Posteo: Encrypted Email That Plays Well with Standards
General Overview
Posteo is a privacy-focused email service based in Germany that doesn’t try to reinvent email — it just makes it safer. It uses existing standards like IMAP, SMTP, and WebDAV, so users can stick with familiar clients like Thunderbird, Outlook, or mobile mail apps. What sets it apart isn’t features, but policies: zero tracking, no ads, and full encryption at rest.
Posteo doesn’t require personal information to register. Payments can be made anonymously. And all email, contacts, and calendars are stored encrypted on disk — including metadata. The result is a system that feels like using regular email, but with a lot less risk.
Unlike some closed platforms, Posteo doesn’t trap users in its own UI. It respects open protocols and gives control back to the user. For sysadmins, this means fewer surprises. For privacy-focused teams, it means email that doesn’t leak anything quietly in the background.
Capabilities and Features
| Feature | Details |
| IMAP & SMTP Support | Works with all standard email clients |
| Encrypted Storage | Mail, address books, and calendars encrypted at filesystem level |
| WebDAV Calendar/Contacts | Syncs with calendar and contacts using open protocols |
| Anonymous Signup | No name or phone number required to register |
| DNSSEC & DANE | Supports domain-level cryptographic verification (internal only) |
| TLS Everywhere | Enforced encryption for all incoming/outgoing traffic |
| OpenPGP Integration | Manual or auto-encryption with optional in-browser tools |
| No Ads, No Logging | Clean web interface, no telemetry or marketing tracking |
| Green Hosting | Servers run on renewable energy; located entirely in Germany |
| Independent Infrastructure | Not reliant on AWS, Google, or Microsoft services |
Deployment Notes
– Mail access via IMAP (port 993) and SMTP (port 587 with STARTTLS)
– Webmail client runs in any modern browser (no JavaScript-based tracking)
– No mobile app; use with built-in email clients or open-source apps like K-9 Mail
– WebDAV available for calendars and address books; integrates with Evolution, DAVx⁵, Thunderbird
– OpenPGP works via client-side plugins (Enigmail, GPG) or browser-based encrypt/decrypt
– Payment via PayPal, credit card, bank transfer — anonymous possible with cash or voucher
– No admin panel or team view — designed for individuals, not enterprise deployment
Usage Scenarios
– Journalists or researchers needing a legally protected EU-based email host
– Personal use by individuals who don’t trust mainstream providers
– Teams using Thunderbird with PGP and looking for reliable, encrypted back-end
– NGO or activist communication where registration anonymity is essential
– Freelancers who want a low-cost mailbox without surrendering metadata
– Long-term mailbox hosting without vendor lock-in or surprise price hikes
Limitations
– No web UI encryption of message body — relies on client-side PGP or S/MIME
– Lacks group mailboxes, aliases management, or forwarding rules for teams
– No mobile app; setup requires manual configuration in third-party clients
– No calendar sharing between users (WebDAV only, no CalDAV delegation)
– Doesn’t offer backup or restore tools — that’s on the user
Comparison Table
| Tool | Focus | Compared to Posteo |
| Tutanota | Fully encrypted ecosystem | More integrated encryption, but lacks IMAP and client flexibility |
| Proton Mail | Privacy-first email service | Feature-rich and slicker UI, but more centralized |
| mailbox.org | Secure mail + office suite | Broader features, less strict on registration anonymity |
| Gmail | Cloud convenience | Easier to use, but vastly different privacy and metadata practices |
| Runbox | Secure mail with open ethos | Similar values; Posteo is more minimal and less configurable |
