Best Email Hosting · head-to-head
Google Workspace vs Fastmail
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for email hosting. Fastmail has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Google Workspace $7/mo vs Fastmail $4/mo — Fastmail is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Google Workspace No; Fastmail No.
- HIPAA: Google Workspace Yes; Fastmail No.
Side by side
| Google Workspace | Fastmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $7/mo (Business Starter) | $4/mo (Business Basic) |
| Free tier | No | No |
| HIPAA (BAA) | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 | Yes | — |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Teams already using Google Docs/Sheets/Slides ecosystem | Privacy-conscious individuals and small teams who do not handle PHI |
Sources — Google Workspace: workspace.google.com (verified 2026-06-13). Fastmail: fastmail.com (verified 2026-06-13).
Key features
Google Workspace: Custom domain Gmail with 99.9% uptime SLA; End-to-end S/MIME encryption (Business Plus and Enterprise); Gemini AI writing assistant built into Gmail; Spam/phishing/malware blocking (99.9% catch rate per vendor); Google Vault eDiscovery and retention (Business Plus+); DLP and data classification (Enterprise); SAML 2.0 SSO and 2-step verification; SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 certified; HIPAA BAA available via Admin console
Fastmail: Masked Email aliases for privacy (1Password integration); Spy pixel blocking and tracker removal; CalDAV/CardDAV for standards-based calendar and contact sync; Scheduled send, snooze, and undo send; Custom Sieve filter scripting for advanced email rules; Email retention archive for legal compliance (Business Professional); GDPR compliant with Standard Contractual Clauses for EU/UK data transfers; 30-day free trial with no credit card required