Compare RAIDBOXES Emails and web.de on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.
Both listed as alternatives to: Gmail
Germany· Email Services
Needs review
Shortlist when you already (or will) host the domain and WordPress stack at RAIDBOXES and need practical multi-mailbox domain email under a German operator with an online DPA. Skip when you need multi-domain density, default E2EE, or email fully independent of a hoster—consider Migadu, Tuta, Posteo, or mailbox.org instead.
Germany· Email Services
Needs review
Shortlist web.de when you need mass-market German freemail with DE-sited mail/cloud, E-Mail made in Germany TLS alliance markers, optional PGP/2FA, and a familiar DACH portal. Skip when you need default E2EE, no advertising data path, self-host, or enterprise admin—consider Posteo, mailbox.org, Tuta, or Proton Mail instead.
Highlighted rows differ between the two products.
| Feature | RAIDBOXES Emails | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany | Germany |
| Category | Email Services | Email Services |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hosted | No | No |
| Headquarters | Germany | Germany |
| Legal entity | Raidboxes GmbH, Hafenstraße 32, 48153 Münster (Amtsgericht Münster HRB 16184) | 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH (United Internet AG group) |
| Governing law | German law (company domicile Münster) | Germany / EU GDPR |
| US parent / control | No known US parent | No known US parent |
| CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Medium | Low |
| Hosting / residency | Email: vendor claims exclusive German data centres and first-party Mail Hosting 2.0 infrastructure (IMAP/SMTP on securemail.pro hostnames); privacy policy still names Heinlein Hosting/mailbox.org under paid email boxes (possible legacy lag). Platform/website: AWS EMEA SARL and DigitalOcean listed for web hosting of the online offer; US-group SaaS includes Intercom, Calendly, Chargebee, Sentry, Google analytics/ads, Mailgun, and others for support, billing, and marketing. | Vendor claims email and Online-Speicher stored exclusively in Germany in company-owned data centers (E-Mail/Cloud made in Germany). FreeMail monetized via advertising and IAB TCF consent partners; privacy notice allows EEA third-country transfers with Chapter V safeguards. Portal/optional features use additional processors (e.g. search partners, embeds, homepage builder DUDA Inc., ID vendors). No exhaustive public mail-stack subprocessor list found. |
| Summary | German domain email hosting from Raidboxes GmbH (Münster): Mail Hosting 2.0 with IMAP/SMTP, multi-mailbox plans, optional PGP, and dashboard fit for WordPress agencies—domain must be hosted at RAIDBOXES. | German freemail and portal from United Internet’s 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH: FreeMail with DE-sited mail and cloud, E-Mail made in Germany TLS alliance, optional PGP—consumer SaaS, not default-E2EE privacy mail. |
| Tags |
| At a glance | RAIDBOXES Emails | |
|---|---|---|
| HQ | Münster, Germany | Not listed |
| Legal entity | Raidboxes GmbH (HRB 16184) | Not listed |
| Group | team.blue (Belgium) since 2022 | Not listed |
| Product | Mail Hosting 2.0 domain email | Not listed |
| Access | IMAP / SMTP + webmail | Not listed |
| Domain constraint | Domain hosted at RAIDBOXES for new mailboxes | Not listed |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hosted | No | Not listed |
| HQ / operator | Not listed | 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH, Montabaur/Karlsruhe, Germany |
| Parent group | Not listed | United Internet AG (Germany) |
| Product type | Not listed | Consumer freemail + portal + cloud (SaaS) |
| Hosting (vendor claim) | Not listed | Company-owned data centers in Germany |
| Self-host | Not listed | No |
| Commercial model | Not listed | Ad-supported FreeMail; paid mailbox/cloud upgrades; Consent or Pay |
| Key capabilities | RAIDBOXES Emails | |
|---|---|---|
| German operator | Yes | Not listed |
| IMAP / SMTP | Yes | Not listed |
| Mail Hosting 2.0 | Yes | Not listed |
| Online DPA | Yes | Not listed |
| WordPress-adjacent | Yes | Not listed |
| Optional PGP | Yes | Not listed |
| DE-operated freemail | Not listed | Yes |
| E-Mail made in Germany | Not listed | Yes |
| Germany data centers (claimed) | Not listed | Yes |
| Optional PGP | Not listed | Yes |
| FreeMail + paid upgrades | Not listed | Yes |
| SaaS only | Not listed | Yes |
Mail Hosting 2.0 on RAIDBOXES infrastructure
IMAP/SMTP mailboxes on dedicated hostnames (mail-rb.securemail.pro / smtp-rb.securemail.pro) after the move off the prior mailbox.org cooperation. Vendor claims German data-centre locations and triple-redundant mail servers. Best for teams that want domain mail under the same German WordPress host rather than a separate privacy-mail brand.
