Runbox secure email review

Eco-friendly secure email services from a world leader

Runbox review
(Image: © Runbox)

TechRadar Verdict

Runbox has been working in the secure email industry for over 20 years, and it shows. Its services are excellent, its prices are competitive, and overall, it’s a great option.

Pros

  • +

    Adheres to Norway’s strong data protection laws

  • +

    Uses IP address stripping

Cons

  • -

    No desktop or mobile apps available

  • -

    Mail isn’t encrypted when in your inbox

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Runbox is a Norwegian-based email service  and one of the best secure email providers with over 20 years of industry experience. It focuses on providing high-quality secure email for both business and personal users, and its services are backed by 100% renewable energy use. 

In our search for the best secure email providers, we decided to complete the following Runbox review. Below, you will find information about the company’s main features, prices, user interface, and everything else you need to know.

Runbox: Plans and pricing

Runbox has quite a complicated pricing structure with a number of different subscription levels. To get started, you will have to sign up for a Main Account, which comes with 100 email aliases and the ability to add sub-accounts. 

There are four main account plans. The Micro plan costs $19.95 per year and comes with 2GB of email storage and 200MB of secure file storage. Upgrading to a Mini plan ($34.95 per year) will give you 10GB of email storage, 1GB of file storage, and email hosting on up to five custom domains. 

The Medium plan ($49.95 per month) extends to 25GB of email storage, 2GB of file storage, and 10 custom domains. And finally, the Max plan ($79.95 per year) boasts 50GB of email storage, 5GB of file storage, and 25 custom email hosting domains. All plans come with a one-month free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee. 

Once you have a main account, integrated sub-accounts can be connected. Micro sub-accounts cost $7.95 per year, Mini cost $14.95 per year, Medium cost $24.95 per year, and Max cost $39.95 per year. These come with the same resources as their respective main accounts. 

And finally, you can add extra email or file storage to any plan for $9.95 per GB, per year, extra email hosting for $4.95 per domain, per year, and extra email aliases for $4.75 per pack of five, per year.

Runbox has quite a complicated pricing structure (Image credit: Runbox)

Runbox: Features

Like many secure email service providers, Runbox offers much more than just secure email services. It also comes with a powerful contact management center, secure cloud storage, and a secure calendar that you can use to plan your workday. 

What’s more, Runbox’s custom webmail interface is completely free of ads or data tracking. It uses a strong antivirus filter to protect your sensitive information. And the program is fully compatible with popular email clients including Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. 

Another interesting feature is Runbox’s use of 100% green energy. It runs its services with fully certified renewable energy generated via Norwegian hydropower stations, which will appeal to those who are looking for an eco-friendly email hosting option.

Runbox secure email is backed by a suite of extra features (Image credit: Runbox)

Runbox: Interface and in use

The Runbox user interface is tidy and intuitive. Different modules can be accessed via the menu bar at the top of the screen. The webmail interface is quite well set up, with an access menu on the left, a list of messages in the center, and a viewing window on the right. 

The calendar and file storage dashboards are also very easy to use, if a little simplistic. And finally, the contact center provides a great way to store and manage all of your personal and professional contact information.

The Runbox interface is beginner-friendly and intuitive (Image credit: Runbox)

Runbox: Support

Runbox’s support services are a little limited, but they are good enough to get the job done. Live support can be accessed by emailing the team or lodging a ticket via the online help center. You can also ask questions via the company’s Twitter account. 

There are also numerous self-help resources available. These include a selection of how-to guides detailing setup and management processes, along with comprehensive documentation covering the entire program and its uses.

Runbox offers a selection of support features (Image credit: Runbox)

Runbox: Security

Runbox’s secure email services are backed by the expected security features, including fully encrypted communications and TLS/SSL security. However, it doesn’t offer native end-to-end encryption, which will be a concern for many users. 

It also removes all IP addresses from outgoing emails, which is a crucial feature for those who wish to remain anonymous. You won’t have to provide any personal information when subscribing, which is also important. 

On top of this, Runbox uses strict access controls, including IP address whitelisting, to limit the people who can access your account. Two-factor authentication is available, and the spam and virus filters do a great job of protecting your account from hackers and other malicious third parties.

Runbox adheres to strict Norwegian data protection laws (Image credit: Runbox)

The competition

Zoho mail is one of the world’s most popular secure email service providers. It comes with a great free plan, additional features, and the ability to integrate with the entire Zoho ecosystem. In addition, it comes in at a much more affordable price than Runbox. 

Or if premium security is your main focus, ProtonMail is a great choice. It emphasizes email security and data protection and is regularly listed as the pinnacle of secure email services.

Final verdict

All things considered, Runbox is a tidy, reliable secure email service provider. It doesn’t stand out as exceptional, but it doesn’t have major flaws either. Its prices are great, and the 30-day free trial is a good option for those who like to try a service before they purchase it. 

On top of this, Runbox is backed by a selection of extra features, including secure file storage and a basic calendar. Its security tools are more than good enough, and its user interface is tidy and beginner friendly. 

The bottom line: We’d recommend testing Runbox if you’re looking for a decent secure email service provider with a great reputation for excellence.

Daniel Blechynden

Daniel is a freelance copywriter with over six years experience writing for publications such as TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, and Hosting Review. He specializes in B2B and B2C tech and finance, with a particular focus on VoIP, website building, web hosting, and other related fields.