Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
addy.io vs Apple Hide My Email
addy.io vs Apple Hide My Email: the differences
| Compare |  addy.io | Apple Hide My Email ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1 | $0.99Lower |
| Free plan limits | Unlimited standard aliases, 10 active shared domain aliases, 1 recipient, 2 alias domains, 10MB monthly bandwidth | Free 5GB iCloud plan excludes Hide My Email; it is included only with iCloud+ |
| End-to-end encryption | No end-to-end encryption of stored mail; optional GPG/OpenPGP encryption of forwarded messages to the recipient's own public key, including attachments and optional encrypted subject | None of the mail is end-to-end encrypted: aliases are relayed and forwarded by Apple, which states it does not read or process message content except spam filtering |
| Jurisdiction | GB | US |
| Custom domains | YesHas it | No |
| Open source | Yes | Not confirmed |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- addy.io scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.4.
- Price from is lower at Apple Hide My Email: $0.99 vs $1.
- Custom domains: only addy.io.
- Support channels: only addy.io offers Email.
- Support channels: only Apple Hide My Email offers Phone.
- Pricing model: only addy.io offers Budget.
Our verdict on each
addy.io
addy.io suits people who want a fresh address for every site without a new mailbox for each one, and it starts on a free plan. Paid tiers begin at $1, under the €4.38 secure email median, though stored mail is not end-to-end encrypted.
Apple Hide My Email
Apple Hide My Email suits Apple users already inside iCloud+ who want an alias per shop or newsletter and will accept a free tier that excludes the feature. At $0.99 it is the cheapest paid entry in this group, though the relayed aliases carry no end to end encryption.
Score breakdown
| Area | addy.io | Apple Hide My Email |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.9Entry is $1 against a €4.38 secure email median, and the free plan covers unlimited standard aliases. | 10.0HigherEntry price of $0.99 sits under the category median of €4.38, and free keeps the base tier free. |
| Offer | 9.1Higher | 8.5 |
| Privacy | 9.5 | 10.0Higher |
How they place
| Ranking | addy.io | Apple Hide My Email |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 63 of 280 | 65 of 280 |
| Secure email and messaging | 13 of 60 | 14 of 60 |
Pick addy.io if, pick Apple Hide My Email if
Pick addy.io if offer and custom domains matter most.
Pick Apple Hide My Email if privacy and price from matter most.
Every fact side by side
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Hide My Email |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free, BudgetCovers more | Free |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Apple Inc. |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1976 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Phone, Help centre, Community |
Privacy tools
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Hide My Email |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Raycast | iOS, IPadOS, MacOS, VisionOS, TvOS, WatchOS, Web |
| Logging policy | Self-hosted Umami analytics with no cookies or personal data, no Google Analytics; Nginx access and error logs record IP addresses, rotated daily and retained 3 days, used only to improve the service and prevent abuse | Apple does not read or process relayed message content except standard spam filtering; messages deleted from relay servers after delivery, usually within seconds |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Hide My Email | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1lowest quarter | $0.99lowest quarter | $4.99 |
Median across 29 listed providers.
Pros and cons
addy.io
Pros
- The free plan allows unlimited standard aliases, plus shared domain aliases and alias domains, so building a large set of addresses costs nothing.
- Custom domains are supported, so aliases can sit on a domain you already own instead of a shared one.
- Open source, so the alias and forwarding logic can be read and checked by anyone.
Cons
- Support runs on email, help centre and community, so anything urgent waits for a written reply or a community thread.
- The free plan's recipient limit and monthly bandwidth allowance are tight, so more than light forwarding means paying.
- Jurisdiction is GB, which puts the contract and any dispute under a single country's rules.
Apple Hide My Email
Pros
- Entry price of $0.99 undercuts addy.io at $1 and Session at $2.99
- A free plan is listed and free marks the base tier as free
- Support covers phone, help centre and community, including phone and community
Cons
- Apple relays and forwards every alias, and states it processes content only for spam filtering, so the protection sits at the address level rather than the message level
- The free plan limits put Hide My Email beyond the free iCloud plan, with the feature reserved for iCloud+ subscribers
- Custom domains are not supported, so every alias sits on a domain Apple controls
Who each suits
addy.io
Who it suits
- People signing up to lots of sites who want a new alias for each and can begin on the free plan.
- Readers who want custom domains on an address they own, with apps across browsers rather than a system-level setting.
- Users happy to forward mail onward and who judge the service on open source and price rather than on encrypted storage.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs end-to-end encrypted mail storage: addy.io encrypts only forwarded messages, and Posteo at €1 is the other option here at a close entry price.
- Apple users already set up inside that ecosystem, where Apple's alias generator at $0.99 is the shorter path, while addy.io's $1 buys open source aliases across iOS, Android and Web.
Apple Hide My Email
Who it suits
- Apple households already paying for iCloud+ who want an alias per store or newsletter
- Readers who want alias forwarding with no separate account to set up
- People who keep most browsing inside Apple platforms and want a native app
Who should look elsewhere
- Non-Apple households, where addy.io is a separate option at $1 and iOS, iPadOS and macOS centres on Apple devices and the web
- Readers who want a standalone alias subscription rather than a bundle, where Posteo sits at €1
- Teams needing end-to-end encrypted mail, since this relay forwards through Apple and keeps the message body on that path
Current offers
addy.io
Current offer
Discount code
Notesnook 25% off first year: 25% off first year
addy.io paid subscribers (Lite, Pro, Duo or Family) only; no commission received by addy.io
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Windscribe 3 month Pro trial then annual Pro plan: 3 month Pro trial, then 49 USD per year
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Kagi 3 months of Professional plan free: 3 months free
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Tuta 25% off first year: 25% off first year
addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
EasyOptOuts 25% off for life: 25% off for life, 5 sign-ups per coupon
US customers only; addy.io paid subscribers only
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Apple Hide My Email
Current offer
Free trial
3 months of Apple One free: 3 months Apple One free
New and qualified returning subscribers only; offer good for three months after eligible device activation; plan automatically renews until cancelled; not available if previously accepted an Apple One three-months-free offer
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
addy.io
Is there a free plan, and what comes with it?+
Yes. The free plan allows unlimited standard aliases, and adds shared domain aliases, alias domains, a recipient limit and a monthly bandwidth allowance. That is enough for light use without paying anything. Beyond that, paid plans in the free and budget range start at $1.
How much does addy.io cost at the entry point?+
Entry is $1, which sits under the €4.38 median for secure email brands and below the €8.94 upper marker. You can also stay on the free plan as long as the allowance suits, which is the practical way to judge the service first.
Apple Hide My Email
How much does Apple Hide My Email cost?+
Entry sits at $0.99 through iCloud+, and that subscription is the route to the alias feature. A free plan is listed, but the free plan limits keep Hide My Email outside the free iCloud plan, with the feature reserved for iCloud+ subscribers. Treat it as a paid add-on inside an Apple bundle rather than a standalone subscription.
Is Apple Hide My Email end to end encrypted?+
End-to-end encryption sits outside this product. Apple relays and forwards every alias, and states it processes content only for spam filtering, so the guarantee covers the address you publish rather than the body travelling through the relay. Aliases mask identity; they do not create a private mailbox.