Email clients
Forward Email privacy rating
Our pick
Email client for Forward Email accounts, available as webmail and as desktop and mobile apps built from one source-available codebase, with built-in OpenPGP and optional encryption of locally stored data.
Summary
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.
Score 81 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
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Yes
Open source Weight 3 of 3 Source-available
Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
All code is public. The apps are under the source-available Business Source License 1.1, which becomes MPL-2.0 four years after each release.
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Partial
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
No third-party analytics in the website or apps, but the website runs first-party cookieless analytics by default.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Funded by paid plans. No ads, and user data is not shared with third parties.
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Yes
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
Cure53's audit scope includes the mail.forwardemail.net client code together with the Forward Email service.
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Yes
OpenPGP support Weight 2 of 3
Can the app encrypt and sign mail with OpenPGP, built in or through an official add-on?
OpenPGP encryption and signing are built in.
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Yes
Connects directly Weight 3 of 3
Does the app connect directly to your mail server, without passing mail or passwords through the vendor's servers?
Connects directly to the Forward Email API, which is the mail server, with no separate sync service. Mobile push goes through APNs, FCM or UnifiedPush.
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Partial
Blocks remote content Weight 2 of 3
Are remote images and tracking pixels blocked by default?
Tracking pixels are blocked by default, but other remote images load unless blocking is turned on in settings.
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No
Works with any provider Weight 1 of 3
Does the app work with any standard IMAP and SMTP provider?
Works only with Forward Email accounts. The maintainers state that a future version will support any IMAP and SMTP provider.