plainmailCloudflare Email Routing alternatives that can reply
Prices checked November 8, 2026
Email Routing forwards mail to an inbox you already have, but replies go out from that inbox's address. To reply as hello@yourdomain you need a real mailbox or an SMTP sender. Plainmail is a real mailbox for $5 a month that writes its records into Cloudflare DNS in one click.
The options
| Replies from your domain | Cost | Setup | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainmail | Yes, from any mail app or the web inbox | $5 a month for 50 domains | One click on Cloudflare |
| Gmail "Send mail as" plus an SMTP relay | Yes, if the relay signs DKIM for your domain | Relay pricing varies | Relay account, DNS records, Gmail settings for each address |
| Purelymail or Migadu | Yes | From about $10 a year | Records by hand at Cloudflare |
| Google Workspace | Yes | $7 to $8.40 per user a month | Records by hand |
Why replies from forwarding fail
A reply sent from your personal Gmail with "Send mail as" but no relay goes out from Google's servers for a domain that hasn't authorized them. Receivers check SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and an unaligned message lands in spam or is rejected. A real mailbox host signs every message with DKIM for your domain.
Switching a domain from Email Routing to Plainmail
- Add the domain in Plainmail and create your addresses.
- Disable Email Routing for that domain in the Cloudflare dashboard so its MX records are released.
- Choose Connect with Cloudflare in Plainmail and approve the records. New mail arrives at Plainmail within minutes.
Questions
Can Cloudflare Email Routing send email?
No. It only forwards incoming mail. Sending from your domain needs a mailbox host or an SMTP service.
Can I use Email Routing and Plainmail on the same domain?
No. A domain's MX records point to one place. You can keep Email Routing on some domains and Plainmail on others.
Get started$5 a month for up to 50 domains and 100 mailboxes