SimpleLogin vs Inboxto: Email Alias or Temporary Inbox?
The SimpleLogin vs Inboxto choice is mainly about where you want new mail to land. SimpleLogin creates an email alias that forwards messages into a mailbox you already own. Inboxto creates a separate private inbox that you read directly, with no registration required to start. Choose SimpleLogin when you want masked addresses, forwarding, and replies inside your normal email routine. Choose Inboxto when you want the signup address and its messages kept outside your primary mailbox.
The category difference in one table
The comparison below reflects the public SimpleLogin and Inboxto product pages reviewed on September 9, 2026. Plans and limits can change, so check the linked official pages before paying.
| Question | SimpleLogin | Inboxto |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Alias that forwards to a connected mailbox | Separate inbox read directly |
| Registration | Account required | No registration required to start; optional sign-in for sync and Premium |
| Primary mailbox in the flow | Yes, as the forwarding destination | No linked mailbox required for the basic inbox |
| Address lifetime | Aliases remain until the user deletes them | Addresses remain active until the user deletes them |
| Reply or send | Reply from an alias; starting a new message from an alias is Premium | Receive-focused; no equivalent reply-from-alias workflow is advertised |
| Open source and self-hosting | Open source and self-hostable | Not positioned as a self-hosted alias platform |
| Custom domains | Unlimited custom domains on Premium | Custom domains on Premium |
| PGP | PGP encryption on Premium | No PGP feature advertised on the current public page |
| Free plan | 10 aliases and 1 mailbox | 3 persistent addresses, 7-day regular-message retention, 5 permanent Stars |
| Paid plan shown today | $36/year or $4 billed monthly | $67.99/year or $6.99 billed monthly |
| Distinctive access | Browser extensions and mobile apps | Direct web inbox and Telegram Mini App |
The key is not the longest feature list. It is whether forwarding into an existing mailbox is a benefit or a boundary you want to avoid.
How SimpleLogin works: aliases in front of your mailbox
SimpleLogin asks you to create an account and connect at least one destination mailbox. You then give each site an alias instead of your real email address. Messages sent to the alias are forwarded to the mailbox you selected, while the sender does not receive your destination address.
That model fits people who already trust their email provider and want one place to read everything. If an alias starts attracting spam, you can disable or delete it without changing your primary address. SimpleLogin also supports replies: replying to a forwarded message sends through a reverse alias so the correspondent continues to see the alias rather than your real address.
Its current official pricing page lists 10 aliases, reply-from-alias, and one mailbox on the free plan. Premium currently lists unlimited aliases, custom domains, unlimited mailboxes, PGP encryption, and the ability to initiate a message from an alias. SimpleLogin is open source, can be self-hosted, and is a Proton product.
SimpleLogin itself says it is not a throwaway mail service. Its documentation notes that an account is required, aliases are unique and permanent until deleted, and using multiple accounts on the same external service is restricted by its terms. Treat it as durable email infrastructure, not as a disposable-address loophole.
How Inboxto works: a separate inbox you open directly
Inboxto starts from the opposite mental model. It generates a private address without requiring registration, and messages appear in an inbox you open directly. Nothing needs to forward into Gmail, Proton Mail, Outlook, or another personal mailbox. Optional sign-in is available for cross-device synchronization and Premium features, but it is not required to create the initial address.
An Inboxto address is persistent until you delete it, but ordinary messages are not retained forever by default. The current free plan lists three persistent addresses, seven-day retention for regular messages, and five messages that can be Starred for permanent storage. Premium lists unlimited persistent addresses, 90-day regular-message retention, unlimited permanent Stars, automatic AI summaries, custom addresses, custom domains, and API access.
That selective-retention design is different from both an alias and a classic ten-minute inbox. You can keep the receiving address for a later verification or recovery message while allowing routine mail to expire. If one receipt or confirmation matters, Star that message instead of turning every newsletter into a permanent archive.
Inboxto is receive-focused. Its current public product page does not advertise sending or replying from the generated address. If a conversation must continue from the masked address, SimpleLogin has the more complete workflow. If the goal is to read incoming mail without connecting a personal mailbox, Inboxto has the cleaner boundary.
First-hand editorial check: trace the delivery path
Inboxto editorial observation, September 9, 2026: We reviewed both live product paths before publishing. The most useful test was not counting features; it was drawing where one message travels. In SimpleLogin, the path is
sender -> alias -> connected mailbox. In Inboxto, it issender -> separate Inboxto inbox. That one diagram explains most of the practical choice.
SimpleLogin centralizes attention and supports replies; Inboxto isolates attention until you intentionally open its inbox. Both preserve addresses, and neither overrides a sender's rules.
For a broader explanation of these categories, read email alias vs temporary email fundamentals. The 2026 privacy-email service comparison also places aliases, public disposable inboxes, private testing tools, and persistent privacy inboxes side by side.
Privacy and recovery tradeoffs
An alias can hide your primary address from the website using it, but the destination mailbox remains part of the delivery chain. Your normal spam filters, search, backups, and mail client still apply. SimpleLogin's Premium PGP option can encrypt forwarded messages before they reach the mailbox, but it remains a forwarded-mail workflow.
A standalone inbox keeps that traffic out of the primary mailbox, but separation creates another place to manage. You must retain access to the address and remember where important messages live. Inboxto reduces the classic disposable-mail recovery risk by keeping addresses persistent, yet regular-message retention still matters. Star records you may need, and never make a low-assurance privacy inbox the only recovery channel for banking, healthcare, taxes, work administration, or a primary identity account.
If your main concern is broader inbox hygiene rather than product selection, use the email privacy best-practices checklist. It explains why address separation helps without pretending an alternate address makes every account anonymous.
Which one should you choose?
Choose SimpleLogin when:
- you want all mail delivered into an existing mailbox;
- replying or sending from the alias matters;
- open-source software or self-hosting is a requirement;
- you want browser extensions, multiple destination mailboxes, PGP, or mature alias controls; or
- you already use Proton products and value that integration.
Choose Inboxto when:
- you want a separate inbox rather than another route into your real mailbox;
- you want to start without creating an account;
- you need a persistent receiving address but only selective long-term message storage;
- Telegram access and AI summaries help you triage incoming mail; or
- you need a private receiving surface for a legitimate signup or smaller authorized test workflow.
For mobile access details, see how the Inboxto inbox works inside Telegram. Developers comparing custom domains and programmatic inbox access can use the Inboxto API and custom-domain guide.
The honest verdict
SimpleLogin is stronger when the alias should be a privacy layer over email you already use. Forwarding, replies, PGP, open-source code, and self-hosting make it a serious long-term alias system, not temporary mail.
Inboxto is stronger when you do not want your primary mailbox in the path. It provides a private persistent receiving address and direct inbox without mandatory registration, plus selective retention and Telegram access.
Use either service only for legitimate activity and follow the destination site's terms. Neither supports bypassing identity checks, account limits, or domain restrictions, and Inboxto provides email rather than SMS.
Open a separate Inboxto inbox when isolation is the requirement. Choose SimpleLogin when forwarding and reply-from-alias are the requirement. The right answer follows the mail path, not the marketing category.