{"id":374,"date":"2026-09-16T11:37:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/?p=374"},"modified":"2026-09-16T11:38:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:08:00","slug":"protonmail-email-alias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/protonmail-email-alias\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a ProtonMail Email Alias (All 4 Methods)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-tldr\">\n  <p class=\"post-tldr__title\">The short version<\/p>\n  <ul>\n    <li><strong>Proton gives you four different kinds of alias.<\/strong> Plus\/tag addresses (free, instant), extra Proton addresses (paid), hide-my-email aliases (free-ish, the real privacy alias), and custom-domain addresses (paid).<\/li>\n    <li><strong>For actual privacy, use hide-my-email aliases<\/strong> \u2014 randomly generated forwarding addresses that hide your real one. Plus addresses are convenient but reveal your true username.<\/li>\n    <li><strong>The catch is the ecosystem:<\/strong> Proton&#8217;s aliases forward into a Proton mailbox. If you don&#8217;t want to move to Proton, a standalone alias service gives you the same protection on top of the inbox you already use.<\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Proton Mail is one of the most privacy-respecting email providers around, and it has genuinely good alias tools built in \u2014 but &#8220;how do I make an alias?&#8221; has four different answers in Proton, and they&#8217;re easy to confuse. This guide shows you how to create a ProtonMail email alias every way the platform offers, exactly when to use each, and what each costs, so you pick the right one instead of the first one you find. Whether you want a throwaway address for a signup or a whole second identity, there&#8217;s a Proton method for it, and we&#8217;ll walk through all four with steps.<\/p>\n\n<nav class=\"post-toc\" aria-label=\"Table of contents\">\n  <h2 class=\"post-toc__title\">Table of contents<\/h2>\n  <ol class=\"post-toc__list\">\n    <li><a href=\"#what-counts\">What counts as a ProtonMail email alias?<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#method-plus\">Method 1: Plus (tag) addresses \u2014 free and instant<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#method-address\">Method 2: Additional Proton addresses<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#method-hide\">Method 3: Hide-my-email aliases \u2014 the real privacy alias<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#method-domain\">Method 4: Custom-domain addresses<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#which-method\">Which ProtonMail email alias method should you use?<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#managing\">Managing and disabling your aliases<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#plans\">Proton plans and alias limits<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#tips\">Tips for getting the most from Proton aliases<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#limitations\">Limitations of a ProtonMail email alias<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#any-inbox\">Getting aliases without moving to Proton<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n  <\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-counts\">What Counts as a ProtonMail Email Alias?<\/h2>\n<p>Before the steps, it&#8217;s worth clearing up the terminology, because &#8220;alias&#8221; gets used loosely and Proton actually offers four distinct things under that umbrella. Each is a way to receive mail at an address that isn&#8217;t your main one, but they differ hugely in privacy and effort. When people ask how to set up a ProtonMail email alias, they usually mean one specific method without realising the others exist. Here&#8217;s the whole map:<\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>Plus (tag) addresses<\/strong> \u2014 variations of your existing address using a <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/plus-sign-in-email-address\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">plus sign<\/a>, like <em>you+shopping@proton.me<\/em>. Free, instant, but they reveal your real username.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Additional Proton addresses<\/strong> \u2014 full, separate addresses under one account (a second identity). Paid plans only.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Hide-my-email aliases<\/strong> \u2014 randomly generated forwarding addresses that completely hide your real one. This is the true privacy alias, powered by Proton&#8217;s SimpleLogin technology.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Custom-domain addresses<\/strong> \u2014 addresses on your own domain (like <em>hi@yourname.com<\/em>) routed to Proton. Paid plans only.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;re familiar with the general concept, our explainer on <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/what-is-an-email-alias\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">what an email alias is<\/a> covers the fundamentals; the sections below are Proton-specific. Let&#8217;s take each method in order, from the quickest to the most involved.