree of accountability beyond marketing claims.
Security and Encryption
Mailfence implements OpenPGP for end-to-end encryption, which is an established and auditable standard. Users can generate keys directly within the platform or import existing ones, and there is a built-in public key store for finding other users' keys. Digital signatures are also supported, allowing recipients to verify message authenticity. However, it is important to note that encryption is not automatic for all messages. Emails sent to contacts who do not use OpenPGP are protected in transit via TLS but are not end-to-end encrypted, meaning Mailfence could technically access message content in those cases. Two-factor authentication is supported, adding an important layer of account security.
Usability
The interface is functional but visually dated. Navigation across mail, calendar, contacts, and documents is straightforward enough, but the experience lacks the polish of newer competitors. Mobile access is available through standard IMAP/SMTP protocols with any third-party client, though there is no dedicated native mobile app, which is a notable gap for users who primarily work from smartphones. Setting up OpenPGP and managing keys requires a moderate level of technical familiarity, which could deter less experienced users.
Pricing and Value
The free plan offers 500MB of email storage and 500MB for documents, which is quite limited in 2024. Paid plans start at approximately €3.50/month for the Entry tier (10GB email storage), scaling up to higher tiers for teams and businesses. Compared to ProtonMail's free offering of 1GB and Tutanota's 1GB free tier, Mailfence's free plan appears less competitive. For paid plans, the price-to-storage ratio is reasonable, and the included productivity tools add tangible value for users who need more than just email.
Privacy Practices
Mailfence's privacy policy states it does not serve advertising and does not sell user data. Some metadata and IP logging does occur for operational purposes, which is disclosed in their documentation. The company maintains a canary statement and has been relatively forthcoming about legal requests.
Overall, Mailfence is a credible privacy email service with legitimate security credentials, but it requires user investment to use its encryption features effectively and lacks the seamless modern experience some users expect.