Apple Inc. review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
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.
Key facts
- Best for
- Free relay aliases and extra storage inside an Apple Account
- Price from
- $0.99↗
- Free plan
- Yes↗
- Free plan limits
- Aliases via Sign in with Apple are free with an Apple Account; changing the Forward To address requires iCloud+↗
- Platforms
- iOS, IPadOS, MacOS, VisionOS, TvOS, WatchOS, Web↗
- Logging policy
- Apple does not read or process relayed message content except standard spam filtering; messages deleted from relay servers after delivery, usually within seconds↗
- Jurisdiction
- US↗
- Legal entity
- Apple Inc.↗
- Headquarters
- United States↗
- Founded
- 1976↗
- Support channels
- Phone, Chat, Help-centre, Community↗
- Pricing model
- Free, Budget
- Official website
- apple.com
Password managers
Secure email
Parental controls
- Yearly price
- $0↗
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 13 sources
Pros and cons
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.
- Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, covering self-serve and account specific help in one place.
- Passkeys are supported, while 3.2% of the brands compared do not offer them.
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.
- Extra storage costs $119.88 per terabyte per year, above the €82.87 median across the brands compared.
Ready to try Apple Inc.?
Scored 9.7 / 10 by ShieldCue.
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.
What you get free
A free plan is part of the service. Sign in with Apple issues relay aliases at no cost to anyone holding an Apple Account, which covers the basic relaying and forwarding of mail through Apple. The limit sits in the small print: repointing an alias at a different inbox needs iCloud+. So the free allowance covers creating an alias and letting it reach a real inbox, but not moving that destination later. For a reader who needs an address to hand to one site, that is enough. Anyone running a long list of aliases and shifting them between inboxes will pay.
Audits, logging and jurisdiction
Apple operates the service as Apple Inc. and sits in US jurisdiction. Its logging position is specific: Apple says it leaves relayed message content alone apart from standard spam filtering, and copies on the relay servers are cleared once delivery happens, usually within seconds. The gap for privacy minded readers sits in encryption. Alias mail is not end-to-end encrypted, since it is relayed and forwarded by Apple rather than locked between sender and recipient. Storage is not sealed from the provider either, so what is stored stays readable to Apple under Encryption and Data Protection. Anyone who needs a provider that cannot open stored files is weighing a different product.
Core features
The free allowance shapes the rest of the service: Sign in with Apple hands out relay aliases at no cost with an Apple Account, while repointing an alias at another destination needs iCloud+. On device reach, a single subscription covers iOS, iPadOS and macOS, so the same alias list and the same iCloud+ capacity follow a person from a phone to a tablet, a Mac, a watch, a TV, a headset and the web. Neither the alias feature nor the storage tier is tied to one device family, and adding capacity does not mean a second purchase for a different platform.
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Frequently asked questions
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+.
What does extra storage cost per year?+
A terabyte of extra capacity runs $119.88 per year. That sits above the €82.87 median per terabyte across the brands compared and close to the €126.28 upper quartile, so heavier storage users pay at the dearer end of this market.
Which devices does one subscription cover?+
One account covers iOS, iPadOS and macOS, which spans phones, tablets, Macs, a headset, a TV, watches and the web. That breadth is the practical reason to hold the plan here rather than buy a separate tool for each device family, and it keeps alias forwarding settings in a single place.
Is mail from aliases end-to-end encrypted?+
No. Alias mail is not end-to-end encrypted, since Apple Inc. relays and forwards it, so an alias is not a fit for sensitive messages. Apple says it leaves relayed message content alone apart from standard spam filtering, and relay copies are cleared after delivery, usually within seconds.
Can the provider read what is stored?+
No. iCloud+ storage is not sealed so that only the account holder can read it, and the service works under Encryption and Data Protection. Buyers who need a provider that cannot open stored files should treat that as the deciding point rather than the price, because storage pricing here is competitive rather than cheap.
How do you get help?+
Support runs through phone, chat and help centre. That mix means a quick answer usually comes from the help centre, community boards handle the awkward cases, and phone and chat cover anything account specific. It is broader than a small independent tool can usually match on channels alone.
Who is the plan built for?+
The service is priced as free and budget, aimed at readers who want everyday privacy extras rather than a specialist security product. It fits households that already use an Apple Account and want aliases and a little extra storage from the same place, rather than separate subscriptions elsewhere.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters, Jurisdiction
“Founded April 1, 1976 ... in Los Altos, California, US”
- support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/security/secd8831e732/web checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Yearly price
“Screen Time is a built-in feature for seeing and managing how much time adults and their children spend on apps, websites and more.”
- support.apple.com/en-us/102548 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Logging policy
“Apple doesn't read or process any of the content in the email messages that pass through Hide My Email, except to perform standard spam filtering ... All email messages are deleted from our relay...”
- support.apple.com/en-us/102602 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Features, Owner
“iCloud Private Relay is designed to protect your privacy by ensuring that when you browse the web in Safari, no single party - not even Apple - can see both who you are and what sites you're visiting.”
- support.apple.com/en-us/102609 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Platforms
“It works on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, tvOS, and watchOS, and in any browser.”
- support.apple.com/en-us/105078 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Custom domains, End-to-end encryption, Free plan, Free plan limits
“the Hide My Email addresses created use the address domain @privaterelay.appleid.com”
- support.apple.com/en-us/108047 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free storage, Monthly price, Price per TB per year
“with 5 GB of storage for free”
- support.apple.com/en-us/108756 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Zero-knowledge encryption
“Advanced Data Protection for iCloud is an optional setting”
- support.apple.com/en-us/108806 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Features
“You can allow or block access to specific apps and websites, and adjust app and website protections, including Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse.”
- support.apple.com/guide/security/welcome/web checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Encryption
“Apple devices have encryption features to safeguard user data and enable remote wipe in the case of device theft or loss.”
- apple.com/contact checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Connect by phone or chat or find answers online.”
- apple.com/icloud checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity, Pricing model, Price from
“Copyright 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.”
- apple.com/privacy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Passkeys
“A passkey eliminates the need for a password by using a unique digital key that only works from the site or app it was created for... Passkeys are securely synced across Apple devices.”
Compiled from 13 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.