# Free alternatives to Fastmail

> Fastmail (Individual) costs $60 a year. Free alternatives: Stalwart and mailcow. Data checked 2026-10-17.

- Page: https://stoprenting.dev/apps/fastmail/
- Category: Email (https://stoprenting.dev/categories/email/)
- Vendor: Fastmail
- Plan: Individual
- Price: $5/month, $60/year
- Billing: monthly or yearly (24/36-month terms cheaper)
- Price quote from the vendor's page: "Individual 1 Premium email, contacts, and calendars, just for you. $6 per month Pay yearly and save $12 $5 per month $60 for 12 months"
- Price source: https://www.fastmail.com/pricing/ (checked 2026-10-17)

## Alternatives

### Stalwart

- Website: https://stalw.art
- Repository: https://github.com/stalwartlabs/stalwart (15,137 stars, last push 2026-10-15)
- License: AGPL-3.0 (+Stalwart Enterprise License for enterprise features)
- Open source: yes, OSI-approved license
- Type: server app
- Linux: self-hosted server; web UI
- Self-hostable: yes
- Note: Running a mail server needs a clean-IP VPS with port 25 open, deliverability is on you, and webmail is a separate install.
- More: https://stoprenting.dev/alternatives/stalwart/
- Checked: 2026-10-17

### mailcow

- Website: https://mailcow.email
- Repository: https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized (13,628 stars, last push 2026-10-15)
- License: GPL-3.0
- Open source: yes, OSI-approved license
- Type: server app
- Linux: self-hosted server; web UI
- Self-hostable: yes
- Note: Running a mail server needs a clean-IP VPS with port 25 open, and deliverability and spam filtering are on you.
- More: https://stoprenting.dev/alternatives/mailcow/
- Checked: 2026-10-17

## FAQ

### Is there a free alternative to Fastmail?

Yes. The 2 free alternatives are Stalwart (open source, AGPL-3.0) and mailcow (open source, GPL-3.0).

### How much does Fastmail cost?

Fastmail's Individual plan costs $5 a month, which is $60 a year (monthly or yearly (24/36-month terms cheaper)). Source: the official pricing page at fastmail.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.

### Which Fastmail alternatives run on Linux?

Stalwart (self-hosted server; web UI) and mailcow (self-hosted server; web UI).

### Can you self-host a Fastmail alternative?

Yes. Stalwart and mailcow run on your own server.

### Are these Fastmail alternatives open source?

Yes. All 2 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: Stalwart (AGPL-3.0) and mailcow (GPL-3.0).

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Source: Stop Renting (https://stoprenting.dev). Methodology: https://stoprenting.dev/methodology/