~/tools/aliases
Alias Services
last updated 2026-08-02 · 2 recommendations · what changed
Email aliasing lets you give every signup a unique, disposable forwarding
address instead of your real one. A leak becomes traceable to one
specific site and instantly revocable: kill the alias and the spam,
the breach fallout, or the data broker feed all stop at the source.
before you pick
Several email providers already prepackage this feature: Proton Mail's paid
plans and StartMail's unlimited built-in aliases both ship aliasing for free
inside the inbox (see
Email Providers).
A standalone alias service earns its keep when your primary email provider
doesn't already include one, or when you want aliasing decoupled from
whichever inbox you're using this year.
what actually matters
per-alias revocation
One bad alias should be killable in one click without touching any other alias or your real address.
custom domain support
Aliasing on a domain you own means you're not dependent on the provider's shared domain staying off blocklists, or the provider at all.
reply-from-alias
Replying through the alias keeps your real address hidden from the other side of the conversation, not just the inbound leg.
open source / self-hosting
Forwarding is a small, auditable job. Open code and a self-host option mean the service can outlive the company running it.
recommendations
SimpleLogin
the default pick
open sourceself-hostablereply-from-aliasbrowser extensionfree tier
SimpleLogin is now owned by Proton but still operating
semi-independently: separate apps, separate branding, its own free
tier. The browser extension creates an alias in one click at the exact
moment a site asks for an email, replies go out through the alias
automatically, and the whole thing is open source and self-hostable if
you'd rather run it yourself. It gets a passing mention on the
Email Providers page as part of the
Proton bundle; this is its full write-up.
good
- Open source clients and server; self-hostable
- Reply-from-alias keeps your real address out of the conversation entirely
- Browser extension makes alias creation a one-click habit
- Usable free tier; subscription is now unified with Proton Pass Plus, each includes the other's features
mind the
- Now Proton-owned: independent today, worth watching long-term
- Custom domains require a paid plan
- Free tier caps active aliases
Addy.io
the independent pick
open sourceself-hostablereply-from-aliasbrowser extensionfree tier
Addy.io (formerly AnonAddy) has the same core feature set as SimpleLogin
(reply-from-alias, custom domains, browser extension), but with
no Proton ownership in the picture. Reach for it if
you'd rather keep your alias provider and your email provider completely
unrelated, or if you're already deep in the Proton ecosystem and want a
second, unconnected vendor for this specific job.
good
- Fully open source and self-hostable
- Independent of Proton or any larger suite
- Reply-from-alias and custom domains, including on the free tier's limits
- Competitive pricing on paid tiers
mind the
- Smaller team than SimpleLogin/Proton: fewer hands on support
- Browser extension and mobile apps are less polished
- Free tier alias cap is fairly low
at a glance
prices are ballpark rates, check the provider before you commit.
worth knowing
Pair aliasing with your password manager. Store the alias
right next to the password for that site in your
password manager, so when a breach
notification arrives, you'll know exactly which alias to kill instead of
guessing.
Have a recovery-email strategy before you lean on aliases hard.
Account recovery flows sometimes choke on alias addresses, and an alias
service going down shouldn't double as a way to lose access to everything
tied to it. Keep at least one stable, non-aliased recovery address on file.
Aliasing isn't anonymity. The alias hides your address from
the site you signed up with; it doesn't hide your IP, your payment details,
or your identity from the alias provider itself. Pick the threat model
accordingly.