MailBots
testmail.app alternative

A testmail.app alternative for tests on your own domain

testmail.app is a strong choice for high-volume email testing, with large monthly quotas, up to 30 days of retention on Pro and unlimited users on every plan. Its addresses live on inbox.testmail.app, and custom domains start at $89 a month billed annually. MailBots costs less when tests must use your own domain: $10 a month for a catch-all subdomain with an API and webhooks.

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Or start free with thebrowser extension

Side by side

Featuretestmail.appMailBots
Entry paid planEssential: $12 / month, or $9 billed annuallyStarter: $10 / month
Next planPro: $39 / month, or $29 billed annuallyPro: $15 / month
Monthly volume10,000 on Essential, 50,000 on Pro5,000 on Starter, 25,000 on Pro
Retention1 to 3 days on Essential, 1 to 30 days on Pro72 hours
Address formatnamespace.tag@inbox.testmail.appanything@otp.example.com
Your own domainFrom $89 / month billed annuallyIncluded on every paid plan
UsersUnlimited on every plan1 on Starter, 3 on Pro
Free plan100 emails / month, 1-day retentionBrowser extension and Telegram, no API
Free trial14 days, no cardNone
Ways to read mailAPIREST API, signed webhooks, web inbox, POP3S, IMAPS

testmail.app figures are from its pricing page on 4 November 2026. The custom domain price is from its own comparison page. Check both before you buy, because plans change.

When testmail.app is the better choice

  • You send more than 25,000 test emails a month. testmail.app Pro covers 50,000 for $39 a month, and higher plans go to millions.
  • You need to keep messages longer than 72 hours.
  • Many people on your team need access. testmail.app does not limit users.
  • You want to start without touching DNS. A testmail.app address works as soon as you sign up.
  • You want to try the API before paying. testmail.app offers a 14-day trial without a card; MailBots has no trial of its paid plans.

When MailBots fits better

  • Your tests must use your own domain. Some signup forms and fraud filters reject known testing domains, while mail to signup-1042@otp.yourcompany.com looks like any customer's.
  • You want your own domain without an enterprise plan: $10 a month instead of $89 a month billed annually.
  • You want the verification code without parsing the body. Each message carries an otp field.
  • You want mail pushed to you. Signed webhooks post each message as it arrives.
  • You want to read test mail in an ordinary mail client over POP3S or IMAPS.
  • Your manual testers want a free browser extension that highlights the code.

Moving tests over

  1. Add a subdomain such as otp.example.com and point it at MailBots with one TXT and one MX record, as the DNS guide shows.
  2. Replace namespace.tag@inbox.testmail.app with tag@otp.example.com. The tag keeps its job: one unique address per test.
  3. Replace the testmail.app query with the messages endpoint and match on envelope_to, or receive a webhook instead of polling.
  4. Read the code from otp instead of parsing the message.

The Playwright guide has a complete test that does all of this.

Questions

Is MailBots cheaper than testmail.app?

When you need your own domain, yes: $10 a month against $89 a month billed annually. Without a custom domain, testmail.app Essential costs $12 a month and allows twice the volume of MailBots Starter. Above 25,000 emails a month, only testmail.app fits.

Can I use both?

Yes. Keep testmail.app for high-volume suites and use a MailBots subdomain for the flows that need your own domain. The two do not interfere, because each receives mail on a different domain.

Is this comparison independent?

No. MailBots wrote it from public pricing pages and documentation, and you can read how the comparison was made. testmail.app is a trademark of its owner, and MailBots is not affiliated with it.