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Norway-based Runbox is one of the leading lights for secure email, with over twenty years of experience in the industry.
And it’s not just about secure email with Runbox, either: this provider also commits to sustainability, with 100% renewable energy from hydroelectric sources powering the business.
Runbox: Plans and pricing
Runbox has one of the more complicated pricing structures you’ll find when you search for a secure email provider, with six pricing tiers and further customizations beyond that. Pleasingly, it’s possible to pay with Bitcoin and even cash sent via postal or courier services.
The Micro plan costs $19.95/£15.98 per year and comes with one email domain, 2GB of email storage and 200MB of secure file storage. The $34.95/£27.99 Mini plan upgrades to 10GB of email storage and 1GB of file storage – and five email domains.
The Medium plan costs $49.95/£40 and upgrades to ten domains, 25GB of email storage and 2GB of file storage, and the Max plan costs $79.95/£64.04 and boosts email and file storage to 50GB and 5GB respectively. It’s possible to upgrade the Max plan to versions with even more storage, too: 100GB for $119.95/£96.08 annually or 250GB for $179.95/£144.14.
These main accounts include encryption, 100 email aliases, the ability to send and receive 500 and 5000 messages daily, and 100MB email message sizes.
Once you’ve purchased that main account, you can add subaccounts with their own email and file storage space, with prices ranging between $7.95/£6.37 and $99.95/£80.06 per year.
You can add extra email or file storage to any plan for $9.95/£7.97 per gigabyte, extra email hosting for $4.95/£3.96 per domain per year, and additional email aliases for $4.75/£3.80 for five addresses annually.
It’s a complicated system, especially if you’re buying for an organization and want to add domains, users, and more storage. If you start doing that, it may get expensive, too. And there are no industry-specific products and no division between personal and business plans. Instead, if you want something specific, it’s best to contact Runbox and work with their specialists to create a bespoke plan.
If you’re sticking with those base plans and not going further than that, though, Runbox has reasonable pricing – it usually works out cheaper than many rivals, especially before you get to the Max tier. And if you’re unsure, there’s a thirty-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee.
Runbox: Features
Currently, Runbox doesn’t have end-to-end encryption, so you’ll need to use a third-party PGP-based extension like Mailvelope if this is something you’d like to deploy. Happily, though, Runbox plans to introduce native PGP in its Runbox 7 client in the future, and the organization currently recommends deploying PGP to deliver the strongest possible encryption for your entire email process.
At the moment it’s possible to use the beta version of Runbox 7, too – when you sign in, you can choose between the stable Runbox 6 release and the beta version of Runbox 7.
Right now, Runbox fully encrypts emails with TLS/SSL security, and removes IP addresses from outgoing emails. You have to provide your name and an alternative email address, but you can easily avoid your real name and use a burner email address. Phone number provision is optional, too.
When you use Runbox webmail, every email you send or receive is encrypted during its journey between your device and Runbox’s services, and emails are encrypted during transfer if you use third-party clients.
Emails sent using third-party clients are not encrypted while stored on Runbox’s servers. However, those servers are housed in a secure facility in Oslo and protected by some of Europe’s strictest privacy laws. Runbox is also GDPR compliant.
IP address safelisting and two-factor authentication limit who can access your account, and Runbox has excellent spam and virus filters.
If you want to use Runbox with third-party email clients like Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird, it uses S/MIME encryption, which relies heavily on security certificates to provide its independent security verification. And if you want to set up a third-party client, Runbox works flawlessly with POP, IMAP and SMTP.
Elsewhere, it’s worth noting that some of your data will be held for up to five years if you pay for a Runbox subscription – this is to comply with Norweigan privacy laws. And much of Runbox is open source, too, with commitments from the organization to be even more open source in the future.
Beyond email, Runbox offers a secure calendar and cloud storage system, a complete contacts system, and easy ways to import contacts and emails to your account. But you don’t get any other extra features using Runbox – and if that’s something you need, then you can look at rivals like Proton or Mailbox.org, which offer VPNs, password managers and word processors.
And while it’s very easy to use Runbox using mobile browsers or in mobile email clients, there is no native Android or iOS app.
Runbox: Interface and in use
Indeed, the entire Runbox interface feels a little archaic, with underwhelming fonts and visuals. But that’s a surface-level criticism, and the interface layout is tidy and intuitive. It uses two- and three-pane layouts with customization available, and icons deliver easy access to your calendar, contacts and account settings.
Runbox: Support
Runbox’s support system is limited. Users can submit a ticket or email Runbox directly to receive technical support, and there’s an extensive knowledge base and a handy page that displays service status.
That’s it, though – there’s no sign of the live chat or phone support you’ll often find provided by larger organizations. That’s disappointing for businesses or anyone paying for one of the more expensive accounts.
The competition
That lack of support sees Runbox fall behind rivals like Mailbox.org or Hushmail, which offer varying phone and live chat support levels, especially at higher tiers. And if you want extra features, like a VPN and password management, check out Proton instead.
Runbox comes into its own when it comes to pure security, however. The service uses effective layers of protection, great security for its servers and an eco-friendly approach. Runbox is also refreshingly honest about its end-to-end encryption situation, providing straightforward advice if you want to deploy PGP, too.
Final verdict
That level-headed, eco-friendly approach to security is refreshing and trustworthy, and Runbox offers an excellent level of protection for virtually every user from its base in Norway. Thanks to its straightforward design, it’s easy to use and integrates with loads of third-party email clients.
The pricing can get confusing and expensive, though, and the support options are lacking. So while Runbox may be effective for individuals or smaller organizations, it’s tricky to recommend for any enterprise needing more robust support.
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