Tuta vs Mailfence: A Full Comparison Guide (2025)

Digital privacy and security are more important than ever. If you’re still relying on Gmail or other Google services, now is a good time to reconsider. That’s why we put together this Tuta vs Mailfence comparison guide to help you choose the right privacy-focused email provider.

Both Mailfence and Tuta emphasize encryption, data privacy, and freedom from Big Tech oversight. But which service offers the most practical value?

In this guide, we’ll examine how Tuta and Mailfence compare in terms of features, pricing, privacy protection, and overall user experience.

About Tuta and Mailfence

Tuta (formerly Tutanota) is a secure email service based in Germany. It encrypts all emails and contacts end‑to‑end and delivers a privacy‑respecting experience. While it offers an intuitive interface and strong security, its encryption uses a proprietary format, and it does not support OpenPGP.

Mailfence is a Belgium‑based secure collaboration suite that includes end‑to‑end encrypted email, calendar, contacts, and document storage. Its focus is on providing access to open standards such as OpenPGP for encryption, IMAP and POP connectivity, and more. Mailfence is designed for users who want secure communication, powerful collaborative tools, and interoperability.

Tuta vs Mailfence: Feature Comparison

Security & encryption

• Transport encryption (TLS):
  Both services use TLS to protect messages in transit.
• End‑to‑end encryption:
  • Tuta encrypts emails using its proprietary algorithm. This means that you can only use end-to-end encryption with other Tuta users.
  • Mailfence supports OpenPGP end‑to‑end encryption. Users can manage public and private keys, send and receive encrypted mail with anyone who uses OpenPGP, and use digital signatures. Relying on open standards means compatibility with other tools and full user control.
• Key recovery & encryption flexibility:
  • Mailfence allows key backup, key rotation, and multiple keys per user.
  • Tuta uses one key per user, proprietary and not exportable for use outside its system.

Summary: Both services offer strong encryption, but Mailfence’s OpenPGP support gives clear advantages in compatibility, control, and interoperability.

Collaboration & productivity tools

Mailfence

• Full suite of tools: includes mail, calendar, cloud storage, contacts, polls, and chat.
• Group features allow for easy collaboration across these various tools, such as:
  • Shared calendars & contacts: invite team members to collaborate, set permissions, and schedule securely.
  • Shared storage: securely store and share encrypted files.
  • Shared mailboxes: users can delegate mailboxes or act on behalf of others, which is ideal for teams.

Tuta

• Offers encrypted email, calendar, and contacts.
• No built‑in contact sharing, online storage, or shared mailboxes.
• Focused on sending private email, but lacks team collaboration tools.

Summary: Tuta is fine for individuals, but Mailfence excels for professionals, teams, and businesses needing secure collaboration tools in one interface.

Email comparison

Calendar comparison

Document comparison

At this stage, Tuta does not offer any cloud storage feature.

However, here are some of the features you can expect from Mailfence’s cloud storage (“Documents”) tool:

Contacts comparison

Jurisdiction

• Jurisdiction and independence:
  Tuta is German‑based, benefiting from strong EU privacy law. Mailfence is Belgium‑based and independently managed by ContactOffice Group, with no venture‑capital investment or advertising to influence policy.
  
• Data handling & compliance:
  Both are GDPR‑compliant and store data in secure EU data centres.

Summary: Both providers commit to strong privacy and are GDPR-compliant.

Open‑standards & portability

• OpenPGP support:
  • Mailfence fully supports OpenPGP. You can import/export keys, communicate with any OpenPGP user, and use third‑party tools like GPG or Thunderbird.
  • Tuta does not support OpenPGP. Instead, it uses a proprietary encryption format. Users cannot export keys for use outside the Tuta ecosystem.
    
• Interoperability:
  • Mailfence’s use of open standards makes it compatible with other services, apps, and workflows. The same is true for protocols such as IMAP, POP, WebDAV, CalDAV, etc., which let users synchronise their inboxes, calendars, etc. with third-party clients.
  • Tuta’s model locks users into its platform, with no IMAP/POP/SMTP access.

Summary: If you care about open standards, portability, future-proofing, and vendor independence, Mailfence is the clear choice. Tuta, by using proprietary encryption, limits you to its ecosystem.

Tuta vs Mailfence: Pricing & Plans

Both Tuta and Mailfence offer a free tier. However, you will quickly be limited in terms of features, which is why we always recommend you take a look at the premium plans. Plus, it’s a great way to support companies fighting for online privacy!

Tuta vs Mailfence: Which One is Right for You?

So, which service should you choose? This will depend on your needs.

Tuta offers a reliable encrypted email with an emphasis on post-quantum secure encryption, making it a strong option for users who prioritize simplicity and theoretical cryptographic resilience. However, it lacks support for open standards like OpenPGP and does not provide collaboration tools beyond basic email.

In contrast, Mailfence is a comprehensive, all-in-one communication and productivity platform. With built-in tools for email, calendars, contacts, tasks, and document storage, alongside full OpenPGP support, Mailfence delivers greater interoperability, transparency, and functionality for users who value privacy without sacrificing productivity.

Ready to take your privacy and cybersecurity to the next level? Create your Mailfence account today.