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Gmail vs Mailbox: Which Masters Spam Filtering?

Discover the superior spam protection between US's Gmail and Germany's Mailbox. Choose the service that keeps your inbox cleaner and safer today.

Last updated: February 19, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to mailbox?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy, EU data hosting, ad-free experience

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Loss of Smart Compose, Google Meet integration, and free storage

Gmail has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy and EU hosting are priorities; stay for advanced features

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇩🇪DE

GDPR protected

Pricing

Gmail

Contact

mailbox

subscription

Migration
Medium difficulty~3-5 days

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaGmailmailbox
Server Location
US, EUEU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
Enterprise onlyOptional
Data Portability
Full exportFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Gmail is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. mailbox is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Gmail logo

Gmail

🇺🇸

Google

VS
Switching to
mailbox logo

mailbox

🇩🇪

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

EU-hosted
EU-Based
GDPR Compliant
Open Source

Reasons to Switch

  • EU-hosted data centers ensure GDPR compliance
  • End-to-end encryption enhances email security
  • Ad-free experience eliminates distractions
  • Open-source client allows for customization

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from Gmail can be time-consuming
  • !Lacks integrated Google Meet access
  • !Learning curve for new interface and features
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~3-5 days

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~3-5 days

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create mailbox account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Gmail

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Note: Unknown information regarding the ease of switching to mailbox

Other alternatives to Gmail

Ready to make the switch?

Start using mailbox today and take control of your data privacy.