OquMail vs mailbox.org: Free Custom Domain Email vs German Host

mailbox.org is a well-regarded German host with custom domains, an office suite and a privacy-first reputation. OquMail is a free business email provider focused on mailboxes, deliverability tooling and a send API. They overlap on the core job of name@yourdomain.com and differ on everything around it.

Quick summary

• Mailboxes: mailbox.org paid per user; OquMail up to 15 free
• Free plan: mailbox.org none; OquMail yes, with 3 domains and 5 GB per mailbox
• API: mailbox.org none; OquMail transactional send API with Bearer keys
• DNS guidance: mailbox.org lists records to add; OquMail guides SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live verification
• IMAP/SMTP: both include them on every mailbox

Who each is for

mailbox.org is for individuals and companies in the EU who want a paid, privacy-respecting provider with calendar, files and office documents in the same login. It is run by a Berlin company with a long history in hosting and is often shortlisted alongside Proton and Posteo. OquMail is for small businesses anywhere that need professional inboxes and transactional sending on their domain at no cost, and that use other tools for documents and calendar. It is deliberately narrower: mailboxes, DNS, IMAP and a send API, with nothing else to configure.

Feature comparison

• Mailboxes: mailbox.org paid per user; OquMail up to 15 free
• Free plan: mailbox.org none; OquMail yes, with 3 domains and 5 GB per mailbox
• API: mailbox.org none; OquMail transactional send API with Bearer keys
• DNS guidance: mailbox.org lists records to add; OquMail guides SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live verification
• IMAP/SMTP: both include them on every mailbox
• Storage: mailbox.org by plan with paid upgrades; OquMail 5 GB per mailbox on the free plan

Where mailbox.org wins

• Office suite, calendar, contacts and file storage bundled
• PGP encryption made usable through a browser-based guard
• German data centres and a privacy policy written for EU scrutiny
• Established paid provider with a long history

Where OquMail wins

• Free for up to 15 mailboxes and 3 domains, no credit card
• Guided DNS with a live check that tells you which record is wrong
• Send API on the same domain for receipts and notifications
• Per-message delivery logs showing the receiving server's response

Total cost at 5 and 15 users

mailbox.org charges per user per month, so 5 users is a modest monthly sum and 15 users is roughly three times that. OquMail is free at both sizes as long as you stay within 15 mailboxes and 3 domains. If you need the office suite or German hosting, mailbox.org's price is fair for what it includes; if you only need email, it is a bill you can avoid.

The free third option: OquMail

OquMail delivers the mailbox part of the job at no cost and does not pretend to replace the rest of mailbox.org's bundle. Set up takes four DNS records, verification is automatic, and every mailbox works in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird over IMAP.

• Free plan: up to 15 mailboxes, 3 domains, 5 GB per mailbox, no credit card
• Webmail included; IMAP/SMTP for Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird and phones
• IMAP mail.oqumail.com port 993 (SSL/TLS); SMTP mail.oqumail.com port 587 (STARTTLS)
• Guided SPF, DKIM and DMARC with live DNS verification; MX is mail.oqumail.com priority 10
• Transactional send API at https://api.oqumail.com/api/v1/emails with Bearer API keys (from, to, subject, html)
• Per-message delivery logs so you can see the exact response a receiving server gave

Verdict by scenario

• EU business that wants documents, calendar and email under one privacy-focused vendor: mailbox.org
• Small business that already uses Google Docs or Microsoft for documents: OquMail
• Developer or agency needing a send API on the client's domain: OquMail
• Individual who wants PGP without managing keys: mailbox.org

Common questions

Does OquMail offer a calendar like mailbox.org?

No. OquMail focuses on mailboxes, deliverability and the send API. Use your existing calendar tool alongside it.

Can I try OquMail without cancelling mailbox.org?

Yes. Add a second domain or a subdomain to OquMail, test IMAP and the API, and only move the main domain's MX when you are satisfied.

Which has better deliverability?

Both authenticate mail with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. OquMail makes those records easy to verify and shows delivery logs per message; mailbox.org relies on a long-standing reputation.

Can I use Thunderbird or Outlook with both?

Yes. Both expose IMAP and SMTP with TLS. On OquMail use mail.oqumail.com on port 993 with SSL/TLS for incoming and port 587 with STARTTLS for outgoing, your full address as the username and the webmail password. mailbox.org publishes its own server names in its help pages.