The use of e-mail has become commonplace and indispensable. But which e-mail provider is the best? Stiftung Warentest took on this question and subjected numerous providers to a comprehensive test.

The test focused on factors such as operation, security, privacy and functionality. In particular, the protection of the user’s privacy has been closely scrutinized.
The results of the test are promising: providers were found that scored well in all areas, thus enabling secure and user-friendly email communication.
Find out which providers made it into the top 3 and what other findings the test uncovered in this article.
Posteo: The best e-mail provider according to Stiftung Warentest!
1st place: Posteo
Stiftung Warentest tested the best email providers in Germany and Posteo was named the best provider. Posteo scores well with its focus on privacy and sustainability. The emails are stored on German servers and are automatically encrypted. Posteo also uses only green electricity and is carbon neutral.
What makes Posteo so special?
Posteo stands out from other email providers because of its sustainability concept. Posteo is climate neutral due to the use of green electricity and environmentally friendly servers. In addition, all employees receive fair compensation and there is no external investor, which keeps Posteo independent.
Other top email providers
In addition to Posteo, there are other providers that have received positive reviews. In second place is Web.de, followed by GMX in third place. T-Online and Freenet were also rated by Stiftung Warentest as recommendable.
- 1st place: Posteo
- 2nd place: Web.en
- 3rd place: GMX
The bottom line
If you are looking for a secure and sustainable email provider, Posteo is the best choice. However, other providers such as Web.de, GMX, T-Online and Freenet are recommended. It is always worth comparing different providers and checking what is on offer. Because in the end, you should feel safe and comfortable with your email provider.
2nd place: Tutanota
Tutanota is a German email provider and ranks second in Stiftung Warentest’s list of the best email providers. Users here have end-to-end encryption, which offers the highest level of security. The location of the server in Germany ensures that user data is not stored in countries where data protection is relaxed. The provider is easy to use, has a user interface in German, which offers a lot of clarity.

The app is very user-friendly and looks very attractive on Android and iOS devices. All source code is open-source, which means users can even use the code base to build their own service. Tutanota also offers additional features such as calendar and address book, as well as encryption for contacts. In fact, Stiftung Warentest advises its readers to use Tutanota as one of the best providers for secure message transmission.
The company wants to protect the privacy of its users and does not have any malware in its products. The company also offers a very reliable customer service, which is always available in case of problems. For these reasons, Tutanota is a great email provider for people who want to keep their messages private and secure.
3rd place: Mailbox.org
Mailbox.org is a German email provider that ranked third in Stiftung Warentest for privacy and security. With this email service, you can send and receive encrypted emails. Mailbox.org also offers secure online storage for your files and a calendar.
In addition, with Mailbox.org create as many e-mail addresses as you like to use your own domains. You can also import emails from other accounts and create many filtering rules to automatically organize your emails into folders. Mailbox.org also offers a spam filter and a way to automatically delete emails after a certain period of time.
- Storage capacity: 2 GB
- Maximum attachment size: 150 MB
- Advertising free: Yes
- Price: From 1 € / month
Although Mailbox.org is not the best email provider in Stiftung Warentest, it still offers a good alternative for those who value privacy and security.
4th place: GMX
GMX is an e-mail provider used by many users in Germany. According to the Stiftung Warentest tests, it lands on the fourth place of the best e-mail providers. The service offers many features such as secure SSL encryption and a convenient function to send large files.
GMX also offers personalized email addresses. This means that you can choose an email address that matches your name or company. The e-mail service also offers a good spam filter as well as a spam blacklist function. You can use it to automatically delete various e-mails from specific senders or have them moved to a specific folder.
- Summary of the advantages of GMX:
- SSL encryption
- Ability to send large files
- Personalized e-mail addresses
- Good spam filter and blacklist function
Although GMX offers many useful features, however, the provider can not compete with the three best e-mail providers in Germany. There are some limitations like the email size limit or the limited number of email forwards. Still, GMX is a good choice for users who want a secure and reliable email address to send and receive messages every day.
Rank 5: Gmail
Gmail takes fifth place among the best e-mail providers in the current Stiftung Warentest rankings. The service scores primarily for its numerous functions, such as.B. an intelligent email filter, extensive storage space and an intuitive user interface that makes sorting and managing emails very easy. In addition, Gmail offers seamless integration with other Google services such as Google Drive, Google Calendar and Google Hangouts, making it easier to collaborate with others.
Another plus point of Gmail is the security. The service uses strong encryption technologies and offers two-factor authentication to ensure your emails stay protected. In addition, suspicious activity is quickly detected and pointed out.

Of course, there are some drawbacks as well. Gmail scans your emails to display personalized ads, which is a thorn in many users’ side side. There are also privacy concerns, as Google collects a lot of data about its users. However, if a rich feature set, intuitive user interface and high security are important to you, then Gmail is definitely worth a look.