What are some of the best anonymous email accounts in 2025?

What is an anonymous email?

Put simply, an anonymous email is one that hides the sender’s identity and doesn’t contain any personally identifiable information. An anonymous email can’t be traced back to you.

Anonymous email services encrypt your messages, so even if they get intercepted in transit, nobody will be able to see their contents. Your email address, the time when the message was sent, your device’s name, and even your IP address will also be hidden from the recipient. 

Why do you need an anonymous email?

Not everyone wants their inbox to double as a record of their online life. Whether you’re trying to keep personal data out of marketing databases, report sensitive issues, or simply stay safer online, an anonymous email account helps you draw a clear line between who you are and what you do online.

Consider creating an anonymous email account if you want to:

• Keep spam away: Many sites demand an email just to browse or sign up. Using an anonymous address keeps your main inbox free of endless promo mail and trackers.
• Limit data trails: Most anonymous email services refrain from IP logging and ad tracking, which cuts down on how much data companies can gather about you.
• Lower identity-theft risks: Hiding your real address makes it harder for scammers to connect your accounts or reset passwords across platforms.
• Give kids safer communication options: Children can stay in touch or sign up for learning tools without revealing personal info to strangers or data-hungry apps.
• Avoid harassment or stalking: If you post online, sell second-hand items, or moderate communities, keeping contact details separate adds a layer of safety.
• Keep sensitive work separate: Journalists, researchers, and activists often rely on anonymous emails to discuss topics that require confidentiality.
• Stay resilient after breaches: If one of the anonymous email addresses is leaked or spammed, you can delete it — your main account will remain untouched.

Anonymous vs. burner email accounts

Not all “anonymous” emails are built the same. Some are meant to be your everyday private inbox, while others are quick throwaway addresses you’ll forget after a few minutes. Both can protect your privacy — just in different ways.

An anonymous email account works like a normal mailbox but hides your personal data and keeps your messages encrypted. A burner or alias email, on the other hand, is a short-lived shield you can create in seconds when a website or app insists on an address, and you’d rather not share your real one.

Here’s how they compare side by side:

What should you consider when choosing an anonymous email account?

Once you’ve decided to use an anonymous email account, the next step is finding one you can actually trust. A few core details make the difference between a service that only feels private and one that truly protects you:

• Reliability and reputation. Check who runs the service and how transparent they are about data handling. Trusted anonymous email providers publish clear privacy policies and avoid monetizing user data.
• Jurisdiction. Where a provider is based determines how your information can be accessed. Choose services operating in privacy-friendly countries that don’t enforce data-retention or broad surveillance laws.
• Encryption quality. Look for end-to-end encryption for messages in transit and at rest, plus attachment and subject line encryption when possible.
• Useful privacy extras. Encrypted file storage, calendars, contact lists, or alias options can strengthen security and make private communication easier to manage.

A reliable anonymous email service keeps your messages secure, your identity private, and your day-to-day communication simple.

Some of the best free anonymous email providers 

Now that you know the difference between anonymous and burner accounts, let’s look at services that get privacy right. These providers offer secure, encrypted email accounts with minimal sign-up data — and most have solid free plans to get you started.

Tuta

Tuta (previously Tutanota) is a popular choice amongst online security and privacy experts. It uses its own encryption standard to encrypt your entire inbox, including your emails’ subject lines and your contacts list. The service provides end-to-end encryption between users but also gives the option to send encrypted messages to non-users — all they need is a pre-shared password to decrypt the email. You don’t have to enter any personally identifiable information to create your account, and the free plan gives you a generous 1GB of storage. Tuta also strips your IP from your emails so that even if someone manages to snoop on your traffic, they will not be able to locate you. Tuta’s software is open source, which means that anyone can look into its code to confirm its security. For a deeper understanding of how it compares to other encrypted email providers, see Tuta vs. ProtonMail.

Secure Email

Secure Email is a great anonymous email service provider that encrypts your emails with powerful 4096-bit key encryption and then uses SSL encryption to make sure that no one can snoop on them in transit. You don’t need to share any personal information to create your Secure Email account, either.

