- Temporary email services at a glance
- Ten temporary email services
- Spotting phishing with a separate address
- Throwaway inbox or alias forwarding?
- Never use a throwaway address for these
- Signs an address has been leaked
- Plus addressing and catch-all domains
- My plain advice on choosing a temporary email
- Frequently asked questions
The best temporary email depends on whether you need an address for ten minutes or for years. Throwaway inboxes are perfect for a one-off download; alias services forward mail to your real inbox and let you switch an address off if it starts getting spam. Ten services follow in no particular order.
Every free download, coupon and newsletter wants your email address, and once it's out there you can't take it back. A temporary or masked address keeps your real inbox clean and makes it obvious which company shared or leaked your details.
The ten services below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, mixing instant throwaway inboxes with longer-term alias tools. Each description comes from the service's own site or help pages, re-checked this week. If your own emails keep landing in junk, my guide to why emails get marked as spam explains what's going on.
Temporary email services at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the service's own site describes free use, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read. Several services sell optional upgrades on top.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Minute Mail | Throwaway inbox | Very short sign-ups | Yes |
| addy.io | Alias forwarder | Aliases you can switch off | Yes |
| DuckDuckGo Email Protection | Alias forwarder | Removing email trackers | Yes |
| EmailOnDeck | Throwaway inbox | Two-step temp addresses | Yes |
| Firefox Relay | Alias forwarder | A few masks for key sites | Yes |
| Guerrilla Mail | Throwaway inbox | Long-running disposable inbox | Yes |
| Maildrop | Throwaway inbox | Making up an address on the spot | Yes |
| Mailinator | Public inbox | Testing sign-up emails | Yes |
| SimpleLogin | Alias forwarder | Long-term private aliases | Yes |
| Temp Mail | Throwaway inbox | Instant throwaway addresses | Yes |
Ten temporary email services
10 Minute Mail
Best for: Quick sign-ups where you only need one confirmation email in the next few minutes, then never again.
addy.io
Best for: People who want a different alias for every site, forwarded to their real inbox, and switched off if it leaks.
DuckDuckGo Email Protection
Best for: DuckDuckGo users who want private addresses on the fly and hidden trackers stripped out of forwarded mail.
EmailOnDeck
Best for: People who want a disposable address in two quick steps and like that emails are regularly deleted.
Firefox Relay
Best for: Firefox users who want a handful of reusable masks for important sign-ups, with a browser extension to fill them in.
Guerrilla Mail
Best for: Old hands who want a long-running disposable inbox that also lets you send a reply if you need to.
Maildrop
Best for: Anyone who wants to make up an address on the spot and check it later, with no account at all.
Mailinator
Best for: Developers and testers who want public inboxes they can check from anywhere while testing sign-up flows.
SimpleLogin
Best for: Privacy-minded people who want long-term aliases that protect their real inbox from spam and phishing.
Temp Mail
Best for: Anyone who wants an address that's ready the moment the page loads, with a self-destructing inbox.
Spotting phishing with a separate address
The FTC says scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers, often with messages that look like they're from a company you know or trust.
What that means for you: giving each site its own alias turns your inbox into an early warning system. If a 'bank' email arrives at the address you only gave a shoe shop, you know it's fake before you read a word.
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Throwaway inbox or alias forwarding?
Throwaway inboxes create an address instantly with no account, and the mail disappears after a while. Some are public, so anyone who guesses the address can read it. Alias services create addresses that forward to your real inbox, keep working for as long as you like and can be switched off with one click.
Use throwaway inboxes for things you'll never need again. Use aliases for accounts you'll keep, like shops, apps and newsletters.
Never use a throwaway address for these
- Bank, card or payment accounts.
- Anything you might need to recover with a reset email.
- Healthcare, government or tax services.
- Work accounts or client communication.
- Shopping where you'll need order updates.
- Any service holding documents you can't afford to lose.
Signs an address has been leaked
- Spam to one alias. Points straight at the company that leaked it.
- Phishing to an old alias. Switch it off and move on.
- Password reset emails you didn't request. Change that account's password.
- Unknown newsletters. Your address may have been sold or shared.
Plus addressing and catch-all domains
Before you sign up for any service, it's worth knowing two tricks you may already have. Many email providers let you add a plus sign and a word after your username, so mail still reaches you but you can see where it came from.
The catch is that it's easy for a website to strip the extra part and find your real address. Alias services hide your real address completely, which is why they're the stronger option for anything you'll keep.
If you own a domain for your business, you can also set up a catch-all address that accepts mail to any name. It's flexible, but it can collect a lot of spam, so filter it carefully.
Do you make a temporary email service? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing a temporary email
Keep a throwaway inbox bookmarked for one-off downloads, and set up an alias service for everything else you sign up to. That combination keeps spam out of your main inbox while making sure you never lose access to an account you care about.
Remember that public throwaway inboxes really are public, so never send anything private to one. For other ways to keep your personal details separate, see my review of whether Burner is safe for second phone numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best temporary email?
A throwaway inbox for one-off sign-ups, or an alias service if you want addresses that keep working and forward to your real inbox.
Are temporary email addresses safe?
They're safe for low-stakes sign-ups. Some throwaway inboxes are public, so don't use them for anything private.
What's the difference between a temporary email and an alias?
A temporary email expires. An alias forwards mail to your real inbox until you switch it off.
Can I reply from a temporary email?
Some services let you send or reply. Many throwaway inboxes only receive.
Will websites block temporary email addresses?
Some do. Alias services usually look like ordinary addresses and are blocked less often.
Is there a free temporary email with no sign-up?
Yes. Several throwaway inboxes here work instantly with no account.