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> &#8220;ProtonMail email alias&#8221; isn&#8217;t one feature \u2014 it&#8217;s four: plus addresses, additional addresses, hide-my-email aliases, and custom-domain addresses. Privacy and cost differ sharply, so the method you pick matters.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"method-plus\">Method 1: Plus (Tag) Addresses \u2014 Free and Instant<\/h2>\n<p>The fastest alias in Proton needs no setup at all and works on every plan, including the free one. Plus addressing lets you add a <strong>+word<\/strong> after your username, and mail to that variation lands in your normal inbox. If your address is <em>jordan@proton.me<\/em>, then <em>jordan+netflix@proton.me<\/em> and <em>jordan+bank@proton.me<\/em> both reach you automatically \u2014 no configuration, unlimited variations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to use it:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n  <li>Take your existing Proton address and insert <strong>+<\/strong> plus any word before the @ \u2014 for example <em>jordan+news@proton.me<\/em>.<\/li>\n  <li>Hand that tagged address to a website when you sign up. There&#8217;s nothing to create or enable.<\/li>\n  <li>Mail sent to it arrives in your inbox, and you can filter or block by the tag later \u2014 so if <em>jordan+news<\/em> starts getting spam, you know exactly who leaked it and can auto-trash anything sent to that tag.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>The big limitation:<\/strong> plus addresses do not hide your real address. Anyone who receives <em>jordan+netflix@proton.me<\/em> can trivially strip the <em>+netflix<\/em> and get your true address, <em>jordan@proton.me<\/em>. Spammers and data brokers do this automatically. So plus addressing is excellent for <em>organising<\/em> mail and spotting who leaked your address, but it is not a privacy shield. Use it for low-stakes sorting, not for hiding who you are.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> Plus (tag) addresses are free, instant, and unlimited on every Proton plan \u2014 perfect for sorting mail and tracing leaks, but they expose your real username, so they don&#8217;t protect your privacy.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"method-address\">Method 2: Additional Proton Addresses<\/h2>\n<p>If you want a genuinely separate address \u2014 a distinct identity rather than a tag on your existing one \u2014 Proton lets paid users add extra addresses to a single account. These are full addresses you can send <em>and<\/em> receive from, useful for separating, say, a work persona from a personal one, or a public-facing address from a private inbox.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to create one:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n  <li>Sign in to Proton Mail on the web and open <strong>Settings \u2192 All settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n  <li>Go to <strong>Identity and addresses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n  <li>Select <strong>Add address<\/strong>, choose a Proton domain (proton.me, pm.me) or a custom domain you&#8217;ve added, and pick the new username.<\/li>\n  <li>The address is created immediately and appears in your account; you can compose from it and receive to it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Paid plans allow a fixed number of these: Mail Plus includes 10 addresses and Proton Unlimited includes 15 (exact figures are in the plans table below, and on the <a href=\"https:\/\/proton.me\/mail\/pricing\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Proton Mail pricing page<\/a>). The trade-off versus a hide-my-email alias is that you choose and manage each address deliberately \u2014 they&#8217;re identities you maintain, not disposable throwaways. That makes them ideal for a handful of long-lived personas and overkill for one-off signups.<\/p>\n<p>One practical strength of additional addresses is that they&#8217;re first-class: you can compose from them, set a distinct display name per address, and reply so the recipient only ever sees that address, never your primary one. Many people use one as a public-facing contact address \u2014 the one that goes on a business card, a CV, or a website \u2014 while keeping their main Proton address for close contacts. Because all of them land in the same unified inbox, you get the separation of multiple identities without the hassle of logging into several accounts. The mental model to keep is scarcity: with only 10 or 15 available, treat each additional address as a deliberate identity worth maintaining, and let hide-my-email aliases absorb the endless stream of one-off signups.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"method-hide\">Method 3: Hide-My-Email Aliases \u2014 the Real Privacy Alias<\/h2>\n<p>This is the method most people actually want when they set out to create a ProtonMail email alias for privacy. A hide-my-email alias is a <strong>randomly generated forwarding address<\/strong> \u2014 something like <em>quiet.otter472@passmail.net<\/em> \u2014 that forwards to your real Proton inbox while completely hiding your true address from the recipient. It&#8217;s the same model we cover in <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/how-email-aliases-work\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">how email aliases work<\/a>, and Proton built it on the technology of <a href=\"https:\/\/simplelogin.io\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SimpleLogin<\/a>, the alias service Proton acquired.