The best Addy.io alternative
Addy.io (formerly AnonAddy) is a popular open-source alias service. But it lacks server-side encryption, sender-risk monitoring, and the zero-knowledge privacy model that EmailAlias provides.
Why users switch from Addy.io to EmailAlias
Zero-Knowledge by Design
Addy.io processes and stores email metadata in plaintext. EmailAlias was built from the ground up with a zero-knowledge architecture — we never see, read, or store the content of your forwarded emails.
Built-In Sender Risk Detection
Addy.io doesn't score incoming senders for phishing risk. EmailAlias runs continuous exposure-intelligence scoring on every forwarded message — sketchy TLDs, typosquatting, phishing keyword patterns — and alerts you the moment a high-risk sender hits one of your aliases.
AES-256 Encrypted Storage
Every piece of alias metadata stored in our database — mappings, labels, domains — is encrypted with AES-256. Addy.io stores this data unencrypted, which means a database compromise exposes everything.
Simpler, Modern UX
EmailAlias offers a clean, modern dashboard with one-click alias management, visual analytics, and a streamlined setup process. No self-hosting required, no complex configuration — just sign up and start protecting your email.
Feature comparison
A fair note about Addy.io
Addy.io is open-source and supports self-hosting, which is great for users who want full server control. It also supports GPG/OpenPGP encryption for email content. EmailAlias focuses on a managed, zero-knowledge approach where encryption happens automatically without requiring users to manage PGP keys.
Pricing side-by-side
Addy.io runs three tiers (Free, Lite, Pro); EmailAlias runs two (Free, Premium). At the paid tier, Addy.io Pro and EmailAlias Premium hit the same $4/mo monthly price — but their yearly discounts and feature mix differ.
Free plan
Paid plan
Competitor pricing reflects publicly listed tiers and may change — verify on the provider's site before switching.
How to switch from Addy.io in 5 steps
Most users can cut over in under 15 minutes. Custom-domain users have it even easier — change MX records once and both inbound paths converge.
- 1
Create your EmailAlias account
Sign up at emailalias.io with the same destination inbox you use today. Premium starts with a 7-day free trial — you'll need it active to add custom domains.
- 2
Export your Addy.io alias list
Open Addy.io → Settings → Data export and grab the JSON. Keep a copy of which alias was handed to which service — that's the mapping you'll re-create.
- 3
Re-create the aliases on EmailAlias
If you used Addy.io's shared domains (anonaddy.me, addy.io, etc.), mint a fresh alias on @emailalias.io for each service. If you used a custom domain, add the domain to EmailAlias, verify DNS (SPF + DKIM + DMARC), and re-create the same local-parts so the addresses keep working without anyone learning a new address.
- 4
Update your forwarding recipients
Confirm your destination inbox is verified in EmailAlias. Premium supports unlimited verified recipients — re-add each one you used in Addy.io. Send a test email to a new alias and check it lands.
- 5
Cut over and retire Addy.io
For each high-value service, update the contact email from the old Addy.io alias to the new EmailAlias one. Leave Addy.io forwarding active for 2–4 weeks as a safety net, then disable aliases there (or shut down your self-hosted instance) once nothing's arriving.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we get most often from people moving over from Addy.io.
Can I move my aliases between providers?
Aliases on a shared provider domain (e.g. @emailalias.io) aren't portable — they live on our domain and stay with us. Aliases on a custom domain (yourdomain.com) are fully portable: you keep the domain, point its MX records at a new provider, re-create the same local-parts on their side, and the addresses keep working — provided the new provider supports custom local-parts (most do; some only issue random codes). Custom domains are a Premium feature on EmailAlias, but for anyone who plans to use aliases long-term, it's vendor-independence insurance worth having.
What does Premium include?
Unlimited aliases, up to 5 custom domains, unlimited verified forwarding inboxes (so each alias can route to the right mailbox), send & reply from any alias, real-time leak detection with exposure analytics, and priority processing — all for $4/month or $35/year (save 27%).
What happens if a service I signed up for gets breached?
Because each service has its own unique alias, you'll know exactly which service leaked your data — when spam or phishing hits that alias, the source is obvious. Our exposure intelligence engine also flags suspicious senders in real time. Disable the affected alias and your real email stays safe.
Is EmailAlias open source like Addy.io?
No — EmailAlias is closed-source, hosted SaaS. Addy.io's big draw for some users is its open-source codebase (formerly AnonAddy) and the option to self-host the whole stack. EmailAlias optimizes for a different trade-off: a fully managed service with sender-risk scoring, exposure intelligence, and a curated dashboard out of the box. If self-hosting is a hard requirement, stay on Addy.io; if you want zero-ops privacy with leak detection bundled in, switch.
Can I self-host EmailAlias?
No. EmailAlias runs on a managed multi-tenant pipeline (AWS SES inbound + outbound, Redis-backed workers, encrypted-at-rest metadata) and we don't publish a self-hosting distribution. If you need on-prem control specifically, Addy.io's self-hosted release is the better fit. If you want the privacy without the ops burden, EmailAlias delivers it as SaaS.
Does EmailAlias support GPG/OpenPGP encryption like Addy.io?
Not today. Addy.io supports per-recipient OpenPGP so the forwarded message is encrypted to your key before it lands in your inbox. EmailAlias relies on TLS in transit and encrypted-at-rest metadata, plus optional sender-risk scoring — but the body that lands in your real inbox is not PGP-encrypted. If end-to-end PGP between alias and inbox is a hard requirement, Addy.io is the better fit.
Can I migrate my existing Addy.io aliases?
Yes, with one caveat. Aliases on Addy.io's shared domains (anonaddy.me, addy.io, etc.) can't be ported — those addresses live on their domain. But if you used a custom domain with Addy.io, you can move it to EmailAlias by repointing MX records, re-creating the same local-parts on our side, and the addresses keep working without any sender learning a new address. Shared-domain aliases need to be re-issued as fresh @emailalias.io addresses.
More questions? See the full FAQ.
Encryption without the complexity
No self-hosting, no PGP key management, no configuration files. Just encrypted aliases that work. Try EmailAlias free for 7 days.