Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox

Compare Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office and Runbox on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: Gmail, Outlook.com

Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office

Switzerland· Email Services

Needs review

Shortlist Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office when you need Swiss-hosted custom-domain IMAP mail plus Open-Xchange calendars, Drive, and optional browser docs under Hostpoint AG—with Swiss human support and free mailbox migration. Skip when you require end-to-end zero-access mail (consider Proton Mail) or a full Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace admin stack; for another Swiss multi-product cloud suite, compare Infomaniak kMail.

Swiss-hosted mailCustom domain IMAPOpen-Xchange Cloud OfficeDrive + CalDAV/CardDAV7-day Swiss supportB2B DPA (GTC annex)

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Runbox

Norway· Email Services

Needs review

Shortlist Runbox when you need Norwegian/EEA-hosted IMAP email with custom domains, ad-free subscription economics, and standard clients. Skip when you require default zero-access E2EE—consider Proton Mail or Tuta instead—or when you need a full Microsoft 365-style suite.

Norwegian email hostingIMAP / POP / SMTPCustom domains100% renewable (claimed)Runbox 7 open sourceOptional PGP / S/MIME

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Highlighted rows differ between the two products.

Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox: Snapshot
Feature	Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office	Runbox
Country of origin	Switzerland	Norway
Category	Email Services	Email Services
Open source	No	Yes
Self-hosted	No	No
Headquarters	Switzerland	Norway
Legal entity	Hostpoint AG, Neue Jonastrasse 60, 8640 Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland	Runbox Solutions AS
Governing law	Not listed	Norwegian law; Personal Data Act implementing GDPR (EEA)
US parent / control	No known US parent	No known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Low	Medium
Hosting / residency	Primary: Hostpoint-operated servers and NetApp storage at Digital Realty (ex-Interxion) Glattbrugg, CH; Swiss e-mail/Drive residency claimed, dual backups, hourly snapshots. swiss hosting label (rankingCoach exception). Migration: Audriga (DE). Full public Sub-Processor List not found—DPA references list. Site analytics: Google Analytics, reCAPTCHA, Hotjar (not mailbox storage).	Core email and account content: servers in Oslo (StackInfra) under Norwegian jurisdiction; systems management Copyleft Solutions AS (Norway). Optional third parties per privacy policy: Stripe, PayPal, Coinbase (US payments); Enom (US domains); Gandi (FR); Domeneshop (NO); JaguarPC (US default web hosting, Norway option); NodePing (US, status page). No known US parent.
Summary	Swiss custom-domain email and Open-Xchange Cloud Office (calendar, Drive, docs) from Hostpoint AG, with mailboxes and data hosted in Switzerland.	Norwegian subscription email hosting from Runbox Solutions AS: Oslo-hosted IMAP mailboxes, custom domains, CalDAV/CardDAV, and optional PGP. Ad-free; not default zero-access.
Tags	swiss-hosting email cloud-office open-xchange custom-domain sme imap groupware productivity fadp	privacy email-hosting gdpr norway renewable-energy open-source-webmail

At a glance: Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox
At a glance	Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office	Runbox
HQ	Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland	Oslo, Norway
Legal entity	Hostpoint AG (CHE-101.974.997)	Runbox Solutions AS (orgnr 996877027)
Product	Custom-domain email + Cloud Office (Open-Xchange)	Not listed
Hosting	Hostpoint servers, Digital Realty Glattbrugg (CH)	Email: StackInfra Oslo; optional web hosting may default US
Self-host / OSS	Neither (managed SaaS)	Not listed
Commercial model	Paid per-mailbox tiers; domain required; no free tier	Paid subscription + trial (no permanent free tier)
Founded	Not listed	Service since 2000; current AS form 2011
Open source	Not listed	Partial (Runbox 7 web app); not self-hosted

