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Productivity · head to head

AnyList vs Fastmail

AnyList logo

AnyList

Productivity

Grocery list and recipe app with fast list sorting and cross-household sharing, sold as a paid subscription

From
On request
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

  • Each has a real cost: AnyList it requires a paid subscription for full functionality, competing directly against Bring and Samsung Food, which are free for a similar core task.; 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: AnyList covers Real-time list sync, Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AnyList and Fastmail actually diverge.

Attributes where AnyList and Fastmail differ
AttributeAnyListFastmail
Starting priceOn request$3/month
Pricing modelPer user per yearPer user per month
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 AnyList

  • Real-time list sync
  • Store-layout sorting
  • Recipe import
  • Meal planning calendar
  • Barcode scanning
  • Multiple list support

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.

AnyList

  • A household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already addednot Fastmail
  • Someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layoutnot Fastmail
  • A home cook who saves many recipes online and wants ingredients converted into a list automaticallynot Fastmail
  • A family planning meals for the week who wants that plan linked directly to a shopping listnot Fastmail

Fastmail

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

Where each one falls short

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

AnyList

  • It requires a paid subscription for full functionality, competing directly against Bring and Samsung Food, which are free for a similar core task.
  • Store-layout sorting has to be configured per store, which takes upfront setup time before it pays off.
  • Recipe import quality depends on how a source website is structured, similarly to other recipe-import tools.
  • It lacks the appliance integration that Samsung Food offers for households with Samsung smart kitchen hardware.
  • A household unwilling to pay may find a free competitor covers their needs adequately, making the subscription hard to justify.

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

AnyList

On request
  • AnyList Complete$9.99/year
    • Full recipe manager
    • Store-layout item sorting
    • Meal planning calendar

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 AnyList if

  • You need real-time list sync.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want store-layout sorting.
AnyList 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 AnyList or Fastmail better?
Neither clearly leads. AnyList starts at On request and Fastmail at $3/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AnyList or Fastmail?
AnyList starts at On request and Fastmail at $3/month.
Does AnyList or Fastmail run on more platforms?
AnyList runs on iOS, Android, Web. Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
What is AnyList best used for?
AnyList is most often used for a household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already added, someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layout, a home cook who saves many recipes online and wants ingredients converted into a list automatically, a family planning meals for the week who wants that plan linked directly to a shopping list. Of those, a household that grocery shops together and wants a list that instantly reflects what a partner already added and someone who wants their shopping list automatically ordered to match their regular store layout are not what Fastmail is typically brought in for.
What can AnyList do that Fastmail cannot?
AnyList covers Real-time list sync, Store-layout sorting, Recipe import, Meal planning calendar. Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AnyList: Is AnyList free?

There is a free trial, but full ongoing use requires a paid subscription.

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.

AnyList: How is it different from Bring?

AnyList charges a subscription for a more capable recipe manager and store-layout sorting; Bring is free with a simpler feature set.

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.

AnyList: Does it support recipe import?

Yes, it can import recipes from websites and convert ingredients into shopping list items.

Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

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

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