️HideMail vs SimpleLogin
For one person choosing an email alias service for sign-ups and newsletters, or for an AI assistant that creates aliases for you.
Prepared by George Daneke, founder of HideMail. Facts last checked 2026-10-15. We make HideMail, so we have a bias. Every claim about SimpleLogin links to SimpleLogin's own pages. How we checked.
Which should you choose?
- Choose SimpleLogin if you need to reply or send from an alias without revealing your real address, want PGP encryption, open source code or self-hosting, or need an iOS app or attachments larger than 10 MB.
- Choose HideMail if you mostly receive mail (sign-ups, newsletters, receipts) and want a free plan with 15 aliases and a custom domain, or you want Claude or another AI assistant to create and manage aliases through an official MCP server. Raycast, n8n and Telegram integrations are also official.
- Switching probably isn't worth it if you already have dozens of aliases on SimpleLogin's shared domains. Those addresses can't move, and the paid plans cost about the same. Aliases on your own domain can move: point the domain at HideMail and import SimpleLogin's CSV export.
SimpleLogin wins more rows in the table below. HideMail fits the buyer who wants a larger free plan and the AI and automation integrations.
Side-by-side, on the rows that decide it
Prices in USD. Checked 2026-10-15. Documentation was read for both products; see method.
| Decision | HideMail | SimpleLogin |
|---|---|---|
| Aliases on the free plan | 15 (pricing) | 10 active aliases. Deleting one frees a slot (pricing) |
| Forwarding limit | Free: 100 forwards per day. Premium: 1,500 forwards per month. Message size, including attachments: 10 MB | "Unlimited bandwidth" on every plan. Message size: 25 MB; the FAQ doesn't say which plans (FAQ) |
| Reply from your alias | No. Replies go out from your real address | Yes, on Free. Starting a new email from an alias requires Premium |
| Custom domains | Free: 1. Premium: 5. Catch-all requires Premium | Free: none. Premium: unlimited, plus catch-all, 5 subdomains and 50 directories |
| Recipient mailboxes | Mail forwards to your account email | Free: 1. Premium: unlimited |
| PGP encryption | No | Yes, Premium |
| Apps | Chrome and Firefox extensions, Android app, Telegram bot | Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge extensions; iOS and Android apps, also on F-Droid |
| AI assistants (MCP) | Official MCP server with 17 tools: create, list, disable and annotate aliases; add and verify custom domains; set catch-all | No official MCP server found. Third-party command-line tools use the API |
| Automation | REST API (docs), webhooks for forwarded mail, official Raycast extension, official n8n node | REST API (docs). Bitwarden's username generator supports it. The Raycast extension is community-built |
| Data export | One-click CSV export of all aliases with notes and on/off state. CSV import for aliases on your own domain, which reads SimpleLogin and addy.io exports | The API exports aliases as importable CSV (GET /api/export/aliases). We didn't find an export button in the web app documented |
| Open source / self-hosting | No / No | Yes / Yes |
| Company | Independent. Hosted in Germany. See the privacy policy | Owned by Proton AG (Switzerland). Hosted on Proton and UpCloud (Finland) servers |
| Support | Email: [email protected] | Email ([email protected]), forum, GitHub Discussions |
| When a subscription ends | Both work the same way. Existing aliases keep forwarding. You can't create new ones while you're over the free limit | |
The same scenario, priced on both
Example: one person, 12 months, 40 aliases, one custom domain, normal personal mail volume. Neither free plan covers 40 aliases, so both need Premium.
| Billing | HideMail Premium | SimpleLogin Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly × 12 | $4 × 12 = $48 | $4 × 12 = $48 |
| Lowest-cost commitment | $8.99 × 4 quarters = $35.96 | $36 billed annually = $36* |
| Add-ons / overages | None listed. Over 1,500 forwards a month, contact us | None listed |
| Refunds | Cancel any time; access lasts until the end of the paid period | No refunds; a trial is offered instead |
* SimpleLogin's pricing page says $36/year. Its Nov 2024 announcement says $35.88/year and includes Proton Pass Plus. If you already pay for Proton Unlimited, SimpleLogin Premium is included at no extra cost.
