Or, you can do what I do and get a static IP and run your own mail server. Ted
-----Original Message----- From: PLUG <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Kevin Williams Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 6:56 PM To: PLUG <[email protected]>; Galen Seitz <[email protected]>; plug <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [PLUG] email services supporting IMAP Correction: $20/yr for Runbox, not $20/mo. On Fri, Nov 17, 2023, at 17:32, Kevin Williams wrote: > Hi Galen, > > I myself have been on this journey to migrate my internet accounts registered > using my Gmail address to my own domain, and use multiple aliases in the form > of [email protected]. > > Over the last year and a half, I have moved about 90 accounts from Gmail. > Some sites allow self-service email address change. Others require you submit > a ticket to their support staff. Others, such as Shopify, require you submit > a ticket to them to export your account history (if you want to keep it), > delete your account, create a new account, and re-import the history from > your old account if you don't want to start from scratch. > > This means I'm keeping Gmail around until the process is complete. I also > export my email archive to mbox or maildir, likely using Google take-out. > > I started out at Protonmail. Then I discovered they don't support IMAP unless > I installed their SMTP-to-IMAP bridge app on my local machine. It supports > Linux, but not OpenBSD, which I use more regularly these days. > > So I switched to Fastmail. (But read further. I'm looking to switch > away from them too.) > > If your friend is not sure it's worth it to register and maintain his own > domain name for email and setup the MX, DMARC, SPF and other DNS records at > the email provider (and doesn't care about his personal brand), consider that > using his own domain name makes moving from one paid email provider to the > next much easier. > > Both Protonmail and Fastmail have very good instructions to point your DNS > records at their mail servers. Because I used my own domain name, I was able > to migrate form Protonmail to Fastmail, update all my DNS records, and import > all my previous Protonmail messages to Fastmail in less than an hour. > > More importantly, I didn't have to update my emali address at any of the > sites I had already switched from Gmail. > > And now for my recommendations. > > Domain Registrars: > > - https://dnsimple.com - Well-established registrar with a good > interface and only $6/mo domain hosting fee > - https://porkbun.com - Up-and-coming registrar recommended by Jim Salter of > the 2.5 Admins podcast. I don't know their pricing. > > Fastmail is good. But they only allow up to 600 email aliases, and charge > $5/mo for my first domain, and at least $3/mo for each additional domain (one > domain per sub-account). So I asked on the OpenBSD misc mailing list a few > months ago for suggested email hosting providers. > > - https://migadu.com - Starting at $20/yr for unlimited aliases and unlimited > domains. You cannot register or host a domain with them (that makes moving > away from them easier). Plans are limited by storage space and messages in > and out per day. Bigger plans increase those limits. They have been in > business since 2014. The amounts are realistic for my use case. I plan to > switch my k9w.org domain from Fastmail to Migadu. > > - https://purelymail.com - Flat $10/yr for unlimited aliases and unlimited > domains, again not registered or hosted domains with them. They are in public > Beta but have been going for at least the last few years. I already have > another domain with them and have been very happy with their tools, > documentation, and support staff. > > - https://runbox.com - Norwegian-based offering plans starting at $20/mo for > unlimited aliases and one custom domain, registered/hosted with them or from > another provider. I might try them out with a test domain for the fun of it. > But I could easily us as many domains at either of the two providers above. > > "But Kevin, why are you using two of them at $30/yr rather than just one > service at $10 or $20 per year?" > > Because I want to experience both services over the long term. If I have any > less-technical friends and convince them to try email at their own domain > name, I could offer to save them the email hosting cost and add their domain > to one of the first two options above. > > Realistically, I still have probably another 50 or so accounts to move away > from Gmail. New accounts are at my paid provider straight out of the gate. > > It's a lot of work. But it's worth it to own my email, to pay for it with my > dollars, not pay for it with my personal data. > > Galen, I hope this is helpful to your friend and anyone who searches the PLUG > archives for this question in the future. > > Thanks, > Kevin Williams > > On Fri, Nov 17, 2023, at 16:14, Galen Seitz wrote: > > Hi, > > > > A smart, but non-sysadmin, non-linux-using friend asks: > > > > "Hey I’ve been interested in getting off Gmail and switching to a > > mail service I pay for. And then using it with IMAP on my various > > devices. Do you have any knowledge about other services besides Gmail, > > yahoo, etc?" > > > > I'm pretty sure this person uses a Mac laptop, but I'm not sure > > about their phone. I'd guess iOS, but it could be Android. > > > > Suggestions? > > > > thanks, > > galen > > -- > > Galen Seitz > > [email protected] > > >
