Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Many secure email providers set you up with an entirely new service, but that’s not the case with SecureMyEmail. As the name suggests, this encryption tool works with your existing email provider.
It works with any email address, including the market’s most popular providers, and software is available for Windows, Mac OS, iOS and Android – and there’s a free version of the product, too.
It sounds fantastic, but is SecureMyEmail just too good to be true?
SecureMyEmail: Plans and pricing
SecureMyEmail includes a free plan, which is an immediate boon – and when it comes to encryption and security, users on the free plan get the same benefits as people on the paid tiers.
The free product only works with one email address and only functions with Gmail.com, Yahoo.com or Microsoft accounts, like Outlook and Hotmail.
SecureMyEmail’s pricing is split by product rather than service tiers – because the parent company, Witopia, also offers a VPN and secure router.
If you want to use the secure email service, then it costs $3.99/£3.21 per month if you pay monthly or the equivalent of $2.49/£2 per month if you pay annually. That paid plan allows you to encrypt any email address and protects up to eight email addresses. A thirty-day free trial is also available.
But if you will use the secure email service along with a VPN, WiTopia’s bundle deal makes more sense: if you’re paying monthly it costs $12.99/£10.44 for both services, but sign up for a year and the total price of $59.88/£48.14 is temptingly low.
WiTopia’s own CloakBox Wi-Fi 6 router is custom-configured for users. It costs $299/£240.38 for the router and one year of VPN service, with 24-month pricing available and a super-fast CloakBox Pro version available for offices.
If that’s tempting, or if you need to deploy SecureMyEmail in a business setting, you’ll have to get in touch with WiTopia – they don’t have business tiers on the website because they build custom packages for customers. HIPAA and GDPR compliance add functionality here, too.
SecureMyEmail: Features
SecureMyEmail’s impressive encryption is built around asymmetrical encryption using OpenPGP and uses symmetrical encryption using the ChaCha20-Poly1305 cipher suite. That means you get an end-to-end service.
The service provides two end-to-end encryption options. The first, a standard offering, sends your messages via an “encrypted tunnel” to SecureMyEmail servers and then on to recipients.
The second, dubbed “Send Encrypted+”, encrypts your emails before they leave your device, with password protection required so the recipient can open the email. As well as being end-to-end, that second method is zero-knowledge, too.
More welcome security features are included with SecureMyMail. You can add digital signatures to your email to protect your identity, and you can sign your emails with unique, cryptographic keys – so recipients can securely identify your emails.
SecureMyEmail provides users with OpenPGP keys that you can use with this service or any others that support this method of encryption, and you can import your own PGP keys, regenerate keys, change your passphrase and its challenge intervals and give emails expiry dates.
If you invite others to use this service, you can build a contact list of secure contacts, even viewing reputation metrics to judge who is truly safe.
SecureMyEmail’s Windows, iOS, Android and Mac OS apps ensure good compatibility with virtually any system, and the company is based in Switzerland – so users benefit from robust privacy laws.
The only slight downside is that there’s no way to pay with cryptocurrencies or cash.
SecureMyEmail: Interface and in use
Those desktop and mobile apps are a good start for easy usage and compatibility, and they remain impressive when you start to use them.
Setup is easy: select your email provider, go through the process to authenticate SecureMyEmail for usage and access, and you’re good to go. Once that’s done, your inbox appears in the SecureMyEmail window, which means you’re ready to send and receive encrypted emails.
The interface is clean, straightforward and bold – it’s visually attractive, which is more than can be said for lots of secure email providers. Icons are clear, you can choose two- or three-pane designs, and there are light and dark themes to use and loads of settings to tweak. It’s all just as easy to use on mobile, too.
SecureMyEmail: Support
SecureMyEmail offers support through email – fill out a form on the website, and the company’s team will get back in touch. There’s a knowledge base online and a selection of FAQs revolving around setup, accounts, security and troubleshooting.
That’s it, though: there’s no sign of live chat and phone support, although SecureMyEmail’s website does promise dedicated support for larger business accounts.
SecureMyEmail: The competition
SecureMyEmail’s functionality – working with an existing email account – makes it arguably more helpful than many other secure email providers that provide an entirely new address.
Because SecureMyEmail is available as a bundle that includes a VPN, it competes directly with Proton Mail, which also includes a VPN product in certain tiers.
SecureMyEmail’s VPN bundle costs $12.99 if you pay monthly, which is the same as Proton, but if you pay annually then SecureMyEmail is much better value. A yearlong SecureMyEmail and VPN bundle costs $59.88, while Proton’s annual package for one user costs $119.88.
It must be noted, though, that with Proton you get cloud storage, a password manager, and a dedicated, separate email client. Proton also has better support, with live chat and phone support available.
SecureMyEmail: Final verdict
SecureMyEmail is an excellent choice if you want a secure email tool that works with your existing client – its encryption is excellent. Its versatile design, accessible interface and range of clients means it works with basically everything.
The free plan is a boon, too, and the VPN is a welcome addition, although if you need a dedicated email client or more support, look elsewhere.
We’ve featured the best email hosting providers.
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *