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Productivity · head to head

Fastmail vs Mealime

Fastmail logo

Fastmail

Productivity

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

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mealime logo

Mealime

Productivity

Freemium meal planning app that suggests simple recipes and builds a grocery list, subscription for full customisation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mealime 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.; Mealime its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.
  • They diverge on capability: Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastmail and Mealime actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastmail and Mealime differ
AttributeFastmailMealime
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthFreemium subscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsiOS, Android, Web

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 Mealime

  • Personalised weekly meal plans
  • Consolidated grocery list
  • Simple recipe library
  • Recipe swapping
  • Dietary filters
  • Grocery delivery integration

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

Mealime

  • Someone who finds deciding what to cook each week more tiring than the cooking itselfnot Fastmail
  • A household with specific dietary restrictions wanting meal suggestions pre-filtered to fit themnot Fastmail
  • A beginner cook who wants simple, short-ingredient recipes rather than an open-ended personal collectionnot Fastmail
  • Someone who wants a grocery list generated automatically from a week of planned meals without manual entrynot 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.

Mealime

  • Its recipe library is its own and deliberately simple, so it does not accommodate importing or organising an existing personal recipe collection the way Paprika does.
  • The free tier limits customisation and recipe swaps, pushing habitual users toward the paid Pro subscription for a fuller experience.
  • Recipes lean toward quick, mainstream weeknight cooking, so someone wanting more ambitious or cuisine-specific recipes will find the library thin.
  • Grocery delivery integration is only available in supported markets, so users outside those regions get the grocery list without the delivery convenience.
  • Because meal suggestions come from the Mealime catalogue rather than the wider web, variety is narrower than a service like Paprika that can import from anywhere.

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

Mealime

Free
  • MealimeFree
    • Basic weekly meal plan generation
    • Consolidated grocery list
  • Mealime Pro$5.99/month
    • More recipe swaps and customisation
    • Nutrition tracking
    • Larger recipe library access

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 Mealime if

  • You need personalised weekly meal plans.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want consolidated grocery list.
Mealime review

Questions people ask

Is Fastmail or Mealime better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastmail starts at $3/month and Mealime at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fastmail or Mealime?
Mealime has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Fastmail and Free for Mealime.
Does Fastmail or Mealime run on more platforms?
Fastmail runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Mealime runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Mealime for free?
Yes. Mealime 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 Mealime is typically brought in for.
What can Fastmail do that Mealime cannot?
Fastmail covers Custom domain hosting, Masked email, Unlimited aliases, Integrated calendar and contacts. Mealime covers Personalised weekly meal plans, Consolidated grocery list, Simple recipe library, Recipe swapping.

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.

Mealime: Is Mealime free?

There is a free tier with basic weekly plans; a paid Pro subscription unlocks more customisation and nutrition tracking.

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.

Mealime: Can I add my own recipes to Mealime?

No, it works from its own recipe library rather than importing external recipes, unlike Paprika.

Fastmail: Can I use my own domain?

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

Mealime: Does it integrate with grocery delivery?

Yes, in supported markets, generated grocery lists can be sent to a delivery or pickup service such as Instacart.

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