Ayamail vs Gmail: an honest comparison
Gmail is free, familiar and very good at what it does. So why look elsewhere? Most people who ask us are tired of ads in their inbox, or they want a safer first email address for their children. Here is how the two compare, with sources, and with the places where Gmail is simply the better choice.
The short answer
Choose Gmail if you want the most free storage, live inside Android and Google's other apps, or rely on add-ons built for Gmail. It is hard to beat on those points.
Choose Ayamail if you want email without ads, a family account where children under 15 only get mail from senders a parent has approved, and files, passwords and photos that are encrypted on your own device before they are stored. Ayamail is run by a small company, 3XAYA LTD in the UK, and our servers are with Hetzner in Germany.
Ayamail and Gmail side by side
Checked against Google's own help pages. See the sources at the bottom of the page.
As of 30 October 2026
| Ayamail | Gmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Ads in the inbox | No ads | Yes, ads appear in Gmail. Google says it does not read your messages to choose them |
| Free storage | Free plan with 3 GB | 15 GB, shared by Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos (Gmail wins) |
| Paid storage | Plus 50 GB, Unlimited 500 GB, Duo 1 TB for 2 people, Family 2 TB | Google One plans; prices vary by country |
| Family sharing | Family plan: 6 adults and 4 child accounts, 2 TB shared | Google One storage can be shared with up to 5 other people |
| Accounts for children | Own account from 15. Under 15, a parent creates a child account in the Family Center | Family Link accounts for children under 13 (or the age that applies in your country) |
| Parent approves who can write | Yes. Approved senders only is on by default; other mail goes to the parent instead | No approve list described. A sender can be blocked on the child's device |
| Mail in transit | TLS, and we require encrypted delivery from other mail servers | TLS on all messages; protection depends on the other side |
| Mail only the recipient can read | OpenPGP or a password-protected message | Client-side encryption in some business editions of Google Workspace |
| Files and photos encrypted on your device | Drive, Pass, Album and Docs | Not described for personal accounts |
| Where mail is stored | Our servers with Hetzner in Germany | Google data centres in Europe, the US, Asia and South America |
| Apps and add-ons | Mail, calendar, contacts, drive, pass, album and docs in one account | Very large ecosystem, deep Android integration (Gmail wins) |
Neither column is a promise about the future. Both services change. We update this page when we notice a change.
Ads and what happens to your data
Gmail is paid for by advertising. Google shows ads when you open Gmail and bases them on your activity while you are signed in to Google. Google states that it does not scan or read your messages to show you ads, and you can turn off ad personalisation. You will still see ads, just less targeted ones.
Ayamail is paid for by subscriptions. There are no ads in the inbox, in the free plan or in the paid ones, and we do not use tracking cookies on our website. That is the whole trade: with Gmail you get more for free, with Ayamail you pay with money rather than attention once you need more than 3 GB.
Children and families
This is where the two differ most. With Google Family Link a parent can create a Google Account for a child under 13. Google says it does not show ads in Gmail to these children and does not process their messages for advertising. The child cannot set up automatic forwarding, and a sender can be blocked on the child's device. Google's help page does not describe a way for parents to decide in advance who may write to the child.
In Ayamail the parent creates the child's account in the Family Center. Approved senders only is switched on from the start. Mail from anyone not on the list never reaches the child; it is passed to the parent instead, who can read it and approve the sender with one click. The family's own addresses are always approved. If you turn approved senders off as the child gets older, you can still ask for a copy of mail from new senders. From 15, a young person can have their own ordinary account.
Where Gmail is stronger
We would rather you choose the right service than the wrong one. Gmail is the better pick if these matter most to you:
- More free storage: 15 GB against our free plan with 3 GB.
- Deep integration with Android, Google Calendar, Meet, Maps and thousands of third-party add-ons.
- Mature apps on every platform, and almost everyone already knows how Gmail works.
- For large organisations, Google Workspace offers client-side encryption in some business editions.
Security, explained honestly
Your Ayamail mail is protected with an encrypted connection (TLS) to and from our servers, and we require encrypted delivery from other mail servers. Mail is stored on our own servers with Hetzner in Germany. It is not stored in a way that only you can read. If you want a message only the recipient can read, you can switch on OpenPGP or send a password-protected message.
Your files, photos, passwords and documents in Drive, Album, Pass and Docs are encrypted on your own device before they are stored. Only you have the key, and we cannot read them. Calendar and contacts can be encrypted too.
Gmail also uses TLS for messages in transit. Google stores data in data centres in several countries, including Germany, Ireland, the US and others. If you need email that the provider can never read, neither Gmail nor Ayamail's standard mailbox is the right tool; there are services built for exactly that.
Moving from Gmail to Ayamail
Create your account
Start with the free plan with 3 GB, or pick a plan that fits your family.
Import your mail over IMAP
Sign in to Gmail from Ayamail's import. Folders, labels and attachments come across, and your Gmail account stays untouched.
Forward while you switch
Turn on forwarding in Gmail so nothing is missed while you tell people your new address.
See what Ayamail costs where you live
Prices depend on your country and are shown in your currency on the pricing page.
One account for the whole family
Six adults and four child accounts with approved senders, managed in the Family Center.
Ready to leave Gmail?
Our step-by-step guide shows how to move mail, contacts and calendar without losing anything.
What is encrypted, and what is not
A plain explanation of TLS, OpenPGP, password-protected messages and encryption on your device.
Questions and answers
- Is Ayamail a good alternative to Gmail?
- Yes, if you want email without ads and a family account with child accounts and approved senders. If you mainly want the most free storage or tight integration with Android, Gmail is the stronger choice.
- Is Ayamail free?
- There is a free plan with 3 GB. Paid plans give more storage and family features. Prices depend on your country and are on the pricing page.
- Is email in Ayamail encrypted?
- Mail is protected with TLS on the way to and from our servers and stored with Hetzner in Germany. It is not stored so that only you can read it. You can use OpenPGP or a password-protected message when only the recipient should be able to read it.
- Can I bring my Gmail messages with me?
- Yes. You import them over IMAP, with folders and labels, and your Gmail account stays as it is until you decide to close it.
- Can my child under 13 use Gmail?
- With Google Family Link a parent can create a Google Account for a child under 13, or the age that applies in your country. In Ayamail, children under 15 get a child account that a parent creates and manages.
Sources
- Google: Ads in Gmail (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google One: How your storage is shared (15 GB) (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google: Create a Google Account for your child (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google: Gmail and your child's Google Account (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google One: Share storage with your family (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google: Data centre locations (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google: Email encryption in transit (Checked 30 October 2026)
- Google Workspace: About client-side encryption (Checked 30 October 2026)