Postwacht vs. Mail-Tester: an honest comparison
Mail-Tester and Postwacht answer the same question: why does my email land in spam? Both give you a score from 0 to 10 after a test email. Here is where they differ, what Mail-Tester does better and when Postwacht fits better. As of 1 November 2026.
What both do the same
You get a one-time address, send your email to it and then see a score from 0 to 10 with findings on SPF, DKIM, DMARC, blocklists and content. Neither service needs an account for a single test.
Comparison at a glance
| Postwacht | Mail-Tester | |
|---|---|---|
| Single test | free, no account | free, no account |
| Result | Score 0 to 10, fix plan with ready-made DNS records | Score 0 to 10 with findings |
| Daily domain monitoring | free with an account | not part of the offering |
| Analyze DMARC reports | free with an account, with a rollout assistant | DMARC report analyzer as a tool |
| Alerts in Telegram, Slack, Teams | free with an account | not part of the offering |
| Programming interface (API) | on request | JSON API with an account |
| Own design, white label | not offered | Custom CSS and white label with an account |
| Paid plans | none, all features currently free | from USD 10 a month for 50 tests up to USD 250 for 7,500 tests (excl. VAT) |
Mail-Tester prices and features according to the provider's pricing page, retrieved on 1 November 2026. Prices change; check them there. Statements about Postwacht apply to our offering on the same day.
Where Mail-Tester is stronger
- Known and established. The service is well known and proven. Postwacht is a few weeks old.
- Integration into your own applications. With an iFrame, JSON API and custom CSS, Mail-Tester can be built straight into other products. At Postwacht the API is available on request only.
- More email tools. The site offers, among others, a BIMI checker, a DKIM generator and a domain scan.
Where Postwacht is stronger
- A fix plan instead of just findings. For every problem you see why it matters, what to do and the ready DNS record to copy, with instructions for IONOS, STRATO, Cloudflare and Hetzner.
- Ongoing monitoring, free. With a free account we check your domain daily (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MX, MTA-STS, TLS, blocklists) and tell you when something changes, in chat if you like.
- DMARC step by step. From your DMARC reports we tell you when the move from
p=noneto quarantine and laterrejectis safe and which senders still fail. - German and English, servers in Germany, no third-party trackers.
Which one fits you?
Choose Mail-Tester if you want a quick single test or want to build test results into your own product.
Choose Postwacht if you want to fix things and keep watching after the test: concrete records to copy, daily checks of your domain and help rolling out DMARC, without paying.
The two don't exclude each other. A second opinion on the same email costs nothing, and the scores differ because each service weighs differently. Start a test on the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two testers give different scores for the same email?
Each service weighs its checks differently and uses different spam filter rules. The findings matter more than the number: what both complain about, you should fix.
Is the score a promise for the inbox?
No. Mailboxes also take your past sending behavior into account. A high score means everything is technically right, which is the best starting point.
Is the information about Mail-Tester current?
It comes from the provider's pricing page of 1 November 2026. If you spot a mistake, write to us via support and we will correct it.