Independent project · Privacy & messaging
0mail.app
A disposable inbox that protects your everyday email address.
The desktop app, from the 0mail product website.
An inbox with an expiry date.
Sometimes an email address only needs to live long enough to receive a verification link. 0mail provides that inbox without asking the user to create another account.
The backend is written in Go, with gRPC between services. Messages expire after one hour, making retention a concrete part of the design. The same service supports web, desktop, and mobile clients, including attachments and verification flows.
Limit the data lifecycle
Automatic deletion after one hour reduces retained personal data and storage requirements.
Keep service boundaries clear
Go services communicate over gRPC, with stateless architecture used where possible.
Make a small footprint useful
Published operating figures report more than 200,000 emails per day on an approximately $4/month virtual machine.
Architecture & decisions
Keep services stateless where possible and remove messages after one hour. A short data lifecycle limits storage requirements as well as privacy exposure.
- Web, desktop & mobile
- Go services · gRPC
- Temporary inboxes
- Automatic deletion after 1 hour
A high-level view of the project’s components and workflow.
Implementation details
Go / gRPC
- Instant disposable email addresses without registration or personal data collection
- Processes 200k+ emails per day on a low-cost (~$4/month) virtual machine
- Entirely written in Go with gRPC used as the internal communication layer
- Cross-platform availability: web app, mobile (Android & iOS), and desktop
- Automatic email deletion after one hour for enhanced privacy
- Support for email attachments and email-based verification flows
- Completely free service with no hidden charges or premium tiers
- Stateless architecture where possible, enabling easy horizontal scaling if needed
- Aggressive data lifecycle management (automatic deletion after 1 hour) to minimize storage and privacy risk
Outcomes
Published operating figures: 200k+ emails per day on a virtual machine costing approximately $4/month.
Capacity and operating figures are from my published project notes.
Explore the project
See the product, documentation, or available downloads.