Secure Email doesn’t cooperate with the US PRISM surveillance program and is very open about their privacy policy. They don’t log your IP address, meaning that they have no personally identifiable information about you which could be passed on to governments or obtained by snoopers.

Guerilla Mail

Guerilla Mail is one of the oldest temporary anonymous email services, offering disposable inboxes you can use without registration or personal details. It’s designed for quick, low-risk communication — perfect when you need to send an anonymous email for free or receive verification links without exposing your real address.

You can choose your own anonymous email address or let Guerilla Mail generate a randomized one with its “Scramble Address” feature. Messages stay in your inbox for about an hour before being deleted automatically, which helps reduce spam as well as the risk of data leaks.

While the service uses HTTPS to secure your browser connection, it doesn’t provide full end-to-end encryption, so it’s not suitable for private or long-term conversations. For short-term or one-time use, though, it remains one of the best free anonymous email tools available.

Addy.io (formerly AnonAddy)  

The previous name, AnonAddy, stood for “Anonymous Email Address”, and this pretty much describes what Addy.io offers. It’s a transparent and open-source email-forwarding service that encrypts your emails and doesn’t track you or use ad targeting.

Addy.io uses an aliases system to allow you to host multiple emails, thus protecting your privacy. It also has tons of useful functions, including protecting your email address from unsolicited spam by deactivating aliases and using different email addresses for every site to identify who sold your data.

Addy.io can also protect you from cross-referencing, which may reveal your identity in case of a data breach. Additionally, you can reply to emails without revealing your true address.

Mailfence

Mailfence offers end-to-end encryption based on the OpenPGP standard. It provides secure email services as well as other email features such as calendar, contacts, documents, etc. You can also use aliases for managing your different identities and filter your incoming emails to protect privacy and avoid spam.

Mailfence also maintains transparency reports and warrant canaries. Its servers are located in Belgium, so it doesn’t have to adhere to US gag orders, extradition treaties, or national security letters.

Best paid anonymous email providers

Free anonymous email accounts work well for most people, but some users need extra features or more control. Paid secure email services usually offer larger storage limits, custom domains, and advanced privacy settings — all of which is useful if you rely on private communication every day or manage multiple accounts.

CounterMail

CounterMail is a long-standing, secure, and anonymous email service known for its strict privacy standards and layered encryption. It combines SSL encryption, OpenPGP end-to-end encryption, session encryption, and server-side disk encryption to keep messages and data fully protected.

The service also offers anonymous email headers, a built-in password manager, encrypted forms to prevent formjacking, and an autoresponder — all without storing logs or using tracking cookies. Its straightforward interface makes it easy to manage private communication securely.

CounterMail isn’t free and operates on an invite-only basis, but for those who value proven security over convenience, it remains one of the best anonymous email providers available.

StartMail

StartMail is a web-only, privacy-focused email service. It also supports the burner function, so you can easily get rid of your email address if it ends up on a spam address list. StartMail handles encryption server-side rather than in the browser.  

You can use PGP encryption with StartMail, and your emails are encrypted at rest on their Dutch servers. StartMail strips headers and IP addresses from your emails, while its burner function allows you to create temporary emails.

ZohoMail

Zoho Mail is a secure email service built primarily for business users, although it’s also a solid choice for anyone who values privacy and organization. It uses SSL encryption for data in transit and encrypts stored messages on its servers, protecting them from unauthorized access.

The platform offers a clean, intuitive interface and practical security tools, including malware detection, spam filtering, and two-factor authentication (2FA). While Zoho Mail isn’t fully anonymous, its strong encryption and enterprise-grade protection make it a reliable option for secure communication.

Posteo

Posteo is a secure email provider based in Germany, known for its strong privacy standards and environmentally conscious operations. It offers full PGP encryption, strips IP addresses from outgoing emails, and doesn’t keep connection logs — making it one of the most privacy-focused anonymous email services available.

You can sign up without providing personal details and send messages without leaving digital traces. For added protection, Posteo also includes two-factor authentication (2FA).

While it doesn’t support custom domains, has no spam folder, and lacks a free trial, Posteo’s focus on security, transparency, and sustainability makes it a sound choice.