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to create one:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n  <li>Hide-my-email aliases live in <strong>Proton Pass<\/strong>, Proton&#8217;s password manager (included with your account). Open Proton Pass on the web or via its browser extension or mobile app.<\/li>\n  <li>When creating or editing a login item, choose <strong>create a hide-my-email alias<\/strong> instead of typing an email \u2014 Proton generates a random forwarding address for you.<\/li>\n  <li>Use that alias as the email on the website. Mail to it forwards to your Proton inbox, and if it ever starts attracting spam, you disable the alias and the flow stops dead.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Because the address is random, the recipient never learns your real one \u2014 and because each alias is single-purpose, a leak is contained to that one alias and points straight at whoever leaked it. On Free and Mail Plus you can create up to 10 hide-my-email aliases; Proton Unlimited makes them unlimited. Proton&#8217;s own <a href=\"https:\/\/proton.me\/support\/creating-aliases\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">support guide to creating aliases<\/a> has the latest walkthrough if the interface shifts.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> Hide-my-email aliases are the true privacy option \u2014 random forwarding addresses that hide your real inbox. They live in Proton Pass, are capped at 10 on Free\/Plus, and are unlimited on Proton Unlimited.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"method-domain\">Method 4: Custom-Domain Addresses<\/h2>\n<p>The most powerful option is to bring your own domain. If you own <em>yourname.com<\/em>, a paid Proton plan lets you receive (and send) mail at any address on it \u2014 <em>hi@yourname.com<\/em>, <em>shop@yourname.com<\/em>, and so on \u2014 all routed into Proton. With a catch-all enabled, <em>anything<\/em>@yourname.com reaches you, giving you effectively unlimited addresses on a domain you control.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to set it up:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n  <li>In <strong>Settings \u2192 All settings \u2192 Domain names<\/strong>, add your domain and follow Proton&#8217;s steps to verify ownership and add the DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) it provides.<\/li>\n  <li>Once verified, create addresses on the domain under <strong>Identity and addresses<\/strong>, or enable catch-all so every address on the domain forwards to you.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Mail Plus supports 1 custom domain and Proton Unlimited supports 3. The advantage of a custom domain is <strong>portability<\/strong> \u2014 because you own it, you can move it to a different provider later without changing your addresses, which no provider-locked alias can offer. The cost is that you have to own and pay for a domain and handle the DNS setup, so it&#8217;s the right call for people who want long-term control and overkill for someone who just needs a burner for one signup.<\/p>\n<p>One thing to get right up front is the DNS records. Proton walks you through adding an MX record (so mail routes to Proton) plus SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records that prove your mail is legitimate and keep it out of spam folders. It&#8217;s a one-time, ten-minute job in your domain registrar&#8217;s control panel, but skipping or mistyping a record is the most common reason custom-domain mail misbehaves \u2014 so copy Proton&#8217;s values exactly and let verification finish (it can take a little while to propagate) before you rely on the domain.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n  <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/protonmail-email-alias-example.jpg?resize=1080%2C608&#038;ssl=1\"\n       alt=\"how to create a ProtonMail email alias: several blank address tags fanned out beside a key, representing the four alias methods\"\n       width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" \/>\n  <figcaption>Four routes to a ProtonMail email alias \u2014 a tag on your address, a second address, a random hide-my-email alias, or your own domain.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 id=\"which-method\">Which ProtonMail Email Alias Method Should You Use?<\/h2>\n<p>With four options, the right choice comes down to what you&#8217;re protecting against and how much effort you want to spend. Here&#8217;s the quick decision guide:<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><caption>ProtonMail email alias methods compared: privacy, cost, and best use<\/caption>\n  <thead>\n    <tr><th>Method<\/th><th>Hides real address?