A total of 18 email options were tested – including eight paid services such as mailbox – which offer plans for private customers. Stiftung Warentest officially announced the results today. The set-up, usability, support, privacy, as well as the terms and conditions and privacy policy of the services tested were examined and assessed.
Email provider test: Top marks for mailbox
In Stiftung Warentest’s assessment, mailbox performed particularly well in the privacy category, which accounts for 30 per cent of the overall score. Here, mailbox achieved the top mark of 1.4 and a ‘very good’ rating for the app’s data transmission behaviour, basic protection of user data and end-to-end encryption options such as PGP and S/MIME. This category also covers the security of general email traffic, which mailbox has already demonstrated by achieving the BSI IT Security Mark (IT-Sicherheitskennzeichen) and BSI Gold status for email security.
With a test score of 0.8, mailbox stands out from all other providers tested in the ‘Set-up’ category and achieves an excellent result here too. With the Light plan tested, mailbox offers a cost-effective entry point into secure and reliable email communication.
mailbox impresses in the ‘Usability’ category with the top mark of 1.9. This category carries the highest weighting at 45 per cent. To this end, the features, usability in the webmail client and app, and the absence of advertising were tested. mailbox stands out positively for its support of open standards such as IMAP, POP3 and SMTP, as well as for the option to use email alias addresses.
The email address as a building block of digital sovereignty
In its email provider test, Stiftung Warentest draws attention to the legal risk factors associated with US companies. The top mark of 1.4 in the privacy category shows that mailbox is the right answer to the current challenges in digital policy.
“Our test result confirms that, as a provider, we impress by prioritising digital independence and our proven implementation of data protection and information security. An email address is at the heart of our online identity. This makes it a key building block for digital sovereignty, in both our private and professional lives,” says Balint Gyemant, Chief Product Officer at mailbox. “Secure and sovereign communication begins with a trustworthy email provider that meets the highest security and data protection standards whilst remaining easy to use. We are delighted that Stiftung Warentest has once again confirmed this for mailbox.”
About mailbox
mailbox is the digital workplace for secure communication and provides digital sovereignty from Germany for the world. The mailbox Suite integrates email, calendar, contacts, office, video conferencing and drive in one intuitive solution, running exclusively from German data centres. With EVAC, mailbox also offers a business continuity solution.
As a European provider, mailbox completely avoids advertising, tracking and data monetisation, serving businesses, public and educational institutions, resellers and private individuals with highest demands for data protection and digital independence. mailbox is ISO 27001- and BSI C5-certified.
mailbox is part of the Heinlein Group, which has been the expert in free and secure communication for over 30 years.
About Heinlein Group:
Heinlein Group, based in Berlin, stands for digital sovereignty, data protection and open source. It brings together the brands Heinlein Support, mailbox, OpenTalk and OpenCloud under one umbrella, offering long-standing expertise in open standards, personalised advice and innovative solutions for secure communication and independent IT infrastructure. Whether email services, video conferencing or file management – Heinlein Group’s products are GDPR-compliant, flexible in use and state-of-the-art. Together with its hosting and consultancy divisions and the Heinlein Academy, Heinlein Group thus covers the entire spectrum for setting up and operating sovereign and resilient IT infrastructures.
For over 30 years, companies, public institutions, educational establishments and service providers have placed their trust in Heinlein Group’s expertise. Through its services, the Group ensures maximum control and transparency, strengthens digital independence and promotes sustainable IT development.
