Best Site for Temporary Email
Summary
The best temporary email approach in 2026 is to distinguish between two use cases. For long-lived aliases that forward to your real inbox, SimpleLogin (now part of Proton) and addy.io are the strongest options. For genuinely throwaway one-use addresses, Maildrop and Erine.email work with zero signup. Apple's Hide My Email is excellent for Apple users and underused. Most listicles conflate these two categories — the right tool depends on whether you want to keep receiving mail at the alias or not.
Top 5 at a glance
| # | Site | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SimpleLogin | Long-lived email aliases forwarding to your real inbox | Free tier; paid Premium and Proton-bundle pricing |
| 2 | addy.io (formerly AnonAddy) | Open-source self-hostable email-alias service | Free tier; paid for higher limits |
| 3 | Apple Hide My Email | Apple users who already pay for iCloud+ | Included in iCloud+ at all paid tiers |
| 4 | Maildrop | Genuinely throwaway one-use addresses with no signup | Free |
| 5 | Erine.email | Privacy-friendly disposable inbox with browser interface | Free |
Detailed rankings
SimpleLogin
Long-lived email aliases forwarding to your real inbox
The default for sustained alias use. The Proton ownership has been smooth so far and the open-source self-host option is real insurance.
Pros
- Acquired by Proton in 2022 — backed by a privacy-focused team
- Long-lived aliases that forward to your real email
- Custom-domain support on paid plans
- Open-source server can be self-hosted
Cons
- Free tier limited to a handful of aliases
- Best value tied to Proton Unlimited bundle
- Aliases that you forward FROM eventually expose your real address if you reply directly
Price: Free tier; paid Premium and Proton-bundle pricing
Sources: simplelogin.io, github.com
addy.io (formerly AnonAddy)
Open-source self-hostable email-alias service
The right pick when you want the self-host option or prefer to support an independent operator over a Proton-bundle.
Pros
- Open-source under AGPL — self-host possible
- Generous free tier compared to competitors
- Custom domain support
- Active development
Cons
- Smaller team than SimpleLogin/Proton
- Self-hosting requires real ops effort
- Brand rename from AnonAddy may confuse users searching the old name
Price: Free tier; paid for higher limits
Sources: addy.io
Apple Hide My Email
Apple users who already pay for iCloud+
Vastly underused by Apple users. If you already pay for iCloud+, this covers most personal needs without a separate service.
Pros
- Tight integration with iOS and macOS sign-up flows
- Long-lived aliases forwarding to your real email
- Included in iCloud+ paid tier you may already have
Cons
- Apple ecosystem only — no Windows or Android
- Aliases tied to your Apple ID
- Limited per-account alias count
Price: Included in iCloud+ at all paid tiers
Sources: support.apple.com
Maildrop
Genuinely throwaway one-use addresses with no signup
The right pick for one-time uses where you accept the address is public. Treat as ephemeral.
Pros
- Zero signup — pick any address and check the inbox in a browser
- Run by a real company (Heluna) rather than disappearing operators
- Long operating history compared to throwaway competitors
Cons
- Addresses are public — anyone who guesses your name can read your mail
- Not suitable for anything you want to keep receiving
- Many sign-up flows block known throwaway domains
Price: Free
Sources: maildrop.cc
Erine.email
Privacy-friendly disposable inbox with browser interface
Useful alternative to Maildrop when the maildrop.cc domain is blocked by a signup flow you're trying.
Pros
- Privacy-focused operator
- Browser-based interface for quickly checking received mail
- Useful when you need a throwaway that's slightly less obviously disposable
Cons
- Smaller scale than Maildrop
- Address known to mainstream blocking lists
- Operator continuity not guaranteed
Price: Free
Sources: erine.email
How we chose
- Alias type — long-lived forwarding versus one-shot disposable.
- Signup requirements for the service itself.
- Custom-domain support if you want aliases on your own domain.
- Spam handling — how does the service filter or reject obvious spam?
- Operating model — open-source self-host option preferred where possible.
- Provider stability — services in this category have a history of shutdowns.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an alias and a throwaway?
An alias is a long-lived address that forwards mail to your real inbox — useful for newsletter signups, account creation, and tracking which services leak your address. A throwaway is a one-shot address you check once and discard — useful for one-time verification emails where you don't want any ongoing relationship.
Will sites accept temporary email?
Many sign-up flows block known disposable-email domains. Long-lived aliases on SimpleLogin or addy.io are less likely to be blocked. Custom-domain aliases on your own domain bypass the block entirely.
How does Hide My Email work?
Apple generates a random address that forwards to your real iCloud address. The site sees only the random alias. You can disable any alias at any time, breaking the forward. Works only in Safari and apps that integrate with the system Sign in with Apple flow.
Are temporary emails private?
Long-lived aliases at SimpleLogin and addy.io protect your real address from sites you sign up with, but the provider sees mail in transit. Open-source self-hosted versions remove that exposure. Throwaway services are typically public — anyone can read mail sent to an address they know.
Why does this matter beyond convenience?
Email addresses are tracking identifiers. A unique alias per service lets you detect leaks (a forwarded address used by spammers reveals which service sold or leaked it). It also lets you cut off any single service without changing your real email everywhere.