Mailfence Review
Online security is a major concern nowadays, not only for companies that handle sensitive information, but also for individual users who want to protect their data from prying eyes. While email services like Gmail are very popular due to their convenient features and ease of use, the truth is that they are not a reliable solution when it comes to privacy. In order to ensure that your emails are truly secure and private, you need to use a service that is focused on protecting your communications. Mailfence is one of these services and it uses a high standard of encryption to keep your emails safe. While the main purpose of Mailfence is to help you to reclaim your right to privacy, it also supports features that allow you to manage your communications and daily activities effectively. We will find out more about Mailfence in this review.
Security Features
Mailfence is a well established solution that has been around for nearly two decades so you can expect a high level of expertise and reliability. This email service provider based in Belgium has a strong commitment to privacy. They believe that privacy is a fundamental right and every aspect of Mailfence is designed to provide the best level of email privacy protection. In order to secure data throughout its journey, Mailfence used OpenPGP end-to-end encryption. This means that the information is encrypted on the sender’s system and it can only be decrypted by the intended recipient. Third-parties won’t be able to intercept your email communications.
Mailfence supports digital signatures, which is a feature that provides stronger security by preventing forgery and impersonation. A digital signature is similar to your handwritten signature and it is set to confirm that the message is actually from you. Thanks to digital signatures, the integrity and authenticity of your messages is guaranteed. Another important security feature is the integrated keystore, which allows you to create, import, publish and manage OpenPGP keys without hassle. There is no installation required and the keystore not only generates a key pair, but it also lets you import pre-existent OpenPGP key pairs. Mailfence’s keystore provides complete control and it allows you to carry out basic, as well as advanced key management operations. The fact that you can generate or import multiple key pairs, sets Mailfence apart from the competition as there are no other webmail services that support this option.
In addition, two-factor authentication is used to enhance security. This is a multi-factor authentication method in which the user provides additional information that only they have. Two-factor authentication or 2FA as it is widely known, adds an extra layer of authentication that keeps your account protected, even if the password has been compromised. Mailfence directs all connections to its servers using Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) encryption that supports web services, as well as IMAP, POP and SMTP email client access. Your can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your communications won’t be forged, tampered or monitored. Furthermore, Mailfence supports Perfect Forward Secrecy for your encrypted connections (HTTPS), which ensures that previous communications can’t be decrypted, even if there is a security breach, which is not likely to happen since Mailfence takes security seriously and it is continuously updating its software.
Mailfence protects all connections from browsers and it has enabled a HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) on all web pages. This protocol works with all modern browsers and it prompts them to connect to servers over a secure connection only. This will prevent you from accessing insecure sites or even pages via bookmark, link or URL.
Incoming messages are validated using SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail). The first is designed to prevent sender address forgery or spoofing. It does that by giving domain owners the chance to publish the IP addresses of the mail servers used. DKIM gives senders the chance to include a digital signature in the message, which can be validated by the recipient server. Mailfence supports all the necessary features to ensure that your communications are secure and private. Every aspect of the service is designed to provide top protection.
Privacy Features
Just like security, privacy is a key element for Mailfence. Their SSL/TLS certificate doesn’t include any certification from US organizations in the certification chain. Mailfence hasn’t include backdoors that will facilitate access from government agencies and this can be verified independently, thanks to the fact that Mailfence’s code is open to audits or scrutiny by leading security experts. The company is committed to transparency and it has implemented a transparency and warrant canary report. This will let you know if any data requests have been received.
Thanks to the fact that your emails are encrypted by your browser and decrypted by the intended recipients, no one else but you and them will be able to read the messages. Although the private key is stored on Mailfence’s servers, they are not able to read it because it is protected with your passphrase through AES-256. Your messages can’t be decrypted by Mailfence or anyone else. It is also worth noting that there is no third-party advertising or marketing trackers in place. Mailfence doesn’t track your activities and it doesn’t feature any ads. They also promise not to share or sell your data to third-parties. Since Mailfence is based in Belgium, it is covered by strict privacy laws and are not obliged to comply with US gag orders.
Additional features
Privacy and security are crucial, but there are other aspects to consider when using an email service. After all, it is an essential tool for productivity and it is important to ensure that it is easy to use and that it offers convenient features. Mailfence understands this perfectly, which is why it supports all the functionality that email users require. You can add your private appointments in the easy to use calendar, which can be shared securely. It is also possible to store all your documents safely and you can also edit them and share them online with just one click. Mailfence lets you import your contacts from multiple accounts and you can also create groups to share your data without putting it at risk. In its premium plans, Mailfence supports POPS, Web, IMAPS, SMTPS and mobile accesses, as well as access to third-party mailboxes and aliases, just to name a few.
Plans
Mailfence offers a free plan that gives you up to 500MB emails, 500MB documents and the chance to add up to 1000 events in the calendar and to manage one email contacts group. This plan is so popular that Mailfence had to suspend new registrations temporarily due to the high demand. The good news is that there are affordable paid solutions.
The Entry plan costs 2.50 EUR and it supports up to 5GB emails and 10 aliases. For documents, it allows up to 12GB and you can save up to 10000 events in the calendar. You can have three groups. The next option is the Pro plan, which costs 7.50 EUR per month. This plans gives you 20GB for emails, 24GB for documents and you can use up to 50 aliases, and add 50000 events in the calendars. This plan allows up to 5 groups.
If you have a business, you can customize your own plan, according to your needs. All paid customers can contact Mailfence’s support via email or phone, but business users get priority customer support via phone. All plans (including the free plan) offer Two-factor authentication and strong encryption. To protect your privacy, you can pay anonymously using cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. PayPal and credit cards are also accepted.
Conclusion
Mailfence is an advanced security email solution that keeps things simple, allowing users to complete daily tasks and manage their communications, without compromising their privacy. The two-factor authentication, support for third-party email clients, open source standards and its unique keystore, are some of the features that place Mailfence ahead other secure email services. Mailfence offers flexibility and it is strongly committed to privacy. In fact, the provider donates 15% of the Pro plan revenues to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the European Digital Rights Foundation.