Hushmail

Hushmail is a legacy secure email provider built around usability and strong encryption features. Based in Canada, it supports OpenPGP encryption for messages between users and lets you send encrypted emails to non-Hushmail users via a secure web portal. 

You get 15 GB of storage on personal plans and can toggle encryption on or off per email. Hushmail also offers secure web forms and e-signature tools (popular in healthcare and legal contexts), and its iOS app supports Face ID/Touch ID, multiple aliases, as well as 2FA.

However, keep in mind that Hushmail logs IPs and user activity, and subject lines aren’t encrypted by default.

PrivateMail

PrivateMail is a paid encrypted email service that leans into privacy and versatility. It offers OpenPGP end-to-end encryption for messages, encrypts file storage, and even supports self-destructing emails and contacts to limit digital footprints.

Its SecureShare feature enables viewers to receive encrypted files via browser — shared files stay encrypted on PrivateMail servers and are decrypted only on the recipient’s device.

You can sync calendars, contacts, and files across devices via their web, desktop, and mobile apps. PrivateMail offers alias support, encrypted cloud storage, and a zero-knowledge architecture:

Free vs. paid options

Both free and paid anonymous email services can help you protect your privacy — the difference comes down to storage limits, features, and how much control you need. Free plans are ideal for basic use and light communication, while paid versions unlock extra tools for people who rely on secure email every day.

Other ways to use anonymous email accounts

1. If you only need to send emails

If you only need to send an anonymous email but don’t need to receive a response, consider using a one-way anonymous email platform like AnonymouseMail, 5ymail, or W3 Anonymous Remailer. Some of them will allow you to use the recipient’s public PGP key to encrypt your message, while others will send you read and received receipts while keeping your identity completely hidden.

2. If you only need to receive emails

TrashMail is one of the most popular inbox-only email providers out there, and is highly recommended by privacy experts.

An untraceable email provider, TrashMail offers free account holders up to 25 disposable email addresses from 16 different domains. It filters through and rejects spam so you only get the messages you want to read while keeping your real address anonymous

3. If you can't say goodbye to Google

If you’re not ready to part ways with Gmail, there are still a few steps you can take to protect your privacy and make your account more secure.

• Create a fake account. You can always set up a secondary Gmail address that doesn’t reveal your identity. If you’re wondering if Gmail is secure, the short answer is: yes, but not completely. Google can still scan and store some user data for analytics and advertising, so keeping personal details out of your alias is a smart move.
• Set up PGP encryption so that neither Google nor anyone else will be able to snoop on your emails.You can also learn more about how to encrypt Gmail to enhance your email security. However, even with PGP encryption, Google and snoopers can still see your IP and your location.
• Use a VPN. Sending emails while connected to a VPN server enhances your privacy and hides your location. When you use a VPN, your email isn’t linked to your own IP address, making it harder for the recipient to identify you. For that reason, it’s best to use the NordVPN app alongside PGP. A VPN also protects you on Wi-Fi — no third party will be able to see what you do online.
• Erase the metadata from your files. Files' metadata can give away your full name and other personal information. For text documents, you can just delete their EXIF data — you can find the option in the "Details" (or similarly named) section. For other cases, you can employ various third-party metadata removal tools but make sure to choose those that are safe.
• Don’t give access to your cloud documents to people you don’t know. Your documents can be a potential gateway for wrongdoers, so provide access only to people you trust.

Protect your identity with a VPN

Even if you use an anonymous email account, your online activity can still reveal information about you. Your IP address shows where you’re connecting from and can be used to build a picture of your browsing habits.

A VPN helps limit that exposure. It encrypts your connection so no one — whether it’s a public Wi-Fi operator, your internet provider, or a third party — can easily see what you’re doing online. It also replaces your visible IP address with one from the VPN server, adding distance between your real identity and your activity. To stay even safer in case your VPN connection drops, make sure to use a kill switch feature that automatically blocks internet traffic until the secure connection is restored.

If someone obtains your IP address, they can learn details about your location or online behavior — and sometimes  that information could enable them to hit you with a cyber attack.