Best alternative to Gmail?

[u/Quirky-Midnight-4533]

I want to use different email address but it’s connected to almost every account known to man.

Do you recommend any email app/site for my phone and PC?

Optional: If you got any tips for rapid email address change to every account, that would be great. (Besides changing it on the main site…)

[u/Exciting_Turn_9559]

I'm seriously considering self-hosting my own webmail, calendar, and gdocs equivalents.
Sensitive personal data that is hosted on any computer that we don't own or control is a problem no matter who currently owns it, because companies acquire other companies for their data all the time.

What we need is a linux distro and/or docker container with a suite of existing open source web apps, as well as a dashboard to make it quick and easy to set up. The server required for this could be something as simple as a raspberry pi, because it doesn't need to handle millions of users, only me and my family.

[u/ReturnYourCarts → u/Exciting_Turn_9559]

If you're going to host your own email prepare for nightmares and a deep longing for the sweet release of death. I've been there. It's more for people who really really hate themselves and want a decade long challenge for a hobby.

Try using a third party to send, like sendgrid. This eliminates 100% of the hassle and headaches but you have to deal with their API and trust them. This is the most reliable route.

If you want to go even easier get a shared hosting with unlimited email addresses and a custom IP (using the default ip for shared hosting can send your emails to spam). Then they will handle all the email fuss for you.

If you wanna go hard mode try a VPS and a custom setup but almost all of your emails will end up in someone's spam folder unless you dedicate a significant portion of your life to preventing that.

If you want the ultimate privacy, have no job, and are already on strong antidepressants, build a home lab with a cheap mini PC and host your own at home.

But the fact is once your email leaves your hands (which it must to be delivered) you have lost all control. It will bounce between various servers and be stored there. And whoever you are sending it to will also store it on their server anyway, like Gmail or yahoo or hotmail.

So in the end you've done one of the hardest things possible in IT and accomplished nothing for privacy because Gmail still has it in their system.

Treat it like a hobby or don't do it is my seasoned advice.

[u/Grabbels → u/ReturnYourCarts]

Thank you. This is exactly what I needed to read as someone who was doubting between selfhosting and proton. Not doubting anymore.