<\/th><th>Plan<\/th><th>Best for<\/th><\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n  <tbody>\n    <tr><td>Plus (tag) address<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>All (incl. Free)<\/td><td>Sorting mail, spotting leaks<\/td><\/tr>\n    <tr><td>Additional address<\/td><td>Partly (separate identity)<\/td><td>Paid<\/td><td>A few long-lived personas<\/td><\/tr>\n    <tr><td>Hide-my-email alias<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Free (10) \/ Unlimited (\u221e)<\/td><td>Per-site privacy, one-off signups<\/td><\/tr>\n    <tr><td>Custom-domain address<\/td><td>Yes (your domain)<\/td><td>Paid<\/td><td>Control + portability<\/td><\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p>In practice: reach for <strong>plus addresses<\/strong> when you just want to organise and trace mail; use a <strong>hide-my-email alias<\/strong> whenever privacy actually matters, which is most of the time; create an <strong>additional address<\/strong> for a small number of durable identities; and add a <strong>custom domain<\/strong> if you want portability and full control. Most people&#8217;s ideal setup is plus addresses for convenience plus hide-my-email aliases for everything sensitive.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> Use plus addresses to sort and trace, hide-my-email aliases whenever privacy matters, additional addresses for a few lasting identities, and a custom domain for portability. The privacy workhorse is the hide-my-email alias.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"managing\">Managing and Disabling Your Aliases<\/h2>\n<p>Creating an alias is only half the story \u2014 the real value shows up when one starts attracting spam and you can shut it off. Here&#8217;s how to manage each type once it exists, because a ProtonMail email alias you can&#8217;t easily disable isn&#8217;t doing its main job.<\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>Plus addresses<\/strong> can&#8217;t be &#8220;deleted&#8221; (they&#8217;re just tags on your real address), but you can neutralise one with a filter. In <strong>Settings \u2192 Filters<\/strong>, create a rule that sends anything addressed to, say, <em>you+oldsignup@proton.me<\/em> straight to trash or spam. The tag keeps existing, but the mail stops bothering you.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Hide-my-email aliases<\/strong> are the easiest to control. In Proton Pass, open the alias and toggle it <strong>off<\/strong> (disable) so it stops forwarding, or delete it entirely. Disabling is usually smarter than deleting \u2014 a disabled alias silently drops new mail but stays reserved, so a spammer can&#8217;t later grab that exact address.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Additional addresses<\/strong> can be disabled or deleted in <strong>Identity and addresses<\/strong>. Disabling stops delivery while keeping the address tied to your account; deleting frees it up entirely. Note that deleting an address you&#8217;ve used to sign up for services can lock you out of those accounts, so disable first and confirm nothing important still relies on it.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Custom-domain addresses<\/strong> are managed under your domain settings; you can remove individual addresses or turn off catch-all. Because you own the domain, you retain full control regardless of what Proton does.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A good habit is to treat aliases as disposable by design: the moment one leaks or outlives its purpose, disable it without hesitation. That&#8217;s the whole point of compartmentalising \u2014 an <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Email_alias\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email alias<\/a> is meant to be switched off the second it becomes a liability, not nursed along. The services that abuse it lose their line to you, and your real inbox never notices.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> Disable, don&#8217;t just delete. Hide-my-email aliases toggle off in Proton Pass, additional addresses in settings, and plus addresses via a trash filter \u2014 and a disabled alias stays reserved so no one else can claim it.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"plans\">Proton Plans and Alias Limits<\/h2>\n<p>How many aliases you get depends on your plan, and the differences are significant \u2014 especially the jump to unlimited hide-my-email aliases on the top tier. These figures are current as of 2026 and verified against Proton&#8217;s live pricing (Proton lists prices in euros).<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><caption>Proton plans, prices, and alias-related limits (2026)<\/caption>\n  <thead>\n    <tr><th>Plan<\/th><th>Price<\/th><th>Addresses<\/th><th>Hide-my-email aliases<\/th><th>Custom domains<\/th><\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n  <tbody>\n    <tr><td>Proton Free<\/td><td>\u20ac0<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>Up to 10<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr>\n    <tr><td>Mail Plus<\/td><td>\u20ac4.99\/mo (\u20ac3.99\/mo annual)<\/td><td>10<\/td><td>Up to 10<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr>\n    <tr><td>Proton Unlimited<\/td><td>\u20ac12.99\/mo (\u20ac9.99\/mo annual)<\/td><td>15<\/td><td>Unlimited<\/td><td>3<\/td><\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p>The headline: even the <strong>free plan<\/strong> gives you plus addressing (unlimited) and up to 10 hide-my-email aliases, which is enough to start compartmentalising your signups today at no cost. Mail Plus roughly doubles your real addresses and adds a custom domain, while Proton Unlimited is the plan to choose if you want unlimited privacy aliases \u2014 it lifts the hide-my-email cap entirely. Full, current details are on the <a href=\"https:\/\/proton.me\/mail\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Proton Mail<\/a> site.