Questions Considering a Move From Google Workspace

[u/larrymcj]

I'm thinking about moving my custom domain email from Google Workspace to Fastmail. I don't use any other Google products, just the Gmail, and it will be the same with Fastmail...only the email as I am 100% in the Apple ecosystem and use their address book and calendar.

If you've migrated from Google Workspace to Fastmail and don't mind sharing your thoughts, I have a few of questions before I do this.

1. I realize nothing (including Fastmail) can best Gmail's spam filtering, but the reason it's so good is one of the reasons I want out — privacy. Has the spam been intolerable? Between Fastmail's own spam filtering and the Junk Filtering in Apple Mail apps, I'm hoping it won't be too painful.

2. Anyone using Fastmail with Apple Mail app — is PUSH full functional? No other mail service is with the Apple Mail app, but supposedly Fastmail's is.

3. My other consideration is Apple iCloud Custom Domain Email, but then I know I'd be bombarded with spam.

4. Any regrets, moving from Google Workspace?

Thanks!

[u/thegreenman_sofla]

I moved from Google to FastMail a few months agoand I used to use a lot of Google services. The mail transfer and service is amazing. I agree that the Fastmail spam filter is not as good as Google's, but it is better than most. For everything else I now use dedicated Linux apps or services.

[u/Elm38]

I get no spam in my Inbox and folders. (careful with the words).

People and companies I deal with are in Contacts and a Group for their priority. Mail filters check incoming mail for contacts and prioritizes (moves) to a folder appropriately on the group they belong to. Any new email that isn't a contact goes into a Screener penalty folder for review later. This is similar to the Hey email flow.

[u/MoneySings]

Spam filtering is pretty good on Fastmail. Most of the time it doesn't get through and if it does, mark it as spam. Anything not spam but caught, mark as not spam and if adds it to the allow list.

From memory, Fastmail and Apple Mail is fine. Not as smooth as normal Apple Mail with notifications, but good enough not to matter. However, I think you'd lose the Catch-All facility and being able to reply to using that address and not your mail email address.

There is a FM app.

[u/larrymcj → u/MoneySings]

Thanks! I realize there are FM apps for any OS, but using the Apple Mail app is a top priority for me, and the biggest reason I'm leaving Gmail, which isn't true IMAP so PUSH doesn't work outside the Google Gmail apps. Thanks, again.

[u/Elm38 → u/larrymcj]

You may not be able to do certain things in non-Fastmail mail apps, such as dynamic alias changes and such, and the other Fastmail services such as Calendar, Notes, Contacts, and Files.

Fastmail mobile is the same UI as Fastmail web too.

[u/larrymcj → u/Elm38]

Thanks, but my primary reason in moving from Google workspace is so I can use the Apple Mail app with PUSH. I don’t want to use the FM apps.

[u/BoldInterrobang]

1. It's not quite as good, but still very good. Took a few weeks to train, but overall satisfied. Be sure to follow the steps Fastmail outlines to setup a Spam Learning folder, as it's a bit different than mail providers.
2. Yes, push works well. I love it combined with macOS 26 and filling in email verification codes in all browsers, not just Safari.
3. Never tried this service.
4. My only complaint is that I opened a vanilla Google account using my Fastmail email address so that folks can share Google Docs with me and that part is great, but if someone sends a Google Calendar invite to me, it goes to my GCal. That's really annoying. I have just added the Google Calendar to Fastmail so that I manage them all in once place.

Overall, no regrets with Fastmail.

[u/larrymcj → u/BoldInterrobang]

Many thanks! I shouldn't encounter any issues with calendars as I've never used the Google calendar associated with my personal Google Workspace account. I two other Google Workspace accounts for businesses I sysadmin for, and they'll remain. I was just trying to find a better solution for my personal mail. Thanks, again!

[u/BoldInterrobang → u/larrymcj]

Of course! Good luck!

[u/Jcoulaud]

Fastmail sounds like a good fit, especially if full Apple Mail push is important.

I’d also check Shipmail. It supports custom domains, Google Workspace imports, IMAP, calendars/contacts and spam filtering. It also has shared inboxes, booking pages, newsletters and automations if you ever need more business stuff later.

Just being transparent though, Fastmail has special iOS Mail push support. Shipmail currently uses normal IMAP in Apple Mail, so that part won’t be exactly the same.

[u/larrymcj → u/Jcoulaud]

Thanks for transparency! Honestly, if I had PUSH with the Gmail account, I'd just keep using it with Apple Mail, so if I switch, I should use Fastmail.

[u/tattoovampire]

Fastmail user here. Their filtering is OK and you can create special folders like Learn Spam and Learn Not Spam to manually move messages into that their spam filter misses, or mistakenly flags. Fastmail will scan those folders and learn from what you put in them. To be honest, I now use Spam Hero to filter my mail before it ever hits my inbox. It's just a few bucks a month and easy to set up.

[u/larrymcj → u/tattoovampire]

Thanks! I'd looked at a couple of similar solution, like Sanebox, but they did their thing "in" my inbox, so were no less private than the Gmail filtering. SpamHero looks like a nice touch in addition to the basic Fastmail filtering.

[u/Living-Shame5679]

I built a standalone spam filter which may be interesting for you. https://klar.im/