Key capabilities: Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox
Key capabilities	Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office	Runbox
Swiss-hosted mail	Yes	Not listed
Custom domain IMAP	Yes	Not listed
Open-Xchange Cloud Office	Yes	Not listed
Drive + CalDAV/CardDAV	Yes	Not listed
7-day Swiss support	Yes	Not listed
B2B DPA (GTC annex)	Yes	Not listed
Norwegian email hosting	Not listed	Yes
IMAP / POP / SMTP	Not listed	Yes
Custom domains	Not listed	Yes
100% renewable (claimed)	Not listed	Yes
Runbox 7 open source	Not listed	Yes
Optional PGP / S/MIME	Not listed	Yes

Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office

Custom-domain mailboxes with IMAP and free migration
Each plan is one inbox on a domain you control (new or external), with webmail plus IMAP/POP3/SMTP, unlimited forwards, aliases, out-of-office replies, server-side search, and spam/virus filters. Hostpoint’s free migration path (including Audriga-assisted moves from Gmail, GMX, Bluewin, Yahoo, and other hosts) is designed so teams keep historical mail when leaving FreeMail. Requires a domain; not a freemail brand address.
Open-Xchange Cloud Office: calendar, contacts, tasks
Browser suite for multi-calendar scheduling, shared address books, tasks, and appointment booking with free/busy style team scheduling. CalDAV/CardDAV sync targets Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Calendar, and similar clients. Fits SMEs that want groupware next to IMAP without a full Microsoft 365 tenant.
Hostpoint Drive with desktop and mobile clients
Swiss-hosted file storage included per tier (upgradeable within product limits), with share links, e-mail shares, access controls, and local clients for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android (Open-Xchange-powered). Business tier adds managing shared folders in teams. This is conventional cloud storage under Hostpoint—not zero-knowledge Drive.
Browser documents and real-time collaboration (Plus/Business)
From Cloud Office Plus upward, edit text, spreadsheets, and presentations in the browser with Microsoft Office file compatibility, real-time multi-user editing, and version history. Basic is mail-plus-calendar oriented; teams that live in shared docs should shortlist Plus or Business rather than Basic.
Swiss ops: dual backups, monitoring, seven-day support
Product pages claim Swiss data location, 24/7 monitoring, DDoS protection, hourly snapshots, daily mail backups with tiered retention (longer on higher tiers), and backup copies in two locations. Support is Swiss-based Mon–Sun daytime via phone, e-mail, WhatsApp, and form—useful for SMEs that need humans, not only tickets.

Runbox

Norwegian-hosted IMAP email with full-disk encryption
Mailboxes live on servers Runbox places in a StackInfra facility in Oslo under Norwegian jurisdiction, with full-disk encryption at rest and TLS (including PFS) in transit. Access via IMAP, POP, SMTP, or Runbox 7 webmail suits teams that need standard clients rather than a proprietary-only app.
Custom domains, aliases, and multi-account admin
Host mail on your own domain, manage sub-accounts from a main account, and use many aliases on Runbox domains plus unlimited aliases on customer domains. Plus-addressing and filters help separate identities without running separate mailboxes.
CalDAV/CardDAV plus optional PGP or S/MIME
Integrated calendar and contacts sync over CalDAV and CardDAV with common desktop and mobile apps. End-to-end confidentiality is user-controlled via PGP or S/MIME—not zero-access by default—so operators can still index mail for search and scan for malware.
Ad-free, subscription-funded privacy model
Runbox states it does not show ads, does not use third-party trackers such as Google Analytics, and only scans messages for spam/virus protection—not advertising. Revenue is subscription-based with a public trial period, aligning incentives away from data-mining free mail.
Runbox 7 open-source webmail on hydropowered infra
The Runbox 7 web client is published on GitHub for inspection; the hosted server stack remains largely proprietary. Email infrastructure is advertised as 100% certified renewable electricity in Norway, with additional company offset claims—useful for sustainability procurement checklists.

