Mailo: Privacy-Focused Email Service from France
In an era where email providers scan content for ads and data sales, Mailo stands out. This French service keeps all user data on servers within France, promising no reading, using, or selling of personal information. Operated by SAS Mailo since its rebranding in 2019, it serves individuals, families, schools, and businesses with a suite of tools beyond just email. Over 25 years in operation trace back to its origins in 1998, when founders Pascal Voyat and Philippe Lenoir launched Francemail—a multilingual service accessible via web, Minitel, and phone. Today, headquartered in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés near Paris, Mailo emphasizes ethical practices amid rising concerns over U.S.-based giants' data handling. Its freemium model starts free with 1 GB storage, scaling to premium plans from €1 per month. Specialized offerings like Mailo Junior for children add layers for safe digital communication.
What is Mailo?
Mailo runs as a full webmail platform from SAS Mailo, based in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés in France's Val-de-Marne region. It began in 1998 as Francemail, created by Pascal Voyat and Philippe Lenoir. That service supported French-language email through Internet, Minitel dial-up, and even phone access. Renamed FranceMel in 1999, it was bought by Lagardère Group and became NetCourrier. The founders bought it back in 2007 via Mail Object, rolling out a Web 2.0 interface by 2008. Family and child services arrived in 2010, now branded Mailo Junior and Family. Further changes saw it as Net-C in 2012, absorbing services like Alinto's consumer emails in 2015 and Mailoo.org in 2019 before settling on Mailo.
The core is secure webmail supporting POP, IMAP, and Exchange ActiveSync for syncing across devices. Users get calendars, virtual disk for cloud storage, photo albums, and dedicated apps for iOS and Android. Security comes via partnership with Vade Secure, blocking viruses, spam, and phishing. Data stays on French soil only, with strict no-scan policies and full GDPR adherence. Mailo pitches itself as a European counter to American providers.
Pricing follows freemium: free offers 1 GB email storage, 500 MB cloud, five aliases, and non-intrusive ads. Premium starts at €1 monthly for 20 GB email, 5 GB cloud (expandable to 500 GB), 100 aliases, no ads, and priority support. Options include Mailo Junior for ages 6-14 with parental controls, Mailo Pro for businesses, Mailo Edu free for schools, and Family packs. Extras cover domain registration and hosting. Migration tools ease switches from other providers, supporting PGP encryption and custom domains. In 2015, Mailo bid (unsuccessfully) to take over 500,000 Voila.fr users from Orange, underscoring its focus on continuity.
Who Uses Mailo?
Mailo appeals to privacy-aware individuals wary of data harvesting by big tech. Families adopt it for shared calendars and safe tools, especially Mailo Family packs. Parents choose Mailo Junior to supervise kids' emails without full monitoring. Educators and schools get Mailo Edu, free for primary and secondary levels with cloud perks. Small businesses, associations, and municipalities turn to Mailo Pro for professional-grade email without U.S. jurisdiction risks. Its French roots suit EU users needing local compliance. While no public client list exists, its 25-year track record and migrations like Alinto suggest steady adoption among continuity-focused groups.
European Advantage
Mailo's French servers guarantee data sovereignty under EU rules. Headquartered in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, the team operates entirely in Europe, avoiding U.S. laws like CLOUD Act that compel data handover. GDPR compliance is core, with transparent policies: no message reading or selling. As a Privacy Tech member and French Tech participant, it prioritizes ethical data handling. This setup offers reassurance for EU residents and orgs handling sensitive info, contrasting offshore storage by global providers.
How Mailo Compares
Mailo positions against ProtonMail, which also stresses privacy but uses Swiss servers and end-to-end encryption by default—Mailo opts for optional PGP and focuses on French locality. Gmail and Outlook.com dominate with vast ecosystems but scan emails for ads and face U.S. oversight; Mailo avoids this with no-scanning and EU hosting. Free tiers match Gmail's storage but add cloud/calendar without trackers. Premium pricing undercuts Proton's for similar capacity, targeting families and SMBs over Proton's tech-heavy users.
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Mailo, from France, offers Mailo is a privacy-focused French webmail service providing secure email, calendar, cloud storage, and collaboration tools for individuals, families, children, and professionals.