Where the price differs: with 15 aliases or fewer and one custom domain, HideMail is $0 and SimpleLogin is $36 a year (custom domains require its Premium plan). If you need 11–15 aliases and no custom domain, HideMail is still $0, but SimpleLogin lets you reply from an alias for free.
The same job in both: sign up for a newsletter, then cut it off
HideMail
- On the sign-up form, open the HideMail extension and create an alias. Add a note, for example "newsletter-x".
- Paste the alias into the form. Mail arrives in your normal inbox.
- To stop it, deactivate the alias in the dashboard or extension, or use the unsubscribe link HideMail adds to forwarded mail.
From an AI assistant: ask "create an alias for newsletter-x". The assistant calls the create_alias MCP tool and returns the address.
SimpleLogin
- On the sign-up form, open the SimpleLogin extension and create a random or custom alias. You can add a note.
- Paste the alias into the form. Mail arrives in your mailbox.
- To stop it, toggle the alias off in the dashboard, extension or mobile app.
From an AI assistant: there is no official integration. You'd connect a third-party tool or script to the API with your API key.
This job takes the same steps in both. The differences are replying (step 2) and AI-assistant access.
What switching actually involves
- Addresses on a shared domain don't transfer. An alias at a provider's domain stays with that provider. Keep the old account active (its free plan is fine; existing aliases keep forwarding) and change your address on each site over time.
- Custom-domain aliases can transfer. Add the domain to the new service and update the MX and verification DNS records it shows you. On HideMail, import SimpleLogin's alias CSV (Integrations → Import and export aliases): each alias keeps its note, and aliases you had turned off stay off. Catch-all alone (Premium on both) would recreate every address that gets mail, including ones you'd turned off.
- What needs rebuilding: alias notes if the service can't import them, any rules for which mailbox gets what (SimpleLogin) or webhooks (HideMail), and API keys in tools such as Bitwarden, Raycast, n8n or scripts.
- Test before you move everything: send a message to one alias on the new service and check that it arrives. Check that the original sender is visible and attachments come through. If you depend on replying from an alias, test that on SimpleLogin before you decide.
FAQ
- Is HideMail or SimpleLogin better for a free plan?
- HideMail's free plan allows 15 aliases and one custom domain. SimpleLogin's free plan allows 10 active aliases and no custom domain, but it lets you reply from an alias and states no forwarding limit. HideMail's free plan caps forwarding at 100 emails per day.
- Can I reply from my alias with HideMail?
- No. HideMail forwards mail with the original sender in the Reply-To header, so a reply goes out from your real address. If replying without revealing your address matters to you, choose SimpleLogin.
- Which is cheaper over a year?
- They cost about the same. SimpleLogin Premium is $36 a year billed annually or $4 a month. HideMail Premium is $4 a month or $8.99 every 3 months, which comes to $35.96 a year.
- Does either service work with AI assistants like Claude?
- HideMail has an official MCP server with 17 tools for creating, listing, disabling and annotating aliases and for setting up custom domains. On 2026-10-15 we found no official MCP server for SimpleLogin, only third-party tools built on its API.
- Can I move my aliases from SimpleLogin to HideMail, or back?
- Not the addresses themselves. An alias on a provider's shared domain stays with that provider. If you use your own domain, point it at the other service and import SimpleLogin's CSV export: HideMail recreates each alias on your domain with its note and on/off state. Otherwise, keep the old account active while you change the email address on each website.
- Is SimpleLogin open source?
- Yes. SimpleLogin's server, browser extensions and mobile apps are open source, and you can host it yourself. HideMail is not open source and cannot be self-hosted.
How we checked
Facts last checked 2026-10-15. HideMail facts come from our own plan configuration and pricing page. SimpleLogin facts come only from SimpleLogin's own pages, listed below. Where two of its pages disagree, we show both. We left out anything we couldn't verify. If either product changes its pricing or features, we update the affected sections, not just this date. If you spot something out of date, email [email protected].
Sources
- simplelogin.io/pricing: plans, free limits, Premium features
- simplelogin.io/faq: 25 MB limit, refunds, hosting, open source, what happens when a subscription ends
- SimpleLogin blog, Nov 2024: $35.88/year price, Pass Plus bundle
- SimpleLogin docs: Proton Unlimited includes Premium
- SimpleLogin API docs: CSV export endpoint
- hidemail.app/pricing: HideMail plans and limits
