Quick answer
How do I set up a family email domain for everyone?
Register one domain, then give each person an address at a provider that accepts several users on it. Postelva sells the domain, a .com at $12.49/year every year; Fastmail Family covers up to 6 users at 132 EUR a year, and iCloud+ allows up to 5 domains with 10 addresses each.
Providers that can host several family members on one domain
| Provider and plan | Price | People and addresses | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fastmail Duo | 10 EUR a month, 96 EUR a year | 2 users | Custom domains supported |
| Fastmail Family | 14 EUR a month, 132 EUR a year | Up to 6 users | Custom domains supported |
| iCloud+ (any paid tier) | Not published on the Apple page | Up to 5 domains, up to 10 addresses per domain, shared with up to 5 other people | Domain can be bought through Apple, paid by card, PayPal or Apple Pay |
| Mailbox.org Light | 12 EUR a year | Custom domains only in family accounts | Not offered monthly |
| Migadu Micro | 19 USD a year | Unlimited mailboxes and aliases | Limits of 200 messages in and 20 out per day |
| Purelymail | 10 USD a year, flat | No hard cap on users | Heavy use may need advanced pricing |
| Zoho Mail Free | 0 | Up to 5 users, 5 GB each, 1 domain | No IMAP, POP or Exchange ActiveSync; a sixth user forces a paid plan |
| Proton Unlimited | 6.49 USD a month when billed 12 months | 3 custom domains | Proton Duo and Family limits were not verified |
Why should a family use its own domain?
A family domain keeps every address stable for as long as the family pays for the name. Addresses at a provider's own domain belong to that provider: if the provider changes its prices, its rules or its existence, the addresses go with it. Skiff, the encrypted mail service that Notion bought in 2024 and shut down, is the standard example. A family on its own domain only changes the MX records and keeps every address.
A second gain is organisation. With one domain, parents, children and the shared household accounts live under a single name: anna@, ben@, bills@, school@. The household address bills@ can be an alias that reaches both parents, as shown in how to use a catch-all address and aliases.
Which providers fit a family?
Fastmail, iCloud+, Mailbox.org, Migadu, Purelymail and Zoho Mail Free list a way to put several people on one domain. According to Postelva's index of 12 November 2026, 6 of the 14 providers checked document such a plan or have no cap on users. For Proton Mail only Proton Unlimited, with 3 custom domains, was verified: the limits of its Duo and Family plans could not be confirmed from an official page, so Postelva does not state them.
The choice mostly follows what the family already uses. A household on Apple devices can use iCloud+, which shares a custom domain with up to 5 other people. A mixed household can use Fastmail Family, which supports up to 6 users. A family that wants the lowest cost and sends little mail can use Migadu Micro at 19 USD a year or Purelymail at 10 USD a year, accepting the daily limits and a plainer interface. The complete list is in the provider index of 2026.
Which extension should a family choose?
A .com is the safest family name because everybody types it by habit. It costs $12.49/year at Postelva, which is $124.90 over ten years, because the price is the same in the first year, at renewal and at transfer. A .me costs $18.49/year and a .page costs $11.49/year. Short surnames are often taken in .com, and a name such as smith.page can read well when the .com is gone. Compare the options in the best domain extension for an email address.
Register the name in the account of one adult, switch on automatic renewal from the balance (automatic renewal from your balance, switched on or off for each domain) and write down who holds the account. A lapsed domain stops all mail for the family.
How do I set it up step by step?
Buy the domain, add it at the mail provider, give each person an address, then point the MX records at the provider. The order is the same for every provider: register at Postelva, add the domain in the provider's admin screen, create the family's addresses, copy the DNS records that the provider shows, and enter them in the client area. For Fastmail the setup is described in the Fastmail custom domain guide. Postelva offers one-click DNS templates for Proton Mail, Fastmail, Zoho Mail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, plus an SPF + DMARC template and a "no email" template for a domain that sends nothing.
Give every child an address only after the DNS works, and test it with a message from an outside account.
What does a family domain cost over time?
A .com family domain costs $62.45 over five years at Postelva, plus the mail plan. The domain price does not change at renewal. The mail plan is the larger cost: Fastmail Family is 132 EUR a year, Migadu Micro 19 USD a year, Purelymail 10 USD a year, and Zoho Mail Free costs nothing for up to 5 users.
The domain is paid in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC) from a prepaid balance, minimum top-up $25. Postelva does not claim to be the cheapest; its .com was under Namecheap's regular renewal price of $19.98 read on 12 November 2026.
Family email domain: questions
Can children have their own addresses on the family domain?
Yes, on any plan with several users or unlimited mailboxes. Fastmail Family supports up to 6 users, and Migadu and Purelymail have no hard cap on mailboxes.
What happens if the person who registered the domain stops paying?
The domain expires and mail stops. Use automatic renewal from the balance and keep the account details where another adult can find them.
Can the family use Proton Mail?
Yes, on a paid plan with a custom domain: Mail Plus has 1 domain and 10 addresses, Proton Unlimited has 3 domains. The Duo and Family limits were not verified.
Do all addresses need a separate domain?
No. One domain carries as many addresses as the plan allows, and a catch-all or aliases cover shared names such as bills@.
Is the family's information public?
The only contact data Postelva collects is one verified email for the domain. What stays public in WHOIS or RDAP depends on each registry, and .com is a thin registry that receives no registrant contact data.
In summary
- One domain gives each family member an address that survives a change of provider.
- A .com costs $12.49/year a year at Postelva, $124.90 over ten years.
- Fastmail Family: up to 6 users, 132 EUR a year; Duo: 2 users, 96 EUR.
- iCloud+: up to 5 domains, 10 addresses each, shared with up to 5 people.
- Migadu Micro 19 USD a year, Purelymail 10 USD a year, Zoho Mail Free 0 for up to 5 users.
- 6 of the 14 providers in the index list a plan for several people.
- Turn on automatic renewal: a lapsed domain stops all family mail.
Sources (8)
- Fastmail pricing — Fastmail (read 2026-11-12)
- Use Custom Email Domain with iCloud Mail — Apple (read 2026-11-12)
- mailbox.org prices — mailbox.org (read 2026-11-12)
- Migadu pricing — Migadu (read 2026-11-12)
- Purelymail pricing — Purelymail (read 2026-11-12)
- Zoho Mail pricing — Zoho (read 2026-11-12)
- Proton Mail pricing — Proton (read 2026-11-12)
- Notion acquires Skiff — AlternativeTo (read 2026-11-12)