Multi-mailbox plans with aliases, forwards, and catch-all
Tiered plans allocate a fixed number of mailboxes and a shared storage pool, plus per-mailbox alias and forwarding quotas, autoresponders, and catch-all (requires a dedicated catch-all mailbox). One connected domain per plan—confirm multi-domain needs before shortlisting.
Spam/virus filters, TLS, optional PGP, ad-free inboxes
All plans include spam and virus filtering, SSL/TLS for transfer, a blacklist checker, webmail, and ad-free inboxes. PGP is optional rather than default end-to-end encryption for every message—teams that need mandatory E2EE workflows should evaluate Tuta or a full mailbox.org stack instead.
Dashboard-adjacent domain and WordPress ops
Mailboxes are ordered from the RAIDBOXES dashboard and are intended to sit next to WordPress hosting and domain management. New RAIDBOXES mailboxes require the domain to be hosted with RAIDBOXES; legacy mailbox.org-linked domains follow a separate migration path documented in the help centre.
Online B2B DPA and German operator
Raidboxes GmbH (Münster) offers an online data processing agreement (AV contract) with technical-organisational measures. Useful for agencies that already sign a DPA for WordPress hosting and want the same counterparty for domain email—still review TOMs and subprocessor scope for mailbox vs platform tooling.
E-Mail made in Germany alliance transport
Founding member of the German provider alliance (WEB.DE, GMX, 1&1, STRATO, T-Online, freenet). TLS on paths inside the alliance, mail stored in Germany, and green checkmarks on alliance addresses in the compose UI. Does not encrypt content to non-alliance or non-PGP recipients end-to-end by default.
FreeMail + paid upgrades with intelligent inbox
Ad-supported FreeMail with integrated calendar, contacts, and Online-Speicher. Intelligent inbox categorizes newsletters, orders, social, and contracts/subscriptions without duplicating messages; optional package tracking via DHL, DPD, and GLS when consented. Paid tiers expand quotas and reduce ad/tracking friction under Consent or Pay.
Optional PGP and free 2FA
Optional PGP end-to-end encryption for sensitive mail (both parties need keys/compatible clients). Optional free two-factor authentication for account login. Baseline mailbox protection relies on account credentials, spam/virus filters, and TLS—not default E2EE for every message.
Cloud made in Germany Online-Speicher
Mailbox-integrated cloud with browser, app, and desktop access; link sharing and Online Office for documents. Vendor claims exclusive German data-center storage and TLS in transit under Cloud made in Germany. Free tier includes a starter cloud quota; larger capacities are paid add-ons. Not a full Google Drive/OneDrive collab suite.
German consumer portal on the same identity
News, services, WEB.Cent cashback, and optional Deutsche Post letter preview sit beside mail. Useful for personal DACH users; increases advertising and partner surface versus a pure mailbox product. Portal embeds and partners are consent-gated where required.
| Assurance & compliance | RAIDBOXES Emails | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent security / no-logs audit | Not found No public third-party security or no-logs audit report found for RAIDBOXES Emails on primary pages. | Not found No public independent no-logs or full security audit package found for FreeMail; alliance pages claim oversight by data-protection function and independent Prüfstellen at a high level only. |
| ISO 27001 | Not found No company-wide ISO 27001 certificate for Raidboxes GmbH found on product/security pages; AWS region ISO mentions are not RAIDBOXES certs. | Not found No public ISO 27001 certificate page located for the web.de freemail product during research. |
| SOC 2 / SOC 3 | Not found No public SOC 2/3 report located for RAIDBOXES Emails. | Not found No public SOC 2/3 report found for web.de FreeMail. |
| GDPR / EU data protection | Vendor claimed German controller (Raidboxes GmbH); product claims DE server locations and GDPR-aligned deletion; online DPA available. Confirm active mail stack vs privacy-policy mailbox.org listing. | Vendor claimed German controller (1&1 Mail & Media GmbH); detailed GDPR privacy notice; DE storage claims for mail/cloud. Not a legal certification. |
| US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Partial EU/German entity, no known US parent (team.blue BE group). Medium residual exposure via US-group platform subprocessors (AWS/DigitalOcean for online offer hosting; Intercom, Chargebee, Google tooling, Mailgun, etc.). Mail content path claimed DE-only. Not legal advice. | Partial EU/German entity and parent; no known US parent; mail/cloud claimed on company-owned DE data centers. Partial because privacy notice allows third-country transfers with safeguards, FreeMail uses ad/TCF partners, and no exhaustive public subprocessor inventory. Not legal advice. |
