Fastmail replaced my Gmail and I’m never going back

I had the digital equivalent of an epiphany the other day. I opened my inbox and saw…email. Only email. There were no ads, no AI-generated summaries, and no prompts. It was a strange, yet welcome, feeling after years of using Gmail. Checking my inbox no longer felt like an argument with an algorithm. That’s because I switched to Fastmail earlier this year.

It all began when I started distancing myself from American big tech platforms, where Google sits high on the list. I wanted something more private and more personal, with less bloat. Fastmail, an Australian company, caught my eye as a well-regarded alternative to Gmail. Six months in, I am confident I made the right choice.

It wasn’t only because Gmail is part of a big monopolistic American tech corporation. It wasn’t only the insane amounts of data it collected. It was the cluttered UI and the push towards AI-driven features I never asked for.

Google Calendar, meanwhile, does its job, but has begun to feel like it’s trying to be something more than it is. Gemini is snooping more and more in Calendar, trying to be helpful but getting in the way.

All of it felt more corporate than personal. What I wanted was a fast, private email that respected my time and let me work. I wanted a calendar that synced reliably across platforms without becoming another vector for distraction.

I seriously considered Proton Mail. I have great respect for what the company is building. However, I have heard from others about occasional delivery hiccups, and I can’t afford to miss an interview with a subject or an important follow-up with a client. Reliability was non-negotiable. Proton was out.

Fastmail handles all my email needs. The interface is clean and responsive. No tabs, no promotions. Just email.  I can choose between a folder or tag structure, and I went with tags. It’s one of the things I enjoy about Gmail.

The Fastmail app is more than just email. There’s a dropdown in the top left that allows me to switch to Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and even a cloud drive. The base plan comes with 50GB of storage, which isn’t bad for $60 a year.

The built-in calendar has been surprisingly strong. It syncs perfectly with the email side of the app, so appointments and meetings can be quickly added. I can share calendar events with others, even if they don’t use Fastmail, and it looks great, as well.

One feature I didn’t expect to appreciate so much was the filtering system. I can control exactly how messages are sorted and what gets archived and flagged. It’s like Gmail’s labels, but with the user in mind.

Notes are simple, but they work, and sync instantly between all devices. However, they’re not as powerful or quick as Google Keep, so I still use that as my primary notetaking app. That said, I wasn’t looking for a notes replacement.

The biggest gain in my life has been peace of mind. Fastmail isn’t tracking me. My messages aren’t being profiled, and Fastmail isn’t trying to sell me anything. I pay it once a year, and it delivers my emails.

I also gained reliability. Everything feels faster, with messages loading instantly and folders responding immediately. The search works great. There’s no AI engine or smart features getting in the way.

Fastmail gives me control. I have control over my email and my calendar, and I can decide how things look and behave. That kind of ownership is preciously rare in modern digital services.

Nothing is perfect. Notes are barebones, and like I said, I don’t use it often. It’s certainly not a replacement for Keep. There’s no deep integration with voice assistants, which could be a dealbreaker for some. I’m okay with it myself.

There’s also a learning curve when it comes to setting it up. I use a custom domain and had to mess around with my host’s MX records, something I know little about. Once set up, however, it stayed out of the way.

And it’s not free. In this case, I’m happy to pay for something that works. I don’t like being the product, after all.

It’s a private and reliable alternative to Google’s suite of apps. Sure, it doesn’t have all the AI bells and whistles, but I see that as a selling point.

I still use Google Keep, and I’m fine with that. I didn’t set out to replace it, and the built-in notes feature that comes with Fastmail is more of an added bonus than a core feature for me. This was about finding tools that weren’t American and respected my time and privacy. Fastmail has done exactly that.

Fastmail is more than capable if you’re looking to step away from the big tech oligopolies. You don’t need to sacrifice usability, because Fastmail isn’t trying to be clever. It just does its job well.