Assurance & compliance: Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox
Assurance & compliance	Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office	Runbox
Independent security / no-logs audit	Not found No public third-party no-logs or product security audit PDF for Cloud Office located on official pages.	Not found Vendor claims minimal logging and short retention windows; no public independent audit report found
ISO 27001	Not found Company page describes the Glattbrugg data center as ISO- and FINMA-certified (facility). No Hostpoint-organization ISO 27001 certificate page found in this pass.	Not found No Runbox ISO 27001 certificate found on primary pages (power supplier ISO 14001 is environmental, not info-sec)
SOC 2 / SOC 3	Not found No public SOC 2/3 report for Hostpoint Cloud Office found.	Not found No public SOC 2/3 report located
GDPR / EU data protection	Vendor claimed Swiss FADP primary; privacy states GDPR may apply in some processing. EU representative: Hostpoint Limited, Malta. Swiss–EU adequacy eases transfers. Customer remains controller for hosted content.	Vendor claimed Norwegian entity; Personal Data Act implements GDPR; appointed DPO; privacy policy documents rights and retention
US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Partial EuropeanStack assessment: Swiss AG, no known US parent, Swiss product residency claims → relatively low ownership exposure vs US SaaS mail. Residual factors: US-listed Digital Realty facility owner (colocation), possible US-group tools on full subprocessor/marketing stack, privacy exceptional-transfer language. Not a clean bill; not legal advice.	Partial No known US parent; core email in Norway. Medium/partial because privacy policy lists US third parties (Stripe, PayPal, Coinbase, Enom, JaguarPC web hosting default, NodePing). Not legal advice.
Data processing agreement (B2B)	Vendor claimed Annex 2 DPA + TOMs published with web-hosting GTC PDF; sub-processor engagement rules and audit rights described. Confirm applicability to your E-Mail & Cloud Office order and obtain current Sub-Processor List.	Not found Processor DPA with Copyleft is mentioned; no public customer-facing B2B DPA template found—ask sales/support
EU AI Act	Not applicable Not an AI product.	Not applicable Email hosting product; vendor states no intrusive AI for ad profiling
swiss hosting label	Vendor claimed Company states Hostpoint bears the swiss hosting label (HQ + data location in Switzerland), with rankingCoach exceptions noted.	Not listed

Considerations & known limitations: Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office vs Runbox
Considerations & known limitations	Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office	Runbox
Not zero-access / E2E mail	Medium Standard hosted mail: provider can access mailbox content for operations, spam filtering, and legal process. Unsuitable if your threat model requires only client-held keys.	Not listed
Full subprocessor inventory not self-serve	Medium DPA references a Sub-Processor List and change notifications, but a complete public e-mail-path inventory was not found on the marketing site. Request it (and any US-group vendors) before procurement sign-off.	Not listed
Facility ISO/FINMA vs org certification	Low ISO/FINMA language on public pages refers to the data center facility. Do not treat that as a verified Hostpoint ISMS ISO 27001 without a certificate.	Not listed
Docs collaboration only on higher tiers	Low Browser Office documents and real-time collab start at Plus; team shared-folder management is Business-oriented. Basic is intentionally limited.	Not listed
Customer still owns backup duty	Low GTC state customers remain responsible for their own backups; Hostpoint packages are supplementary and do not guarantee zero data loss.	Not listed
Not default zero-access encryption	Not listed	Medium Unlike Proton/Tuta, Runbox can access stored mail for spam/virus scanning, indexing, and lawful process. Use PGP/S/MIME when E2EE is required.
US vendors on optional product paths	Not listed	Medium Payments (Stripe/PayPal/Coinbase), domain registrar Enom, and default JaguarPC web hosting introduce US processors. Keep web hosting in Norway and minimize US payment data if policy requires.
No public ISO 27001 / SOC 2 / independent audit	Not listed	Medium Assurance relies on vendor policy, Norwegian law, and facility claims. Regulated buyers may need NDA evidence or on-site questionnaire.
Partial open source only	Not listed	Low Runbox 7 webmail is open source; mail backend is proprietary SaaS—no self-host path.
Post-closure and backup retention	Not listed	Low Privacy policy defines multi-month content retention and backup windows after closure (and longer account-info retention for bookkeeping). Request immediate deletion if policy requires faster wipe.