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"tips\">Tips for Getting the Most From Proton Aliases<\/h2>\n<p>Once you&#8217;re comfortable creating aliases, a few habits turn them from a novelty into a genuine privacy system. Proton is a well-established, security-audited provider \u2014 its history is covered in Wikipedia&#8217;s overview of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Proton_Mail\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Proton Mail<\/a> \u2014 and these practices get the most out of its tooling:<\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>Use one alias per service, never one alias for many.<\/strong> The entire benefit comes from isolation. If you reuse a single hide-my-email alias across ten sites, a leak at one exposes all ten and you lose the ability to tell who leaked. One address per signup keeps every relationship separate.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Name your aliases meaningfully in Proton Pass.<\/strong> Random forwarding addresses are unguessable, which is great for privacy but hard to remember. Use the note or label field to record what each alias is for, so months later you know that <em>quiet.otter472<\/em> was your electricity provider.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Combine plus addresses with filters for free sorting.<\/strong> Even on the free plan, tagging newsletters as <em>you+news@proton.me<\/em> and auto-filing them into a folder keeps your main inbox clean at zero cost \u2014 just remember it&#8217;s organisation, not privacy.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Reserve real addresses for real identities.<\/strong> Additional Proton addresses are a limited, precious resource \u2014 spend them on durable personas (work, a side project) rather than burning one on a single shopping site, which a hide-my-email alias handles better.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Turn on a custom domain early if portability matters.<\/strong> If there&#8217;s any chance you&#8217;ll switch providers someday, building your addresses on your own domain from the start means you never have to re-do your signups. Provider-locked aliases can&#8217;t be moved; a domain can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The through-line is intentionality: aliases reward a little upfront discipline with a lot of long-term control. Treat them as a system \u2014 one address per service, labelled, disabled when spent \u2014 and your inbox stays clean while your real address stays private.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> One alias per service, labelled in Proton Pass, disabled when spent \u2014 and put durable identities on additional addresses or a custom domain. A little discipline turns Proton&#8217;s aliases into a real privacy system.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"limitations\">Limitations of a ProtonMail Email Alias<\/h2>\n<p>Proton&#8217;s alias tools are strong, but they come with real constraints worth knowing before you commit \u2014 and being honest about them is more useful than a glowing walkthrough.<\/p>\n<ul>\n  <li><strong>You have to be a Proton user.<\/strong> Every method here forwards into a Proton mailbox. If your email lives at Gmail, Outlook, Fastmail, or anywhere else, you can&#8217;t use Proton&#8217;s aliases without migrating your inbox to Proton first \u2014 a big commitment for an alias feature.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>The best limits are paywalled.<\/strong> The free plan&#8217;s 10 hide-my-email aliases are generous to start, but unlimited privacy aliases require Proton Unlimited at \u20ac9.99\u201312.99\/month, which bundles a lot of other services you may not need.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Hide-my-email aliases live in Proton Pass, not Mail.<\/strong> They&#8217;re managed through the password manager, which is powerful if you use Proton Pass and slightly disjointed if you only wanted email aliases.<\/li>\n  <li><strong>Provider lock-in.<\/strong> Except for custom domains, your aliases are tied to Proton&#8217;s domains \u2014 leaving Proton later means abandoning them and re-doing your signups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>None of these make Proton a bad choice \u2014 it&#8217;s an excellent, privacy-first provider, and if you&#8217;re happy inside its ecosystem, its aliases are among the best built into any mailbox. The limitations simply matter most for the large group of people who want alias protection but don&#8217;t want to move their email. That&#8217;s the gap the next section addresses.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> Every ProtonMail email alias forwards into a Proton mailbox, so the tools only help if you&#8217;re a Proton user \u2014 and unlimited privacy aliases sit behind the top-tier plan. Great inside Proton, less so if your inbox lives elsewhere.