| Data processing agreement (B2B) | Vendor claimed Online AV/DPA flow at raidboxes.io/en/dpa/ and DocuSign TOM path documented in help centre. | Not found Consumer freemail focus; no clear self-serve public B2B DPA for FreeMail found. Request under contract if treating as processor for an organization. |
| EU AI Act | Not applicable Domain email hosting product, not an AI system offering. | Not applicable Consumer mail/portal with limited in-product assistants; not an AI-centric product for this checklist. |
| B Corp certification | Vendor claimed Raidboxes GmbH listed as Certified B Corporation on B Lab directory; impact certification, not an information-security audit. | Not listed |
| Considerations & known limitations | RAIDBOXES Emails | |
|---|---|---|
| Domain must be hosted at RAIDBOXES | Medium New mailboxes require the domain on RAIDBOXES. That is convenient for WP customers and a lock-in factor if you only wanted independent mail. | Not listed |
| One connected domain per plan | Medium Multi-domain operators need multiple plans or another provider; not a Migadu-style multi-domain account model. | Not listed |
| PGP optional, not default E2EE | Medium Threat models that assume provider-side unreadability by default are a better fit for Tuta or similar products. | Not listed |
| US-group platform subprocessors | Medium Privacy policy discloses AWS EMEA, DigitalOcean, Intercom, Chargebee, Google tools, Mailgun, and others for website/support/billing/marketing—even while email marketing claims German mail servers. Scope diligence to mailbox vs platform data paths. | Not listed |
| Privacy policy may lag Mail Hosting 2.0 | Low §Email box still lists mailbox.org/Heinlein while marketing claims first-party hosting—confirm live stack and subprocessor annex for your contract. | Not listed |
| No public ISO/SOC/mail audit | Medium B Corp is not a security certification. Enterprise security questionnaires may need NDA materials or alternative providers with published audits. | Not listed |
| Ad-financed FreeMail and consent surface | Not listed | Medium FreeMail uses advertising and Consent or Pay. With consent, content may feed interest profiles; FreeMail users cannot drop WEB.DE informiert like paid tiers. Unsuitable where ad-tech processors are banned. |
| No default end-to-end encryption | Not listed | Medium TLS and alliance transport protection are not content E2EE. Optional PGP only covers willing counterparties. Operator can process plaintext for spam, intelligent inbox, and consented ad analysis. |
| Limited public audit/cert artifacts | Not listed | Medium ISO 27001, SOC 2, and independent no-logs audits not found on public product pages. Trust rests on German entity, DE hosting claims, and first-party security copy. |
| Third-country transfers and portal partners | Not listed | Low Privacy notice contemplates non-EEA recipients under Chapter V safeguards. Portal/search/ID/ad features introduce extra processors beyond the mailbox DC story—review consent layer and purpose before sensitive use. |
| FreeMail inactivity content deletion | Not listed | Low Privacy notice: FreeMail email content may be deleted after more than 180 days without login. Not a durable archive without activity or export. |
When: You need multi-domain, usage-based professional mail without WordPress host lock-in
Consider: Migadu
Swiss-operated, standards-based hosting priced by quotas rather than per-domain WordPress adjacency
When: You need default E2EE and a privacy-first client model
Consider: Tuta
Different threat model; less IMAP flexibility than RAIDBOXES
When: You want privacy-oriented German personal/business mail without hosting coupling
Consider: Posteo or mailbox (formerly mailbox.org)
mailbox is also the former RAIDBOXES mail partner and a deeper digital-workplace option
When: You need Google/Microsoft suite collaboration, not just domain mailboxes
Consider: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
US Big Tech residency and CLOUD Act profile differ sharply—use only if suite features dominate
When: You need default E2EE and a privacy-first paid mailbox
Consider: Tuta or Proton Mail
web.de PGP is optional and counterpart-dependent; FreeMail is ad-financed.
When: You want ad-free German/EU mail with strong consumer privacy posture and paid model only
Consider: Posteo or mailbox.org
Less portal monetization; clearer privacy-first product framing than mass freemail.
When: You prefer the same United Internet Mail & Media stack under another brand
Consider: GMX Mail
Nearly aligned trust and capability story; brand and portal mix differ.
When: You need Google/Microsoft-class workspace collab and enterprise compliance packs
Consider: Gmail (Google Workspace) or Outlook.com / Microsoft 365
Trade DE freemail residency story for US-group platforms and deeper admin tooling.