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Productivity · head to head

Fastmail vs Truecaller

Fastmail logo

Fastmail

Productivity

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

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Truecaller logo

Truecaller

Utilities

Caller ID and spam blocking app that identifies unknown numbers by crowdsourcing users' contact books

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Truecaller 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.; Truecaller its caller ID database is built from other users uploading their contact books, which means a person's name and number can be listed without them ever installing or consenting to Truecaller directly.
  • They diverge on capability: Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Truecaller covers Caller ID.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastmail and Truecaller actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastmail and Truecaller differ
AttributeFastmailTruecaller
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthFree tier plus subscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsiOS, Android
CategoryProductivityUtilities

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

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 Truecaller

  • Caller ID
  • Spam blocking
  • Call recording
  • SMS spam filtering
  • Truecaller for Business
  • Premium profile controls

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

Truecaller

  • Someone wanting to identify unknown numbers calling from delivery services, banks or scam operationsnot Fastmail
  • A user who wants unknown-sender SMS automatically filtered out of the main inboxnot Fastmail
  • A small business wanting its verified name and logo to show when it calls customersnot Fastmail
  • A person who wants to check whether their own number is unexpectedly listed and request removalnot 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.

Truecaller

  • Its caller ID database is built from other users uploading their contact books, which means a person's name and number can be listed without them ever installing or consenting to Truecaller directly.
  • Removing a number requires actively finding and using the unlisting tool; it is opt-out, not opt-in, so most people never realise they need to do this.
  • The free tier is ad-supported, and ads appear on the call screen itself, which some users find intrusive during otherwise mundane phone use.
  • Call recording availability depends on local law and has been restricted or removed in some regions and OS versions, so it cannot be relied on everywhere.
  • Regulatory and app-store scrutiny of the contact-upload model has led to restrictions or bans in some countries, so availability and feature set are not consistent globally.

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

Truecaller

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Caller ID and spam blocking
    • Ad-supported
    • Limited profile privacy controls
  • Premium$2.99/month
    • Ad-free
    • See who viewed your profile
    • Priority spam list updates

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 Truecaller if

  • You need caller id.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want spam blocking.
Truecaller review

Questions people ask

Is Fastmail or Truecaller better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastmail starts at $3/month and Truecaller at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or Truecaller?
Truecaller has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Fastmail and Free for Truecaller.
Does Fastmail or Truecaller run on more platforms?
Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Truecaller runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Truecaller for free?
Yes. Truecaller 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 Truecaller is typically brought in for.
What can Fastmail do that Truecaller cannot?
Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts. Truecaller covers Caller ID, Spam blocking, Call recording, SMS spam filtering.

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.

Truecaller: How does Truecaller know who is calling me from an unsaved number?

It matches the number against a database built largely from other users' uploaded contact lists, plus spam reports from its user base.

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.

Truecaller: Can I remove my number from Truecaller if I never installed it?

Yes, Truecaller provides an unlisting search and removal tool at truecaller.com/unlisting, though you must find and use it yourself.

Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

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

Truecaller: Does Truecaller read my messages or call content?

Truecaller states it does not access call or message content, only caller ID and spam-reporting metadata.

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