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"any-inbox\">Getting Aliases Without Moving to Proton<\/h2>\n<p>If Proton&#8217;s ecosystem suits you, its aliases are a great reason to stay. But plenty of people want the exact privacy benefit \u2014 a separate, disposable-style address per service that hides their real inbox \u2014 <em>without<\/em> abandoning the email they already use. That&#8217;s the entire premise of a standalone alias service like EmailAlias: you keep your Gmail, Outlook, or any other inbox, and simply layer aliases on top. Each site gets its own address that forwards to your existing mailbox, and you disable any alias that starts attracting spam.<\/p>\n<p>The practical differences from Proton&#8217;s approach: it&#8217;s <strong>inbox-agnostic<\/strong> (works with the email you already have, no migration), it starts free with 10 aliases and unlimited-style Premium at $4\/month, and it adds <strong>exposure intelligence<\/strong> that flags when an alias has leaked or a service was breached. It&#8217;s not open-source or self-hostable the way SimpleLogin (which powers Proton&#8217;s aliases) is \u2014 if that&#8217;s a hard requirement, Proton&#8217;s stack has the edge, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/simplelogin-alternative\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SimpleLogin comparison<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/proton-pass-alternative\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Proton Pass alternative<\/a> pieces lay out that trade honestly. But if your goal is &#8220;give every site its own address and keep the inbox I&#8217;ve had for years,&#8221; you don&#8217;t need to switch providers to get it. For a wider view, our roundup of the <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/best-email-alias-services\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">best email alias services<\/a> compares the field, and our take on <a href=\"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/should-you-use-your-real-email\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">whether to use your real email online<\/a> covers why per-site aliases matter in the first place.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"post-keytakeaway\"><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong> You don&#8217;t have to move to Proton to get per-site aliases. A standalone, inbox-agnostic service layers the same protection on your existing Gmail or Outlook \u2014 the right pick if you want alias privacy without switching providers.<\/aside>\n\n<h2 id=\"final-thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Creating a ProtonMail email alias is genuinely easy once you know which of the four methods you actually need: plus addresses for instant sorting, additional addresses for separate identities, hide-my-email aliases for real per-site privacy, and custom domains for control and portability. For most people the winning combination is plus addresses for convenience and hide-my-email aliases for anything that matters \u2014 and Proton&#8217;s free plan lets you start both today. The one honest caveat is that all of it assumes you&#8217;re inside Proton&#8217;s world. If you are, enjoy some of the best alias tooling in any mailbox. If you&#8217;d rather not migrate, a standalone alias service gives you the same core protection on the inbox you already have. Either way, the habit that pays off is the same: stop handing your real address to every website, and give each one an alias you can switch off.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-q-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I create a ProtonMail email alias?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Proton offers four ways. The quickest is a plus address: just add +word to your username (you+shop@proton.me) \u2014 no setup, works on any plan, but it doesn&#8217;t hide your real address. For real privacy, create a hide-my-email alias in Proton Pass: when saving a login, choose to generate a random forwarding alias that hides your true inbox. You can also add a full additional Proton address (paid plans) or route a custom domain into Proton (paid). Pick the plus address for sorting and the hide-my-email alias for privacy.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Are ProtonMail email aliases free?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Partly. Plus (tag) addresses are free and unlimited on every plan, including Proton Free, and the free plan also includes up to 10 hide-my-email aliases \u2014 enough to start compartmentalising signups at no cost. However, additional Proton addresses and custom-domain addresses require a paid plan (Mail Plus from \u20ac3.99\/month annually), and unlimited hide-my-email aliases require Proton Unlimited (\u20ac9.99\/month annually).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between a plus address and a hide-my-email alias in Proton?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>A plus address (you+news@proton.me) is a tagged variation of your real address \u2014 convenient for sorting and tracing leaks, but anyone can strip the +news and see your true address, so it offers no privacy. A hide-my-email alias is a randomly generated forwarding address (like quiet.otter472@passmail.net) that completely hides your real inbox from the recipient. Use plus addresses to organise mail and hide-my-email aliases whenever you actually need to protect your identity.