Fastmail replaced gmail and i never come back

I had the digital equivalent of an epiphany here during the day. I opened the inbox and then … e -post. Only e -mail. There were no ads, no AI-generated summaries and no questions. It was a strange, but welcome, feeling after many years of use of gmail. Checking my inbox no longer felt like an argument with an algorithm. That’s because I switched to Fast -mail Earlier this year.

It all began when I started to distance myself from American big tech Platforms, where Google is high on the list. I wanted something more private and more personal, with less bloating. Fastmail, an Australian company, caught my gaze as a well -considered alternative to Gmail. Six months inside I’m sure I made the right choice.

It wasn’t just because Gmail is part of a large monopolistic American technical company. It wasn’t just the insane data volumes that collected. It was the messy user interface and pressed against AI-driven features I never asked for.

Google CalendarMeanwhile, its job is doing, but has begun to feel that it is trying to be something more than it is. Gemini turns more and more in the calendar and tries to be useful, but get in the way.

Everything felt more business than personal. What I wanted was a fast, private e -mail that respected my time and let me work. I wanted a calendar that synchronized 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 hedges, and I cannot afford to miss an interview with a topic or important follow -up with a client. The reliability was not negotiable. Proton was out.

Fast mail handles all my e -mail needs. The interface is clean and responsive. No tabs, no promotions. Only e -post. I can choose between a folder or tag structure, and I went with tags. It’s one of the things I like with gmail.

The FastMail app is more than just e -mail. There is a roller blind in the upper left that allows me to switch to calendar, contacts, notes and even a shooting. The base plan comes with 50 GB of storage, which is not bad for $ 60 a year.

The built -in calendar has been surprisingly strong. It is perfectly synchronized with the e -mail page of the app, so that appointments and meetings can be quickly added. I can share calendar events with others, even if they do not use a fixedmail, and it looks good too.

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

Notes are simple, but they work and are synchronized immediately between all devices. However, they are not as powerful or fast as Google KeepSo I still use it as my primary note -making app. That being said, I was not looking for compensation for notes.

The biggest gain in my life has been security. Fastmail does not track me. My messages are not profiled, and FastMail is not trying to sell me anything. I pay it once a year and it delivers my e -posts.

I also got reliability. Everything feels faster, with messages that are loaded immediately and folders respond immediately. The search works well. There is no AI engine or smart features getting in the way.

Fastmail gives me control. I have control over my e -post and my calendar, and I can decide how things look and behave. That type of ownership is animal rarely in modern digital services.

Nothing is perfect. Notes are barbons, and as I said, I don’t use it often. It is certainly not a substitute for Keep. There is no deep integration with voting assistants, who can be an agreement for some. I’m fine with it myself.

There is also a learning curve when it comes to setting it up. I use a custom domain and had to mess with the host’s MX posts, which I know little about. However, when set up, it stayed out of the way.

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

It is a private and reliable alternative to Google’s apps. Sure, not all AI watches and whistles, but I see it as a point of sale.

I’m still using Google Keep and I’m fine. I did not intend to replace it, and the built -in note feature that comes with FastMail is more an added bonus than a core feature for me. This was about finding tools that were not American and respected my time and privacy. Fastmail has done just that.

Fastmail is more than skilled if you want to move away from the major technological oligopolies. You do not need to sacrifice ease of use, because FastMail does not try to be good. It just does its job well.