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Productivity · head to head

Canary Mail vs Fastmail

Canary Mail logo

Canary Mail

Productivity

Security-focused AI email client with end-to-end encryption and a lifetime purchase option

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fastmail logo

Fastmail

Productivity

Paid email hosting with custom domains, calendar and contacts, run without ad-based revenue

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Canary Mail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Canary Mail pGP encryption only protects a message if the recipient also supports and uses PGP, so most everyday mail to non-technical contacts stays unencrypted regardless.; Fastmail it does not provide end-to-end encryption by default, so users specifically wanting zero-knowledge mail should compare it against Proton Mail or Tuta rather than assume parity.
  • They diverge on capability: Canary Mail covers AI Copilot, Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Canary Mail and Fastmail actually diverge.

Attributes where Canary Mail and Fastmail differ
AttributeCanary MailFastmail
Starting priceFree$3/month
Pricing modelPer user per year, or one-time purchasePer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Canary Mail

  • AI Copilot
  • AI Summaries
  • Smart Search
  • PGP encryption
  • Read receipts
  • Lifetime licence

Only in Fastmail

  • Custom domain hosting
  • Masked email
  • Unlimited aliases
  • Integrated calendar and contacts
  • Migration tools
  • JMAP support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Canary Mail

  • A privacy-conscious user who wants PGP encryption built into a mainstream-feeling clientnot Fastmail
  • Someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchasenot Fastmail
  • A user who wants AI summaries without sending mail content through an unfamiliar third party indefinitelynot Fastmail
  • Someone consolidating several IMAP accounts into one client with unified searchnot Fastmail

Fastmail

  • Someone who wants their email address tied to a domain they own rather than a free provider they do notnot Canary Mail
  • A small business wanting hosted mail on its own domain without running mail server infrastructurenot Canary Mail
  • A person leaving Gmail specifically to stop an ad-funded provider processing their mailnot Canary Mail
  • A household migrating several accounts to one paid provider with shared billingnot Canary Mail

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Canary Mail

  • PGP encryption only protects a message if the recipient also supports and uses PGP, so most everyday mail to non-technical contacts stays unencrypted regardless.
  • Team and shared-inbox features are minimal compared with Spark or dedicated tools, so it does not suit a support team out of the box.
  • The lifetime purchase price and terms have shifted over past versions, and buyers should confirm current lifetime pricing directly before assuming it still applies.
  • AI features still require sending thread content to a processing service to generate drafts and summaries, so the privacy story is stronger for encryption than for the AI layer itself.
  • Windows and Android apps have historically received updates later than the macOS and iOS versions.

Fastmail

  • It does not provide end-to-end encryption by default, so users specifically wanting zero-knowledge mail should compare it against Proton Mail or Tuta rather than assume parity.
  • Moving to Fastmail is a real migration with DNS changes for a custom domain, unlike installing a client such as Spark or Bluemail over an existing account.
  • There is no free tier at all, so a user just wanting to try it commits to a paid trial rather than a permanently free option.
  • Storage limits on the entry Basic plan are modest next to the free allowance Gmail gives, and heavy attachment users will need Standard or above.
  • Being based in Australia means it falls under Australian data access law, which some privacy-focused buyers weigh differently from Swiss or German jurisdictions used by Proton Mail and Tuta.

Pricing, plan by plan

Canary Mail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unified inbox
    • Basic search
    • PGP support
  • Growth$36/year
    • AI Copilot and summaries
    • Send later
    • Inbox cleaner
  • Pro+$100/year
    • Advanced security features
    • Priority support
    • All Growth features

Fastmail

$3/month
  • Basic$3/month
    • 6GB storage
    • No custom domain support
    • Core mail, calendar and contacts
  • Standard$5/month
    • 60GB storage
    • Custom domain support
    • Masked email and aliases
  • Professional$9/month
    • 150GB storage
    • Multiple custom domains
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Canary Mail if

  • You need ai copilot.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ai summaries.
Canary Mail review

Choose Fastmail if

  • You need custom domain hosting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want masked email.
Fastmail review

Questions people ask

Is Canary Mail or Fastmail better?
Neither clearly leads. Canary Mail starts at Free and Fastmail at $3/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Canary Mail or Fastmail?
Canary Mail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Canary Mail and $3/month for Fastmail.
Does Canary Mail or Fastmail run on more platforms?
Canary Mail runs on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Canary Mail for free?
Yes. Canary Mail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fastmail starts at $3/month.
What is Canary Mail best used for?
Canary Mail is most often used for a privacy-conscious user who wants pgp encryption built into a mainstream-feeling client, someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchase, a user who wants ai summaries without sending mail content through an unfamiliar third party indefinitely, someone consolidating several imap accounts into one client with unified search. Of those, a privacy-conscious user who wants pgp encryption built into a mainstream-feeling client and someone who wants to avoid an open-ended subscription and prefers a lifetime purchase are not what Fastmail is typically brought in for.
What can Canary Mail do that Fastmail cannot?
Canary Mail covers AI Copilot, AI Summaries, Smart Search, PGP encryption. Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Canary Mail: Does Canary Mail host my email?

No, it is a client over Gmail, Outlook, iCloud or IMAP accounts you already have.

Fastmail: Is Fastmail a client like Spark, or does it host my email?

It hosts the mailbox itself; there is no separate provider underneath it the way Spark sits over Gmail.

Canary Mail: Is the lifetime licence still available?

Canary has offered a one-time lifetime purchase alongside its subscriptions; check current pricing on their site as terms have changed over time.

Fastmail: Does Fastmail offer end-to-end encryption?

Not by default in the way Proton Mail or Tuta do; its privacy position rests on being subscription-funded rather than ad-funded.

Canary Mail: Does PGP encryption work automatically?

Only between users who both have PGP set up; it does not encrypt mail to recipients without it.

Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

Yes, from the Standard plan up, with full alias and masked email support.

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