TL;DR: Gmail wins on price (free), ecosystem, and AI features. Fastmail wins on privacy, custom domains, open standards, and value for paid email. Neither offers end-to-end encryption. If you’re paying for email anyway, Fastmail is the better deal.
Quick Comparison
| Category | Gmail | Fastmail | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (personal) | Free (15GB) | $6/month (50GB) | Gmail |
| Price (business) | $7/user/month (30GB) | $6/user/month (50GB) | Fastmail |
| Privacy | Ad-targeted profile | No tracking, no ads | Fastmail |
| Search | Google-powered | Full-text, good | Gmail |
| Custom domains | 1 (Starter plan) | Up to 100 | Fastmail |
| AI features | Gemini built-in | None (BYO via API) | Gmail |
| Protocol support | OAuth-only IMAP | JMAP, IMAP, CalDAV | Fastmail |
| Aliases | Plus addressing only | Masked Email + aliases | Fastmail |
| Mobile app | Best-in-class | Functional | Gmail |
| Migration tools | Basic import | Dedicated migration | Fastmail |
Pricing
Gmail’s free tier is hard to argue with. You get 15GB of storage shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos, plus a capable email client. For most casual users, that’s enough.
The picture changes when you need business email. Google Workspace starts at $7 per user per month for 30GB of storage. That price went up 17-22% in January 2025 when Google bundled Gemini AI into all plans, whether you wanted it or not.
Fastmail has no free tier. The Individual plan costs $6 per month and comes with 50GB of storage. Their Family plan covers up to six people for $14 per month. For business, the Standard plan is $6 per user per month with 50GB and up to 100 custom domains.
So for personal use, Gmail wins on price because free beats $6. For business, Fastmail gives you more storage at a lower price point and doesn’t force AI features into your bill.
Privacy
Google stopped scanning email content for ad targeting back in 2017. But ads are still targeted based on your broader Google activity, including search history, YouTube viewing, and location data. Since early 2026, Gemini AI features process your email for summaries and smart replies by default. You can opt out, but the default is opt-in.
Fastmail is subscription-funded. No ads, no data profiling, no third-party data sharing. Your emails are scanned only for spam detection. That said, Fastmail is not end-to-end encrypted. They can technically access your email on their servers. They’re headquartered in Australia, which is part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, and their servers are in the US.
If you need end-to-end encryption, neither Gmail nor Fastmail delivers. Look at ProtonMail or Tuta instead. But if your concern is “stop profiling my inbox for advertising,” Fastmail is the clear choice.
Features
Search
Gmail’s search is powered by Google. It’s the best email search available, and it’s not particularly close. You can search by date ranges, attachment types, labels, and complex boolean queries.
Fastmail offers full-text search with wildcards. It’s good and covers most use cases, but it doesn’t match Google’s speed or flexibility on large mailboxes.
Filters and Rules
Fastmail takes this one. Its filtering system is built on Sieve, an open standard for server-side mail filtering. You get regex support, multiple conditions, and more granular control than Gmail’s relatively basic filter UI.
Gmail’s filters work for simple rules (archive emails from this sender, label emails with this subject) but fall short for complex workflows.
Aliases and Custom Domains
Fastmail’s Masked Email feature, integrated with 1Password, generates unique email addresses for every service you sign up for. If one gets compromised or starts sending spam, you kill that alias. The Individual plan supports up to 100 custom domains.
Gmail only offers plus addressing ([email protected]), which many services reject. Custom domain support requires Google Workspace, and even the Starter plan limits you to a single domain.
Calendar and Contacts
Google Calendar is best-in-class. AI scheduling, natural language event creation, deep integration with Meet and other Google services. Hard to beat.
Fastmail’s calendar is solid and uses CalDAV, meaning it works with any standard calendar client. It’s less polished than Google Calendar but more portable.
Protocol Support
Protocol support matters if you use third-party email clients or developer tools.
Fastmail created JMAP (JSON Meta Application Protocol), the modern successor to IMAP ratified as RFC 8620. JMAP is faster, supports native email threads, and works over simple HTTP requests. Fastmail also provides standard IMAP/SMTP with app-specific passwords (no OAuth hoops) and full CalDAV/CardDAV for contacts and calendars.
Gmail now requires OAuth 2.0 for all IMAP access, a change that completed in September 2024. This adds friction for third-party clients and self-hosted tools. Gmail’s primary API is proprietary.
If you value open standards and interoperability, Fastmail wins this category outright.
AI Features
Gmail has gone all-in on AI. Since January 2026, Gemini is integrated across Gmail with features like Help Me Write for composing emails, AI-generated message summaries, suggested replies, smart categorization, and an AI side panel for asking questions about your inbox. These features are bundled into all Google Workspace plans.
Fastmail takes the opposite approach: zero built-in AI, by design. Their reasoning is that you should control if and how AI touches your email. Instead, Fastmail provides open APIs (JMAP, MCP) that let you connect your own AI tools. You pick the model, you control the data.
If you want AI baked into your inbox, Gmail is the only real option. But if you’d rather control what touches your email, Fastmail’s BYO approach makes more sense.
Migration
Switching from Gmail to Fastmail is straightforward. Fastmail provides a dedicated migration tool that handles mail, contacts, calendars, and even filters.
Going the other direction, from Fastmail to Gmail, is more manual. Gmail’s native import only handles inbox content. You’d need an IMAP migration tool for a complete transfer.
Using a custom domain for your email address makes switching in either direction trivial, since your address stays the same regardless of the provider behind it.
Mobile Experience
Gmail’s mobile app is more polished, especially on Android where it has deep OS integration and reliable push notifications. The iOS app is similarly capable.
Fastmail’s mobile app works well. It has push notifications, offline support, and a clean interface. But search is weaker on mobile, and the UI occasionally feels dated compared to Gmail’s.
Who Should Choose What
Choose Gmail if:
- Free email is important to you
- You’re already deep in Google’s ecosystem (Drive, Docs, Calendar, Meet)
- You want AI-powered email management built in
- Mobile app quality is a top priority
Choose Fastmail if:
- Privacy matters more than convenience
- You want custom domain email at a competitive price
- You prefer open standards and portability (JMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV)
- You want Masked Email for managing online signups
- You’d rather bring your own AI tools than have them forced on you
Choose neither if:
- You need end-to-end encryption (look at ProtonMail or Tuta)
- You want the cheapest possible custom domain email (look at Zoho Mail’s free tier)
FAQ
Is Fastmail more secure than Gmail?
Fastmail is more private but not necessarily more secure. Both use TLS encryption in transit. Neither offers end-to-end encryption. The key difference is that Google collects data about your email behavior for advertising, while Fastmail doesn’t collect data beyond what’s needed to deliver the service.
Can I use my own domain with Gmail?
Yes, but only through Google Workspace ($7/user/month minimum). Fastmail supports custom domains on all paid plans, including the $6/month Individual plan.
Does Fastmail have a free plan?
No. Fastmail offers a 30-day free trial, but there’s no permanent free tier. The lowest-cost plan is $6/month.
Can I migrate from Gmail to Fastmail easily?
Yes. Fastmail has a built-in migration tool that transfers your emails, contacts, calendars, and filters from Gmail. The process takes minutes to start and runs in the background.
What is JMAP and why does it matter?
JMAP is a modern email protocol created by Fastmail as a replacement for IMAP. It’s faster, supports native email threads, and works over standard HTTP. For developers and third-party app makers, JMAP is significantly easier to work with than IMAP.
Last updated: March 2026
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