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How many aliases can I create in ProtonMail?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It depends on the type and plan. Plus addresses are unlimited on every plan. Hide-my-email aliases are capped at 10 on Proton Free and Mail Plus, and unlimited on Proton Unlimited. Additional full Proton addresses are limited to 10 on Mail Plus and 15 on Proton Unlimited. Custom domains (which give you effectively unlimited addresses via catch-all) are limited to 1 on Mail Plus and 3 on Proton Unlimited.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Where are hide-my-email aliases in Proton?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>They live in Proton Pass, Proton&#8217;s password manager, which is included with your account \u2014 not in the Proton Mail settings where you might expect them. Open Proton Pass (web, browser extension, or app), and when you create or edit a login item, choose the option to generate a hide-my-email alias. Proton creates a random forwarding address that delivers to your Proton inbox. This is because Proton&#8217;s alias tech comes from SimpleLogin, which it integrated into Pass.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I use ProtonMail aliases with a Gmail or Outlook inbox?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. Every Proton alias method forwards into a Proton mailbox, so to use them you&#8217;d need to migrate your email to Proton first. If you want per-site aliases but prefer to keep your existing Gmail or Outlook inbox, use a standalone, inbox-agnostic alias service instead \u2014 it layers the same forward-and-hide protection on top of the inbox you already have, with no migration.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I send email from a ProtonMail alias, not just receive?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It depends on the type. Additional Proton addresses and custom-domain addresses are full addresses you can both send from and receive to. Hide-my-email aliases are primarily for receiving\/forwarding, though Proton supports replying so the recipient still only sees the alias. Plus addresses send as your real underlying address. If send-from-alias is essential, an additional address or custom domain is the most straightforward Proton option.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-q-8\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Should I use a plus address or a real alias for signups?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>For anything low-stakes where you just want to sort mail or catch which company leaked your address, a plus address is fine and instant. For anything you care about \u2014 shopping, forums, newsletters, or any site you don&#8217;t fully trust \u2014 use a hide-my-email alias (or a standalone alias) so your real address stays hidden. Plus addresses are traceable back to you in seconds, so they&#8217;re organisation, not protection.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The short version Proton gives you four different kinds of alias. Plus\/tag addresses (free, instant), extra Proton addresses (paid), hide-my-email aliases (free-ish, the real privacy alias), and custom-domain addresses (paid)&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"rank_math_focus_keyword":"protonmail email alias","rank_math_title":"How to Create a ProtonMail Email Alias: 4 Methods","rank_math_description":"Learn how to create a ProtonMail email alias four ways \u2014 plus addresses, extra addresses, hide-my-email aliases, and custom domains \u2014 with steps and limits.","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-374","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-guides-how-to"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/protonmail-email-alias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":108,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/proton-pass-alternative\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":0},"title":"The Best Proton Pass Alternative for 2026","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Proton Pass alternative means different things depending on which half of Proton Pass you actually use. Proton Pass bundles two products: a password manager and a built-in email alias generator (powered by SimpleLogin, which Proton acquired in 2022). The right Proton Pass alternative for someone hitting password-manager limits is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-proton-pass-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-proton-pass-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-proton-pass-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-proton-pass-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-proton-pass-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/simplelogin-alternative\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":1},"title":"The Best SimpleLogin Alternative for 2026","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"June 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A SimpleLogin