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Productivity · head to head

Fastmail vs Google Slides

Fastmail logo

Fastmail

Productivity

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

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Slides logo

Google Slides

Productivity

Google's browser presentation editor, free with a Google account and included in every Workspace edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Slides has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Google Slides fonts are limited to what Google hosts, so a brand's licensed typeface cannot be installed, and decks built to a corporate template either substitute a lookalike or lose the visual identity the template exists to enforce.
  • They diverge on capability: Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Google Slides covers Simultaneous editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastmail and Google Slides actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastmail and Google Slides differ
AttributeFastmailGoogle Slides
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb

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 Fastmail

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

Only in Google Slides

  • Simultaneous editing
  • Version history
  • Comments and suggestions
  • PowerPoint import and export
  • Linked charts from Sheets
  • Presenter view
  • Offline editing
  • Apps Script and add-ons

What people use each for

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

Fastmail

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

Google Slides

  • A deck several people must build at once before a deadline, where merging emailed versions would be the actual failure mode.not Fastmail
  • Recurring reports where the charts should update from a spreadsheet rather than being pasted in again each time.not Fastmail
  • Teaching and classroom use, where the tool is free and runs on inexpensive hardware.not Fastmail
  • Sharing a deck with people outside the organisation by link rather than as an attachment that immediately goes stale.not Fastmail

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Google Slides

  • Fonts are limited to what Google hosts, so a brand's licensed typeface cannot be installed, and decks built to a corporate template either substitute a lookalike or lose the visual identity the template exists to enforce.
  • PowerPoint conversion is lossy in both directions, with animations, transitions, embedded video, diagrams and precise positioning all liable to shift, so a deck that must end up in a client's PowerPoint needs checking slide by slide and is often rebuilt.
  • Offline access has to be arranged before the connection is lost, so a deck not marked for offline use in advance is simply unavailable, which is a recurring failure on the way to present at a customer site.
  • Animation, master slide control, image editing and typographic precision sit behind PowerPoint and Keynote, so design-led work meets a ceiling that no add-on removes and the designers work elsewhere.
  • The governance features an organisation eventually needs, including retention and legal hold, data loss prevention and data residency controls, belong to higher Workspace editions, so a tool adopted because it was free carries an upgrade cost that surfaces only when compliance asks.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Google Slides

Free
  • Starter$6.8/month
    • Google Slides access
    • 30 GB storage
    • Custom business email
  • Standard$13.6/month
    • Google Slides with enhanced features
    • 2 TB storage
    • Advanced email and Gemini capabilities
  • Plus$21.1/month
    • Google Slides with advanced features
    • 5 TB storage
    • Advanced security features

Which should you pick?

Choose Fastmail if

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

Choose Google Slides if

  • You need simultaneous editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want version history.
Google Slides review

Questions people ask

Is Fastmail or Google Slides better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastmail starts at $3/month and Google Slides at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or Google Slides?
Google Slides has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Fastmail and Free for Google Slides.
Does Fastmail or Google Slides run on more platforms?
Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Google Slides runs on Web.
Can I use Google Slides for free?
Yes. Google Slides has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fastmail starts at $3/month.
What is Fastmail best used for?
Fastmail is most often used for someone who wants their email address tied to a domain they own rather than a free provider they do not, a small business wanting hosted mail on its own domain without running mail server infrastructure, a person leaving gmail specifically to stop an ad-funded provider processing their mail, a household migrating several accounts to one paid provider with shared billing. Of those, someone who wants their email address tied to a domain they own rather than a free provider they do not and a small business wanting hosted mail on its own domain without running mail server infrastructure are not what Google Slides is typically brought in for.
What can Fastmail do that Google Slides cannot?
Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts. Google Slides covers Simultaneous editing, Version history, Comments and suggestions, PowerPoint import and export.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Google Slides: Is Google Slides free?

Yes, with a personal Google account and no time limit or feature gate on the editor. What costs money is Workspace, which adds storage, administration and the governance controls.

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.

Google Slides: Can I open and edit PowerPoint files?

Yes, and .pptx files can be edited directly in Drive. Complex decks lose animations, effects and exact positioning in the conversion, so check anything that came from a designer.

Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

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

Google Slides: Does it work offline?

Yes in Chrome, but only if the file was made available offline beforehand. It cannot be arranged after you have lost the connection, which is when people usually try.

Google Slides: Is it good enough for a client-facing deck?

For a standard business deck, yes. For a design-led deck using brand typefaces and animation it will hold you back, and the export to PowerPoint will not be clean.

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