# FlareMail vs cf-mail cf-mail is one Worker, one D1, and one R2. FlareMail is hosted, so that layout is not yours to provision. HTML: https://sendwithflare.com/articles/flaremail-vs-cf-mail/ **Keyword:** flaremail vs cf-mail **Audience:** someone who wants a small Cloudflare webmail and is reading the cf-mail README ## Short answer FlareMail is a web inbox for Cloudflare-powered email — a hosted multi-domain inbox, while cf-mail is a single-user Worker you run with one bearer token. First three domains are free; Pro is $10/month for 12 domains; Agency is $60/month unlimited. FlareMail vs cf-mail is hosted versus a one-Worker mailbox. cf-mail is self-hosted, MIT, with 6 GitHub stars. The author says it runs at xtxt.top. The layout is one Worker, one D1, and one R2, with catch-all Email Routing. Login is one bearer token, and it is single-user by design. FlareMail is an account you create, with FlareMail operating the stack. ## Hosted inbox or a stack you operate FlareMail is for people who already run on Cloudflare and do not want to provision the mail stack. You create an account, open the app, and connect a domain. The setup guide says about five minutes. One step sits outside the app: an Email Routing rule to the flaremail-api Worker. FlareMail operates the Worker, D1, and R2. cf-mail is the self-hosted path in this comparison. You clone it and you keep it running. That can be the right trade when the mail must live in your Cloudflare account, or when a feature below is the reason you are here. ## Side by side Same job, different operator. Price on the FlareMail side is the domain plan, not a claim that self-hosting is free. ## What the FlareMail screen actually is The inbox list above is the web app from this product, with obviously fake mail so the screenshot does not use a customer account. The sign-in form at app.sendwithflare.com is only the account door. It is not the inbox. ![FlareMail web app with a fictional message open from Northwind Booth](/assets/articles/flaremail-message.webp) *A message open in the FlareMail web app. The mail is fictional sample data (paperlantern.example), captured from this repo so the screenshot is the real UI.* ![FlareMail sign-in form at app.sendwithflare.com](/assets/articles/flaremail-signup.webp) *The public sign-in form at app.sendwithflare.com. Use it to create an account. It is not the inbox.* ## What cf-mail is actually good at cf-mail’s web client covers inbox, sent, archived, and spam, plus search, conversations, contacts, and a blocklist. Plus-addressing is included. Web Push and optional APNs are there, and agent mailboxes can use allowlists. There is no IMAP. Sending needs Workers Paid. The README says $5 a month with 3,000 emails a month included at time of writing. That is a clear personal server. It is also yours to keep online. FlareMail’s price is the published domain plan, not a Workers Paid line item you manage. ## Which one to pick Pick cf-mail when you want the bits in your account and you will operate them. Pick FlareMail when you want the inbox without becoming the person who provisions Worker, D1, and R2. Start on [onboarding](/onboarding/) and use the [setup guide](/help/setup-guide/). First three domains are free. Pro is $10/month for 12 domains, then $1 per extra domain. Agency is $60/month unlimited. ## Other FlareMail comparisons The same hosted-versus-self-host question, for the rest of the field: - [FlareMail vs Mailflare](/articles/flaremail-vs-mailflare/) - [FlareMail vs Agentic Inbox](/articles/flaremail-vs-agentic-inbox/) - [FlareMail vs Quickinbox](/articles/flaremail-vs-quickinbox/) - [FlareMail vs Orange Inbox](/articles/flaremail-vs-orange-inbox/) - [FlareMail vs Email Explorer](/articles/flaremail-vs-email-explorer/) - [FlareMail vs Postern](/articles/flaremail-vs-postern/) - [FlareMail vs Doota](/articles/flaremail-vs-doota/) - [FlareMail vs Reccado](/articles/flaremail-vs-reccado/) - [FlareMail vs cloudflare-email](/articles/flaremail-vs-cloudflare-email/) - [FlareMail vs AgentBox](/articles/flaremail-vs-agentbox/) Create an account on [onboarding](/onboarding/), then follow the [setup guide](/help/setup-guide/). The guide’s outside step is an Email Routing rule to the flaremail-api Worker. ## FAQ **Is cf-mail multi-user?** No. It is single-user by design. Login is one bearer token. **Does cf-mail include IMAP?** No. The README says there is no IMAP. **What does FlareMail cost?** First three domains are free. Pro is $10/month for 12 domains, then $1 per extra domain. Agency is $60/month unlimited. ## Related - [FlareMail vs Reccado](/articles/flaremail-vs-reccado/index.md) - [Cloudflare Email Routing IMAP: Does Cloudflare Support IMAP? What to Use Instead](/articles/cloudflare-email-routing-imap/index.md) - [Cloudflare Workers Email Client: A Better Front End for Worker-Handled Mail](/articles/cloudflare-workers-email-client/index.md) ## Start [Onboarding](https://sendwithflare.com/onboarding/) · [Pricing](https://sendwithflare.com/pricing.md) · [Setup guide](https://sendwithflare.com/help/setup-guide/)