Both handle custom domain email. The differences are under the hood:
DKIM alignment, DNS automation, and that “via” banner.
These are the things most comparison pages skip over.
SendMailAs generates a DKIM key pair for your domain and signs outgoing mail with it. Forward Email signs with their own domain (forwardemail.net). This matters because Gmail checks whether the DKIM signature matches the From address. When they don't match, Gmail may show a 'via' banner.
When Forward Email sends on your behalf, recipients using Gmail may see 'you@domain.com via forwardemail.net' in the sender line. This looks unprofessional for business email. SendMailAs signs with your domain directly, so recipients see clean headers with no third-party branding.
Forward Email requires you to manually add MX records, SPF TXT records, and DKIM CNAME records at your registrar. SendMailAs manages your DNS zone through Cloudflare automatically - you point nameservers once and all records are created for you. Fewer chances to misconfigure.
Forward Email's entire codebase is open-source on GitHub. You can audit the code, verify privacy claims, and self-host if you want. SendMailAs is closed-source. For users who prioritize transparency and auditability, this is a real advantage for Forward Email.
Forward Email offers encrypted SQLite mailbox storage (10 GB on paid plans), so you can use it as a full email provider with IMAP access. SendMailAs routes email to Gmail and doesn't store messages. If you need email storage outside Gmail, Forward Email supports that use case.
| Feature | SendMailAs$29/yr | Forward Email |
|---|---|---|
| Receive in Gmail | Yes - Receive in Gmail | Yes - Receive in Gmail |
| Send from Gmail | Yes - Send from Gmail | Paid only |
| DKIM signing | Your domain | Their domain |
| 'via' banner in Gmail | None | Shows 'via forwardemail.net' |
| DMARC alignment | Aligned (strict pass) | Unaligned |
| DNS setup | Automatic | Manual (MX, TXT, CNAME) |
| SPF configuration | Automatic | Manual TXT record |
| Multiple domains | Unlimited (Pro) | Unlimited (paid) |
| Email storage / mailbox | - | 10 GB (paid) |
| API access | - | Paid plans |
| Open-source | - | Yes - Open-source |
| Custom SMTP relay | Dedicated | Shared |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 15-30 minutes |
Both are affordable. Here's how they compare at different usage levels.
| Scenario | SendMailAs | Forward Email |
|---|---|---|
| Receive only, 1 domainBoth free for basic forwarding | Free | Free |
| Send + receive, 1 domainSendMailAs includes sending on free plan | Free | $36/yr |
| Send + receive, 5 domainsSendMailAs Pro is cheaper with more domains | $29/yr | $36/yr |
| Send + receive, 10 domainsSame price difference, but SendMailAs has auto-DNS | $29/yr | $36/yr |
Forward Email pricing: Enhanced Protection $3/mo, Team $9/mo. SendMailAs Pro: $29/yr flat. Prices as of April 2026.
Forward Email is a solid, privacy-focused service with genuine open-source credibility. If you want to self-host, need API access, or care deeply about source code auditability, it's a strong choice.
SendMailAs is purpose-built for one thing: getting custom domain email into Gmail with zero friction. Automatic DNS, aligned DKIM signatures on your domain, no “via” banner, and a 5-minute setup. If you just want you@yourdomain.com in Gmail without touching DNS records, that's what we built.
Both are good products for different priorities. We think ours is better for the Gmail-only use case. Forward Email is better if you want a full email platform.
When you send email through a third-party SMTP relay, Gmail may show 'via relay-domain.net' next to your name. This happens when the DKIM signature domain doesn't match your From address. Forward Email signs with their domain, so recipients may see 'via forwardemail.net'. SendMailAs signs with your domain directly, so no 'via' banner appears.
Forward Email signs outgoing emails with their own DKIM key (forwardemail.net). SendMailAs generates a unique DKIM key for your domain and signs outgoing mail with it. The difference: your domain's reputation builds independently with SendMailAs, and recipients see clean headers with no third-party branding.
Forward Email offers free email forwarding (receive only). To send email from your custom domain, you need their Enhanced Protection plan at $3/month ($36/yr). Their Team plan is $9/month ($108/yr). SendMailAs is free for 1 domain with 2 addresses (send and receive), and $29/yr for unlimited everything.
Yes. You manually add MX records, TXT records for SPF, and CNAME records for DKIM at your domain registrar. SendMailAs manages DNS automatically through Cloudflare - you just point your nameservers once and everything is configured for you.
Forward Email is fully open-source, which is genuinely impressive for an email service. Their codebase is public on GitHub. SendMailAs is not open-source. If open-source matters to you, Forward Email has a clear advantage here.
Yes. Both integrate with Gmail's 'Send mail as' feature. The setup process is similar - you configure SMTP credentials in Gmail settings. The difference is in how you get to that point: Forward Email requires manual DNS record configuration, while SendMailAs automates it.
Forward Email offers 10GB of encrypted SQLite mailbox storage on their Enhanced Protection plan. SendMailAs doesn't store email at all - messages route directly to your Gmail inbox, so you use Gmail's 15GB free storage. If you need a standalone mailbox separate from Gmail, Forward Email supports that.
Both configure SPF and DKIM for proper authentication. The key difference is DKIM alignment: SendMailAs signs with your domain (aligned DKIM), which passes strict DMARC checks. Forward Email signs with their domain, which may cause issues with recipients who enforce strict DMARC policies. For most recipients, both work fine.
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