Forward Email vs Mimestream: privacy compared
Forward Email and Mimestream are both rated in email clients against the same 8 public criteria. Forward Email does better on open source, independent audit, OpenPGP support and connects directly. Mimestream does better on no trackers or telemetry and works with any provider. Forward Email is based in the United States (Five Eyes); Mimestream is based in the United States (Five Eyes).
| Criterion | Forward Email Our pick | Mimestream |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | Grade B B (81/100) | Grade D D (50/100) |
| Jurisdiction | United States Five Eyes | United States Five Eyes |
| Open source Is all the source code needed to run the product public? | Yes source | No |
| No trackers or telemetry Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default? | Partial source | Yes source |
| No ads or data sales Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data? | Yes source | Yes source |
| Independent audit Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years? | Yes source | Partial source |
| OpenPGP support Can the app encrypt and sign mail with OpenPGP, built in or through an official add-on? | Yes source | No source |
| Connects directly Does the app connect directly to your mail server, without passing mail or passwords through the vendor's servers? | Yes source | Partial source |
| Blocks remote content Are remote images and tracking pixels blocked by default? | Partial source | Partial source |
| Works with any provider Does the app work with any standard IMAP and SMTP provider? | No source | Partial source |
Summaries
Forward Email. Forward Email scores 81 out of 100 (grade B) on the email clients criteria. It meets 5 of 8 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales, independent audit, OpenPGP support and connects directly. It partly meets no trackers or telemetry and blocks remote content. It does not meet works with any provider. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.
Mimestream. Mimestream scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the email clients criteria. It meets 2 of 8 criteria: no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales. It partly meets independent audit, connects directly, blocks remote content and works with any provider. It does not meet open source and OpenPGP support. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.