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Productivity · head to head

Fastmail vs Reflect

Fastmail logo

Fastmail

Productivity

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

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Reflect logo

Reflect

Productivity

Fast networked note-taking with AI

From
$10/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Reflect no free tier or free plan option
  • They diverge on capability: Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Reflect covers Bidirectional links.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastmail and Reflect actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastmail and Reflect differ
AttributeFastmailReflect
Starting price$3/month$10/month
Pricing modelPer user per monthUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS
FoundedUnknown2020

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 Fastmail

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

Only in Reflect

  • Bidirectional links
  • End-to-end encryption
  • AI assistant
  • Instant sync
  • Daily notes
  • Chrome extension
  • Calendar sync
  • Kindle highlights

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 Reflect
  • A small business wanting hosted mail on its own domain without running mail server infrastructurenot Reflect
  • A person leaving Gmail specifically to stop an ad-funded provider processing their mailnot Reflect
  • A household migrating several accounts to one paid provider with shared billingnot Reflect

Reflect

  • Productivitynot Fastmail
  • Collaborationnot Fastmail
  • Task managementnot Fastmail
  • Organizationnot 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.

Reflect

  • No free tier or free plan option
  • Losing your password means permanent data loss with no recovery option
  • Shared notes are not end-to-end encrypted despite platform marketing encryption
  • AI features send your content to OpenAI servers (30-day retention)
  • Mobile apps have limited offline functionality compared to desktop

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

Reflect

$10/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Reflect review.

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 Reflect if

  • You need bidirectional links.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS.
  • You also want end-to-end encryption.
Reflect review

Questions people ask

Is Fastmail or Reflect better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastmail starts at $3/month and Reflect at $10/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or Reflect?
Fastmail starts at $3/month and Reflect at $10/month.
Does Fastmail or Reflect run on more platforms?
Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Reflect runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS.
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 Reflect is typically brought in for.
What can Fastmail do that Reflect cannot?
Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts. Reflect covers Bidirectional links, End-to-end encryption, AI assistant, Instant sync.

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.

Reflect: Is there a free tier?

No. Reflect offers only a 14-day free trial before requiring $10/month (billed annually). There is no free plan.

Source
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.

Reflect: Does Reflect work offline?

Yes, editing and note-taking work offline on desktop. Mobile apps have offline limitations compared to the desktop experience.

Source
Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

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

Reflect: How secure is my data?

Reflect uses end-to-end encryption with XChaCha20-Poly1305. An independent audit by Doyensec found no vulnerabilities. However, audio for transcription and text sent to AI features are processed by OpenAI servers (retained 30 days per OpenAI policy).

Source
Reflect: Can I export my notes?

Yes. Reflect allows export of your notes, though the primary export method involves using their web and iOS apps with standard export capabilities.

Source
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