eclipso Mail Europe

eclipso Mail Europe is a German email service that bundles mail with cloud storage and organizer tools. It suits people who want built-in encryption and the option to use familiar mail clients; the free plan is a sensible starting point, while paid plans warrant a close look at their address counts and quoted monthly prices.

Overview

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Bayreuth, eclipso serves private and business customers. A single account brings together email, storage, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, fax, SMS and online post-office tools. That range can consolidate everyday communication and organization, but is less compelling if all you need is a straightforward inbox.

eclipso says more than 50,000 users have switched to the service. Personal mailbox registration can be completed without providing personal data, a useful option for people who want to minimize what they disclose when opening an account.

Key features

OpenPGP and S/MIME end-to-end encryption are integrated without browser extensions or third-party software. Two-factor authentication and TLS transport encryption complement DKIM, DMARC and SPF protections. Together, these give privacy-conscious users a stronger set of built-in protections than a mail service centered on basic inbox access.

The company says email, contacts and files are stored exclusively on servers in Germany, and that the service complies with EU GDPR, operates under German law and does not share data with advertisers or third parties. These commitments make eclipso a natural candidate for users who prioritize German jurisdiction and data handling.

Mail is available through webmail, POP3, IMAP and SMTP, the eclipso app, or clients including Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail. The client choice is a practical advantage for people who already have an established workflow. The iPhone and Android apps add calendar, contacts and cloud storage alongside email, with PGP, PIN protection, dark mode and push notifications; mobile attachments can be up to 50 MB.

Calendar and contact access uses CalDAV and CardDAV on the listed plans. WebDAV is included with Premium and Business, but not Connect. Premium also includes 200 credits per month, an allowance not included with the other listed monthly plans.

Pricing

eclipso uses a freemium model, with free access and paid plans billed monthly. The entry point is substantially more limited than the paid tiers, so readers should choose by the number of addresses and amount of storage they need rather than by the starting price alone.

Freemail gives up aliases and a custom domain, and its 4 GB and single-address caps make it a personal entry point rather than a multi-address setup. Connect raises capacity and includes 11 addresses and a custom domain, but lacks WebDAV. Premium doubles Connect's storage and adds more addresses, WebDAV and credits; Business expands those limits further and explicitly includes one custom domain. The listed monthly prices make it important to confirm that the extra capacity and addresses are worth the step up for your use.

MailSpace add-ons provide lifetime storage expansion with no recurring costs: +25 GB for €6,900, paid once, +50 GB for €12,900, paid once, or +100 GB for €19,900, paid once. They suit users who want permanent extra capacity without changing plans, though each requires a substantial one-time payment.

Paid plans and add-ons are prepaid and do not renew automatically; each booking period ends unless extended. That avoids an automatic renewal, but requires keeping track of the booking period if you want uninterrupted paid service. Support is available by email and phone Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:30 and 13:30–17:00. The stated maximum response time is 24 hours for Connect and four hours for Premium and Business, during support hours on working days.

Platforms

eclipso supports Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. The mobile app is available for iPhone and Android, while standard mail protocols also let users work through supported desktop clients.

Who it's for

Choose eclipso if you want German-hosted email with integrated OpenPGP and S/MIME, broad client support and organizer features in the same account. Freemail is suited to a single personal address; households or small organizations needing several addresses and a custom domain can consider Connect, while Premium and Business target progressively larger capacity and address needs.

Look elsewhere if you only need a basic inbox and do not value the bundled organizer tools, encryption options or German jurisdiction. The paid monthly prices also make it worth comparing your actual storage and address requirements before moving beyond the free plan.

Pros and cons

• Pros: OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption are integrated, avoiding extensions or separate software.
• Pros: POP3, IMAP and SMTP support allows use with common desktop mail clients as well as webmail and the mobile app.
• Pros: German server location, German law and the company's stated no-advertiser-sharing policy appeal to privacy-conscious users.
• Pros: Prepaid plans and add-ons do not automatically renew, and lifetime MailSpace additions avoid recurring storage charges.
• Cons: Freemail has just one address, 4 GB and no aliases, so it is restrictive for users managing multiple identities.
• Cons: Connect lacks WebDAV, while access to it starts with the higher-priced Premium plan.
• Cons: The listed monthly prices rise considerably across paid tiers, making the added storage and addresses important to justify.
• Cons: Support operates only during weekday business hours, which limits help outside those windows.

Alternatives

Browse Private Email Services for a broader set of options. Choose Aster Mail if open-source software and 10 GB of free encrypted storage are priorities. Proton Mail is an alternative with a free plan that includes 1 GB of storage and one email address. Disroot Email offers a free 1 GB mailbox with IMAP, SMTP, SMTPS and POP support, plus optional PGP encryption.

Tuta Mail is worth considering for its free 1 GB plan, calendar and end-to-end encryption. Riseup Email is another free option, though access requires an invite. Thelemail is an alternative with selected clients and tools published under AGPL-3.0. Mailo offers a free plan with email and document/photo storage, aliases and IMAP4 and EAS access. Secria Mail is another freemium option with a free plan that includes mail import.

Verdict

eclipso Mail Europe is a strong fit for privacy-conscious individuals and businesses who want integrated encryption, German data hosting and one account for mail and organizer tools. Its client flexibility and no-auto-renewal billing are practical strengths. Choose Freemail for a basic personal start; move to a paid tier only if its larger address and storage allowances, custom-domain support or WebDAV match a clear need. Readers who want only low-cost hosted email, or who need support beyond weekday business hours, should compare alternatives before committing.