SimpleLogin vs AnonAddy vs Apple Hide My Email

Email aliases let you give a different fake email to every service you sign up for. If one gets sold, you know which one. If one starts getting spam, you delete it. Real email never gets exposed. The three major providers in 2026 are SimpleLogin, AnonAddy, and Apple Hide My Email.

TL;DR

• For iOS/macOS users in Apple ecosystem: Apple Hide My Email (free, integrated, but locked to Apple devices)
• For privacy maximalists: SimpleLogin (open source, Proton-owned, multi-platform)
• For self-hosters / power users: AnonAddy (open source, self-hostable)

What email aliases solve

Every service wants your email. Once they have it:
– They sell it to data brokers
– They sell it to “deal” partners
– They get breached and your email is now public
– They start sending you marketing forever

With aliases, you give each service a unique alias (mywebsite@yourdomain.aliases.com). The alias forwards to your real email. If the alias gets sold/breached/spammed, you delete it without affecting anything else.

SimpleLogin

Owner: Proton (acquired 2022)
Pricing: Free tier (10 aliases) | Premium $30/yr | Lifetime $99
Self-host: Yes (open source)

What’s good

• Owned by Proton — strong privacy parent company
• Unlimited aliases on Premium ($2.50/mo)
• Custom domain support — use your-domain.com aliases
• PGP encryption for forwarded emails
• Browser extension auto-fills new aliases at signup
• Strong Proton ecosystem integration if you use Proton Mail

What’s not

• Premium tier required for unlimited aliases (Free is limited)
• Customer support is email-only

Best for

Anyone in the Proton ecosystem. Privacy-focused users wanting one-stop. Multi-platform users who can’t lock into Apple.

AnonAddy (now “addy.io”)

Owner: Independent (UK-based)
Pricing: Free tier (5 shared domain aliases) | Lite $1/mo | Pro $3/mo
Self-host: Yes (open source, well-documented)

What’s good

• Open source and self-hostable — true control
• Cheapest paid tier ($1/mo) for unlimited aliases on shared domains
• Self-hosting docs are excellent — Docker setup is straightforward
• PGP encryption supported
• Detailed analytics on alias use (how many forwards, last activity)

What’s not

• Smaller team than SimpleLogin
• Less polished UX
• Custom domain on Pro tier ($3/mo) only

Best for

Self-hosters. Privacy maximalists wanting full control. Cost-conscious users.

Apple Hide My Email

Owner: Apple
Pricing: Free with iCloud+ ($1/mo) or Apple One subscription
Self-host: No

What’s good

• Integrated everywhere on iOS/macOS — Safari, Mail, autofill
• Cheap — included with $1/mo iCloud+
• Apple’s privacy positioning — they don’t sell data
• Zero friction for Apple users

What’s not

• Apple ecosystem lock-in — only works on Apple devices
• No custom domain (Apple’s domain only)
• Can’t disable individual aliases in the granular way SimpleLogin allows
• No PGP encryption

Best for

Apple-only users who want frictionless integration. Casual privacy users not deep in the rabbit hole.

Direct comparison

Criterion	SimpleLogin	AnonAddy	Apple HME
Free tier	10 aliases	5 aliases	With iCloud+
Paid tier	$30/yr	$12/yr	$1/mo (iCloud+)
Unlimited aliases	Premium	Lite	Yes
Custom domain	Premium	Pro	No
Self-host	Yes	Yes	No
Apple integration	No	No	Native
PGP	Yes	Yes	No
iOS support	App	Web only	Native
Android support	App	Web only	No

How email aliases actually work

The flow:
1. You want to sign up for, say, Spotify
2. You go to spotify.com, click signup
3. Your alias provider (extension or app) generates spotify_random123@aliases.your-provider.com
4. Spotify thinks your email is that alias
5. Spotify sends emails to that alias
6. Your alias provider forwards those emails to your real address
7. If you reply, your provider forwards the reply back through the alias

Spotify never knows your real email. If Spotify gets breached, the alias is in the breach data, not your real address. If they sell your data, the buyer can’t link it to other services.

Setting up email aliases

With SimpleLogin

1. Sign up at simplelogin.io
2. Install browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
3. Add iOS / Android app
4. When you sign up for a new service, click extension → “Create alias for spotify.com”
5. Extension auto-fills the alias

With AnonAddy/addy.io

Similar to SimpleLogin. Less polished extension, web-based alias creation more common.

With Apple Hide My Email

1. On iCloud+ subscription: settings → iCloud → Hide My Email
2. Tap “Create new address”
3. When iOS sees an email field, it auto-suggests “Hide My Email”
4. Tap to use one

What we use

The Privacy Stacks team is split:
– 2 use Apple Hide My Email (Apple ecosystem)
– 2 use SimpleLogin (multi-platform)
– 1 uses AnonAddy self-hosted (extreme control)

No one thinks the others are wrong.

The migration problem

If you’re already using your real email everywhere, moving to aliases takes weeks. Strategy:

1. Sign up for new services with aliases starting today
2. For existing accounts: change email to alias one at a time, starting with low-stakes accounts
3. After ~3 months you’ll have aliases on most things
4. Your real email is now reserved for trusted contacts and recovery

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Using aliases for accounts where you need email recovery. If you lose access to your alias provider, you lose access to those accounts. Use real email for critical accounts (banking, primary identity).

Mistake 2: Self-hosting without proper backups. AnonAddy self-host means if you lose your server, you lose your aliases. Always backup.

Mistake 3: Not labeling aliases clearly. “spotify_x29z@…” is fine. “random4567@…” gives you no way to figure out which service it’s from when reviewing.

Disclosure

SimpleLogin (via Proton) and addy.io have affiliate programs. Apple Hide My Email doesn’t (it’s bundled with iCloud+). We mention products based on quality. See our affiliate disclosure.

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Last updated 2026 Q2.