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Best SimpleLogin Alternative in 2026

The best SimpleLogin alternative depends on what you need. SimpleLogin, owned by Proton and open source in Switzerland, is hard to beat for PGP encryption and an audited codebase. Emcognito fits better if you want unlimited aliases on the free tier, since it meters forwarded emails instead of capping addresses, plus passwordless sign-in, with reply from any alias on its Plus and Pro plans. Both forward to your real inbox.

Updated

If you've bumped into SimpleLogin's free-tier alias limit, or you'd rather not tie your aliases to a Proton account, you have solid options in 2026. This guide compares SimpleLogin honestly — where it genuinely excels and where it pinches — and shows where Emcognito's unlimited-alias free tier is the better fit.

What SimpleLogin does well

SimpleLogin, owned by Proton and based in Switzerland, is one of the most respected alias services available — and deservedly so:

  • Open source and audited. The client and server code are public, so you don't have to take its privacy claims on faith.
  • PGP encryption. Add your PGP public key and forwarded mail is encrypted before it reaches your inbox — something most alias services, Emcognito included, don't offer.
  • Proton ecosystem. If you already use Proton Mail, SimpleLogin slots in cleanly and shares the same Swiss jurisdiction and privacy posture.
  • Custom domains. Bring your own domain and create aliases on it.

Where SimpleLogin pinches

The friction shows up mostly on the free tier and in account portability:

  • Alias caps on free. The free plan limits how many aliases you can create. If you spin up a fresh alias for every signup — the whole point of the exercise — you hit the ceiling fast and have to upgrade.
  • Tied to a Proton account. The richer features live inside a Proton paid bundle, so you're buying into an ecosystem rather than a standalone alias tool.

SimpleLogin vs Emcognito at a glance

FeatureSimpleLoginEmcognito
Aliases on the free tierLimitedUnlimited
What you pay forNumber of aliasesForwarded emails (100/mo free)
Reply from an aliasYes (premium)Yes — every plan
PGP encryptionYesNo
Open sourceYesNo
Custom domainYesCustom subdomain (Pro, coming Q3)
One-click suspend/delete an aliasYesYes
Sign-inProton accountPasswordless magic link

The headline difference is the billing model. SimpleLogin meters addresses; Emcognito meters forwards. Emcognito's pricing gives you unlimited aliases on every plan, including Free, and charges only for forwarded mail — 100 messages a month free, then $2/month for 2,500. If you create a lot of aliases but most see little traffic, that math works in your favor.

Where Emcognito is the better fit

  • You want genuinely unlimited aliases without paying. Make one per service, per newsletter, per merchant — there's no address cap to ration.
  • You don't want another account to manage. Sign-in is passwordless: a one-time magic link, no password to set, remember, or leak.
  • You reply from aliases. Reply from any alias is included on every plan — the Reply-To header is rewritten so you hit reply in Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail and the recipient still sees only the alias.
  • You want to kill a leaked alias instantly. One click suspends or deletes the address the moment it starts attracting spam.

Where SimpleLogin still wins

Be honest about your priorities. If PGP encryption or an independently audited, open-source codebase is non-negotiable, SimpleLogin is the stronger choice today — Emcognito offers neither yet. And if you're already deep in the Proton ecosystem, the integration is hard to beat.

How to switch

  1. Create a free Emcognito account — just an email and a magic link.
  2. Generate a new alias for the services you use most and update those signups.
  3. Let your old SimpleLogin aliases run in parallel until traffic dries up, then retire them.

Frequently asked questions

Is Emcognito open source?

Not at the moment. If a public, auditable codebase is a hard requirement, SimpleLogin is the better pick today.

Does Emcognito support PGP?

No. Forwarded mail is delivered over standard transport encryption, but there's no end-to-end PGP option yet.

Can I reply from an alias?

Yes — on every plan, including Free. Replies go out from the alias, never your real address.

Is the free tier really unlimited aliases?

Yes. Every plan includes unlimited aliases on the emcognito.com domain; the Free plan covers 100 forwarded emails per month at no cost.

Migrating and have a question? You can reach the founder directly at yoni@wm.emcognito.com.

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