Fit

Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office

Best fit when

Swiss SMEs and freelancers replacing FreeMail with branded @domain mailboxes
Teams that want IMAP mail plus shared calendars, contacts, and Drive in one Swiss panel
Buyers already using Hostpoint domains/hosting who want same-vendor mail and support
Organizations that prioritize Swiss data location messaging and Swiss daytime phone support
Migrators from Gmail/GMX/Bluewin who need an included mailbox migration path

Poor fit when

Security programs that require zero-access / E2E encrypted mail by default
Enterprises needing SSO/SCIM-centric identity and deep SaaS compliance tooling out of the box
Teams that only want free freemail without a domain or paid plan
Self-host or fully open-source groupware mandates
Buyers who need a published independent security audit report before shortlisting

Consider instead when

When: You need end-to-end encrypted, zero-access mail as the primary control
Consider: Proton Mail or Tuta
Hostpoint is conventional hosted Open-Xchange mail, not a zero-knowledge mailbox.
When: You want a broader Swiss cloud suite (kDrive, Swiss Meet, etc.) under one multi-product vendor
Consider: Infomaniak kMail
Compare suite breadth vs Hostpoint’s registrar/hosting + Cloud Office focus.
When: You need Microsoft/Google admin ecosystems, global collaboration defaults, or advanced DLP
Consider: Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
Trade Swiss-operator simplicity for global SaaS depth and US-group jurisdiction.
When: You want German privacy-oriented hosted mail with OpenPGP-centric workflows
Consider: mailbox.org or Mailfence
Different legal HQ and crypto posture; Hostpoint is Swiss SME groupware-first.

Runbox

Best fit when

Teams that want Oslo-hosted mailboxes under Runbox Solutions AS and Norwegian law, with full IMAP client freedom
Organizations needing custom domains, multi-account admin, and generous alias patterns without self-hosting an MTA
Buyers who prioritize subscription-funded, ad-free email over free ad-supported Gmail/Outlook tiers
Procurement that values renewable-energy data-center claims and Ethical Consumer Best Buy style ESG signals
Users comfortable managing optional PGP/S/MIME when message-level E2EE is needed for specific threads

Poor fit when

Requirements for default zero-access encryption where the provider cannot read mailbox content (prefer Proton Mail or Tuta)
Need for a fully self-hosted or fully open-source mail server stack
Heavy dependence on Microsoft 365 collaboration (Teams, SharePoint, advanced Exchange) rather than plain email hosting
Mandatory public ISO 27001 or SOC 2 evidence before shortlist—none found on public Runbox pages in this research pass
Optional product paths (default US web hosting via JaguarPC) when a strict no-US-vendor rule covers every SKU

Consider instead when

When: You need default end-to-end / zero-access encryption for all messages
Consider: Proton Mail or Tuta
Runbox uses optional PGP/S/MIME; operator can access stored mail for filtering and lawful process
When: You want a German privacy-oriented host with similar sustainability positioning
Consider: Posteo
Compare jurisdiction (DE vs NO), domain limits, and feature depth
When: You need Belgian email with integrated collaboration extras
Consider: Mailfence
Different encryption defaults and product scope
When: You need global free-tier convenience and suite lock-in
Consider: Gmail or Outlook.com / Microsoft 365
Accept US jurisdiction and ad/suite economics tradeoffs

Open questions for due diligence

Hostpoint E-Mail & Cloud Office

What is the current Sub-Processor List for E-Mail & Cloud Office (including spam/AV engines, backup tooling, Audriga, any CDN)?
Does your contract package explicitly attach the web-hosting DPA annex to standalone Cloud Office mailboxes?
Any US-group processors in the live list that would change a CLOUD Act or transfer assessment?
Is there a customer-facing ISO/SOC report for Hostpoint operations beyond data-center facility claims?
Data residency guarantees in writing for dual backup locations (both fully in Switzerland)?

Runbox

Will Runbox sign a customer-facing B2B DPA listing all subprocessors for your tenant configuration?
Can optional web hosting and domain registration be restricted to EEA-only providers for your account?
Is any independent penetration test or SOC/ISO report available under NDA?
What is the current employee ownership share and any non-EU shareholding since the 2018 figure on the About page?
Confirm backup geography (privacy policy: secure servers separate from main system—are they also Norway-only?)