alternative is what users typically start shopping for when they want richer per-sender intelligence than SimpleLogin's dashboard ships with, when they prefer not to consolidate their entire privacy stack inside the Proton ecosystem, or when they hit the seasonal limits of SimpleLogin's free tier. SimpleLogin is a credible,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-simplelogin-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-simplelogin-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-simplelogin-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-simplelogin-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-simplelogin-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":172,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/firefox-relay-alternative\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":2},"title":"The Best Firefox Relay Alternative for 2026","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"June 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Firefox Relay alternative is what most users start shopping for the moment they outgrow Mozilla's five-mask free tier, hit the @mozmail.com domain limit, or want richer per-sender intelligence on what each alias is doing. Firefox Relay is a clean, Mozilla-backed mask service \u2014 but its feature set is intentionally\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-firefox-relay-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-firefox-relay-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-firefox-relay-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-firefox-relay-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-firefox-relay-alternative.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":158,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/best-email-alias-for-business\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":3},"title":"Best Email Alias for Business: 7 Picks for 2026","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"June 12, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Choosing the best email alias for business is no longer just a privacy question \u2014 it is an operational one. Every signup an employee makes on a SaaS trial, every vendor that emails them once and never stops, every recruiter that scrapes a leaked database, and every conference badge that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-best-email-alias-for-business.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-best-email-alias-for-business.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-best-email-alias-for-business.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-best-email-alias-for-business.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/og-best-email-alias-for-business.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/simplelogin-vs-addy-io-vs-emailalias\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":4},"title":"SimpleLogin vs addy.io vs EmailAlias: 2026 Comparison","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"September 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The short version All three hide your real inbox behind forwarding aliases \u2014 the differences are price, free-tier generosity, open-source, and each one's standout feature. SimpleLogin is the pick for Proton users and open-source fans; addy.io is the most flexible and cheapest for tinkerers and self-hosters; EmailAlias focuses on a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SimpleLogin vs addy.io vs EmailAlias compared, shown as three keyed mailboxes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/simplelogin-vs-addy-vs-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/simplelogin-vs-addy-vs-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/simplelogin-vs-addy-vs-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/simplelogin-vs-addy-vs-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/simplelogin-vs-addy-vs-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21,"url":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/best-email-alias-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":374,"position":5},"title":"Best Email Alias Services in 2026 for Privacy &amp; Spam Protection","author":"Troy Hunt","date":"May 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Email alias services have quietly become one of the most important privacy tools of 2026. Every time you hand over your real address \u2014 to a newsletter, a shopping cart, a recruiter, a one-off support form - you give the recipient a permanent key to your inbox and your identity.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/category\/comparisons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/header-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/header-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/header-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/header-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C400&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/header-emailalias.jpg?fit=1200%2C400&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":375,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions\/375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emailalias.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}