Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
addy.io vs Apple Inc.
addy.io vs Apple Inc.: the differences
| Compare |  addy.io | Apple Inc. 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 | Aliases via Sign in with Apple are free with an Apple Account; changing the Forward To address requires 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
- Apple Inc. scores higher overall: 9.7 vs 9.5.
- Price from is lower at Apple Inc.: $0.99 vs $1.
- Custom domains: only addy.io.
- Support channels: only addy.io offers Email.
- Support channels: only Apple Inc. offers Phone, Chat.
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 Inc.
Apple folds relay aliases, 5 gigabytes of free iCloud+ storage and passkeys into the platforms most people already own. It suits Apple only households wanting private storage in a single account, while readers who need storage they alone can read or end-to-end encrypted mail should look elsewhere.
Score breakdown
| Area | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.9HigherEntry is $1 against a €4.38 secure email median, and the free plan covers unlimited standard aliases. | 9.5Entry starts at $0.99 and monthly runs $0.99, under the €7.89 site median, with storage at $119.88 per terabyte per year. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.6Higher |
| Privacy | 9.5 | 10.0Higher |
What it costs in practice
A year on the entry plan
addy.io
$12
12 × $1
Apple Inc.
$11.88
12 × $0.99
Apple Inc. costs $0.12 less.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 63 of 280 | 60 of 280 |
| Secure email and messaging | 13 of 60 | 12 of 60 |
Sources behind this comparison
addy.io
- addy.io: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Apple Inc.
- apple.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- support.apple.com: 3 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free, Budget | Free, Budget |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Apple Inc. |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1976 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Phone, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Privacy tools
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Password managers
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Passkeys | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Encryption | Not confirmed | Encryption and Data Protection |
| Features | Not confirmed | Screen time, Web filter |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Not confirmed | No |
VPN
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | $0.99 |
| Features | Not confirmed | No logs, Travel |
| Owner | Not confirmed | Apple Inc. |
Encrypted storage
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | Not confirmed | 5 |
| Price per TB per year | Not confirmed | $119.88 |
Parental controls
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly price | Not confirmed | $0 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | addy.io | Apple Inc. | 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 Inc.
Pros
- Sign in with Apple issues relay aliases at no cost to Apple Account holders, so the free plan is a real starting point rather than a trial.
- Entry sits at $0.99, below the $19.99 and $14.99 starting prices of the two paid alternatives here.
- A single subscription spans iOS, iPadOS and macOS, so storage and aliases need no extra purchase per device.
Cons
- iCloud+ storage is not sealed so that only the account holder can read it, and what is stored stays within Apple's reach under Encryption and Data Protection.
- End-to-end encryption is not offered for alias mail, since Apple Inc. relays and forwards it, so an alias is not a private channel for sensitive messages.
- Custom domains are not available, so an alias cannot sit on a domain you own.
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 Inc.
Who it suits
- Apple households that already pay for iCloud+ and want more capacity plus relay aliases from the same account.
- Readers who want one subscription across iOS, iPadOS and macOS instead of separate tools per device family.
- People willing to trade storage their provider can still read for low entry pricing and broad platform reach.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who need end-to-end encrypted mail or storage only the account holder can read, since neither is part of what the plan includes.
- Buyers shopping for a free standalone security toolkit, since Token2 hands over an in-browser authenticator toolset and a QR decoder without creating an account.
- Shoppers who want a priced privacy product outside the Apple ecosystem, where EasyOptOuts at $19.99 and Vipre Security at $14.99 are the paid comparisons here.
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 Inc.
Current offer
Free trial
Get 3 months of Apple One free with any new iPhone, iPad, or Mac: 3 months free
New and qualified returning subscribers only. $21.95 or $27.95 or $39.95 per month after trial based on plan selected. Only one offer per Apple Account and per family. Not available if a previous three-months-free offer was accepted. Offer good for three months after eligible device activation. Plan automatically renews until cancelled.
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 Inc.
What does iCloud+ cost to start?+
iCloud+ starts at $0.99, and the monthly rate is the same figure, $0.99. Storage is the only part that carries a charge; Sign in with Apple aliases stay at no cost to Apple Account holders. For context, the median entry price across the brands compared here is €6.84.
Is there a free plan and what does it cover?+
A free plan is part of the service. Sign in with Apple issues relay aliases at no cost to anyone holding an Apple Account, and free storage stands at 5 gigabytes with a yearly price of $0. The limit: repointing an alias at a different inbox needs iCloud+.