Forward Email

Overview

Forward Email combines custom-domain forwarding with paid email hosting and encrypted storage. It suits people who want to route mail for their own domain, especially those who may later need hosted mail or team features; the free tier is not a substitute for a sending mailbox.

Key features

Forwarding and hosted mail

Custom domains, catch-all forwarding, multiple recipients, and delivery logs make the service useful for routing domain mail to existing inboxes. Gmail send-as, SMTP, email-to-webhook delivery, and API access extend the options for sending and automation. These sit alongside paid hosting; the free plan only forwards incoming mail and cannot send or store messages on Forward Email’s servers.

Protocols, apps, and storage

IMAP and POP3 support standard email clients, while CalDAV and CardDAV add calendar and contact protocol support. Native apps cover macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, with a web app as well. Enhanced Protection includes 10 GB of pooled storage, and each additional 10 GB costs $3 per month. The storage allowance makes this a more complete mailbox option than forwarding alone, but users with larger archives should account for the extra monthly charge.

Security and deployment

Email traffic uses TLS 1.2 or higher, and stored email is encrypted at rest with ChaCha20-Poly1305 in SQLite files. The service also lists multi-factor authentication, DKIM, SPF, DMARC, spam filtering, attachment virus scanning, and phishing detection. Its stated compliance provisions include GDPR-compliant data handling, CCPA privacy controls, SOC 2 Type II audited processes, and a DPA for business customers. Forward Email describes its software as fully open source and lists self-hosted Docker email, which may appeal to technically capable users who want a self-managed deployment.

Pricing

The Free plan is billed at $0/month for unlimited domains. It provides unlimited inbound email and spam protection, with a 50 MB attachment limit, but cannot send mail and offers no server-side mail storage. It is best for basic forwarding rather than regular mailbox use.

Enhanced Protection costs $3 a month, billed $3/month for unlimited domains. It adds unlimited aliases, 10 GB pooled storage, 9000+ outbound / month, and API access. This is the entry point for individuals, freelancers, and small businesses who need sending and hosted mail; the free plan gives up both.

Team costs $9 a month, billed $9/month for unlimited domains. It includes unlimited team members, team permissions, shared organizational access, and priority support requests. Choose it when shared administration matters more than an individual mailbox; its stated additions are team capabilities and support rather than a higher storage quota.

Enterprise costs $250 a month, billed $250/month for unlimited domains. It includes unlimited API requests, a dedicated support chatroom, an enterprise contract, onboarding, and real-time engineering support. It is positioned for education, healthcare, government, and custom implementations, not ordinary personal use. Additional storage is $3 per month per extra 10 GB.

Platforms

Forward Email offers apps for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, plus web access, API access, and self-hosted use. The broad client range is useful for mixed-device households or teams, while the listed mail, calendar, and contact protocols allow compatible clients beyond its own apps.

Who it's for

Forward Email is a strong fit for custom-domain owners who want forwarding now and the option to add hosted mail, storage, or shared access later. Enhanced Protection is aimed at individuals, freelancers, and small businesses; Team addresses groups and organizations; Enterprise targets regulated or bespoke deployments. Readers who only need inbound forwarding can use Free, but those who need a mailbox must choose a paid plan.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free forwarding supports unlimited domains and inbound email, making it viable for routing without a monthly plan.
• Pros: Paid hosting pairs standard mail protocols with apps across desktop and mobile platforms.
• Pros: Encryption, authentication protections, and compliance provisions cover important security and business needs.
• Cons: The free plan cannot send or store mail, so it does not serve as a complete mailbox.
• Cons: Enhanced Protection starts with 10 GB pooled storage; users needing more pay $3 per month for each additional 10 GB.
• Cons: Team and Enterprise cost substantially more than the entry paid plan, so their shared-access and support benefits matter most to organizations.

Alternatives

Email Forwarding Services is a broader category directory for comparing services. Consider Forward for its free allowance of one domain, 25 aliases, 500 forwards per day, seven days of logs, and one team seat. ImprovMX is another free option, with one domain, 25 aliases, 500 forwarded emails per day, seven-day log retention, API access, and a 99% uptime guarantee.

MailerZ may suit someone who values a 14-day message store on its free plan, though that tier limits users to three aliases and disables sending, SMTP, and API access. EForw is worth considering for free unlimited catch-all aliases on one domain, with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC pass. InboxMail is an alternative for readers comparing forwarding with campaign and agent-inbox allowances on its free plan.

Mailcast offers a free tier and free trial, but its free plan caps domains at one and aliases at 25, limits attachments to 10Mb, and does not allow sending from the domain. Cloudflare Email Routing is a free alternative for unlimited inbound routing; its Workers Paid plan includes 3,000 outbound emails per month. DNSExit Email Forwarding is another freemium web-based option.

Verdict

Choose Forward Email if custom-domain forwarding is the starting point and you want a path to hosted, encrypted mail, broad client support, or organizational controls. Its free tier is useful for inbound routing, but the inability to send or store mail is a decisive limitation for anyone seeking a daily mailbox; those users should budget for Enhanced Protection or compare alternatives.