What it does
Forward Email combines custom-domain aliases, hosted mailboxes, outgoing SMTP and synchronization. Hosted storage uses mailbox-password-keyed encryption. Its published code has file-specific MPL 2.0 and BUSL 1.1 licensing.
Forwarding and hosting are separate choices in Forward Email. A domain can route aliases to an existing inbox, while the hosted-mailbox option adds IMAP or POP3 storage. The homepage describes each hosted mailbox as a separate encrypted SQLite file keyed by its mailbox password; that is the provider’s documented storage design.
For a domain move, start by deciding whether messages should remain at the old provider or be stored here. The service also lists catch-all and regular-expression routing, multi-recipient forwarding and an API for managing domains and aliases. Its free forwarding offer and paid hosting/sending features should not be collapsed into one unlimited-free-mailbox claim.
Free forwarding rules live in the domain's DNS records, with an option to encrypt them. The paid plans keep forwarding rules out of DNS. Review that visibility when deciding where to put routing information.
Strengths
- Forwarding and hosted mailboxes can be selected as different workflows.
- Catch-all, regular-expression and multi-recipient routing are documented.
- A management API is available.
Best for
- Domain owners who need flexible mail routing and an optional hosted inbox
Sources
- Free Email Forwarding for Custom Domains - Open Source Email Service (Oct 26, 2026)
- Forward Email actual repository license (Oct 26, 2026)