Compare custom-domain email
A Cloudflare Email Routing alternative that keeps the mail
Cloudflare Email Routing is a free way to receive at your own domain: it forwards each message to an address you have verified, or hands it to a Worker. Free Domain Mail does not forward. It keeps mail for every address at your domain in a private inbox you read on the web or through an API, which suits sign-ups and automated tests.
Cloudflare details checked on 28 October 2026 · Free, unlimited domains · Receive-only
Moving a domain or subdomain from Email Routing
- Pick the domain or subdomain. MX records decide where all of a name's mail goes, so a given domain or subdomain uses either Email Routing or Free Domain Mail, not both.
- Disable Email Routing for it. Otherwise Cloudflare keeps its own MX records and keeps forwarding.
- Add two DNS records. A TXT record at _maildock-verify and an MX record for mx.freedomainmail.com, both DNS only.
- Read mail or call the API. Every address at the name now lands in your private inbox, kept for 30 days.
Free Domain Mail vs Cloudflare Email Routing
| Free Domain Mail | Cloudflare Email Routing | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, unlimited domains, no paid plans | Free (available on Cloudflare's Free and paid plans) |
| What happens to mail | Kept in your inbox for 30 days | Forwarded to a verified destination address, or processed by a Worker |
| Catch-all | Yes, on domains and subdomains | Yes, to a single destination; catch-all supports apex domains only |
| DNS provider | Any provider where you can add TXT and MX records | The domain must use Cloudflare DNS |
| Read codes and links through an API | Yes | Through your own Worker code |
| Limits | Daily cap on adding new domains | 200 routing rules per domain, 200 destination addresses per account, 25 MiB per message |
| Send from your domain | No, receive-only | Email Sending is in beta; sending to any recipient needs the Workers Paid plan |
When Email Routing is the better choice
If you want mail to your domain to land in the inbox you already use, such as Gmail, Email Routing does exactly that, and it is free. It is also the natural choice when you want to process messages with your own Worker code.
When Free Domain Mail is the better choice
Pick Free Domain Mail when you do not want throwaway sign-ups and verification emails mixed into your main inbox, when you need to read codes or links from code through an API, when you want a catch-all on a subdomain, or when your domain's DNS is not on Cloudflare.
You can use both on one domain by splitting names: keep Email Routing on the apex domain and point a subdomain such as signups.yourdomain.com to Free Domain Mail.
How we compared
Cloudflare details come from the Email Routing documentation (developers.cloudflare.com/email-routing, including its limits and email addresses pages), read on 28 October 2026. Plans and limits change, so check Cloudflare's documentation before you decide. Free Domain Mail is not affiliated with Cloudflare; Cloudflare is a trademark of its owner.
Common questions
Can I use Email Routing and Free Domain Mail on the same domain?
Not on the same name: its MX records point to one service. Use a subdomain for Free Domain Mail and keep Email Routing on the main domain.
Does Free Domain Mail forward to Gmail?
No. It never forwards or sends mail. Mail stays in your Free Domain Mail inbox for 30 days.
Does my domain need to be on Cloudflare?
No. Any DNS provider works, as long as you can add a TXT and an MX record. If it is on Cloudflare, the records must be DNS only.
Is it free?
Yes. There are no paid plans: connect as many custom domains as you own. Anti-abuse limits, such as a daily cap on new domains, still apply.