How to free your email from the clutches of Google or Microsoft

Moving email away from Google or Microsoft means separating the address from the provider: email is decentralized, and anyone can use a domain they own with a provider of their choice. A domain typically costs $10-15 a year, while smaller independent services offer more control and fewer ties to a single tech company. The switch involves copying provider-supplied DNS records into the domain’s settings and transferring existing messages, which can be done with the Imapsync tool. The writer also argues that choosing a provider is a practical decision: privacy and independence matter, but so do speed, support for calendar invitations, and the tools available for everyday use.

The writer first moved more than 70,000 messages from iCloud+ to Purelymail, attracted by its $10 annual flat fee for unlimited inboxes. The migration was slow, and Purelymail’s CalDAV calendar support does not handle invitations, so the writer switched again to Migadu. Migadu supports invitations and costs $19 a year on its Micro plan, though its webmail and browser-based calendar and contact tools are basic. Calendar and contacts were exported as standard ICS and VCF files, and Thunderbird replaced Apple’s Mail, Calendar, and Reminders apps. The writer is satisfied with Migadu’s restrained approach and clear limits, preferring a dependable service focused on serving users over one driven by expansion or new features.