Twenty-five years ago, a small team with a big vision launched Runbox into a world where the internet was still finding its feet. Over the years our mission has become clear: To combine innovation with a service rooted in ethics, sustainability as a responsibility, privacy as a right, and respect for users as our foundation. No compromises. No hidden agendas. Just a simple promise – your data, your control, your privacy.
Today, as we celebrate a quarter-century of Runbox, we want to say thank you. Because this milestone isn’t just ours – it’s yours as well. Your trust and support have shown the world that email can be different, responsible, and sustainable – and we wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for being part of this journey!
How Runbox came to be
In 2000, the internet was still in its infancy. Most email services treated users as products, not people. We saw things differently. Runbox launched with a radical idea: lots of storage with a whopping 100 MB compared to Hotmail’s 2 MB, a permanent address, and soon a commitment to never sell your data. No strings attached. Just email the way it should be – yours to keep, yours to control.
You believed in that vision. You signed up, spread the word, and trusted us with your most important conversations. Over the years, you’ve helped us grow into a global community of people who refuse to settle for less. We’ve expanded our services to include POP, SMTP, IMAP, file storage, and domain hosting – always with a focus on putting you in the driver’s seat.
A new beginning
By 2012, as global conversations about digital privacy intensified, we doubled down on what we believed in most – security, transparency, and trust. We founded a new company controlled by the employees and key personnel, won our independence, and assumed stewardship of the Runbox email service.
Today, we’re proud to operate under Norway’s strong privacy laws and the GDPR, offering an ad-free, transparent, and user-first email experience that respects your rights and protects your data from prying eyes. This is your story as much as it is ours.
We’ve never been a faceless corporation. We’re a small, independent team – real people who answer to you, not investors or algorithms. We believe in doing things the right way – ethically, sustainably, and with integrity. Every feature we’ve built, every update we’ve rolled out, and every principle we’ve upheld has been shaped by your feedback. You told us you wanted faster, smarter email, so we built Runbox 7 – but we’re just getting started!
“I’ve been a Runbox user for over 20 years, and I can say with confidence that it’s one of the most reliable and user-friendly email services I’ve ever used. The support is personal and responsive, and the features make it easy to manage multiple accounts. Add in their commitment to privacy and renewable energy -it’s a service I truly trust and recommend.” – Man Parrish, New York, USA
Your loyalty hasn’t just kept us going – it’s kept us independent. In a world where big tech treats users as commodities, you’ve helped us stay true to our roots: no ads, no tracking, no compromises. With a 90% subscription renewal rate, Runbox is here to stay – thanks to all of you who trust us to handle your communications.
Our sustained mission
You’ve been part of something bigger than email. Every message you send with Runbox leaves no carbon footprint because our servers runs on 100% renewable energy, hosted in a data center built for efficiency and sustainability. We don’t just believe in technology that serves you – we believe in technology that also help protect the planet we all share. Thank you for helping us create a greener digital future.
“I initially switched to Runbox for environmental reasons, but I came to appreciate Runbox for what they don’t do – they don’t sell my data, they don’t scrape my emails, and they do not support causes that run counter to my beliefs. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Runbox a 12.”
– R. Copeland, Copeland Technology LLC, New York, USA
As we look ahead, our mission remains the same: to give you email you can trust. We’re still innovating. We’re still listening. And we will certainly continue fighting for a healthier planet and an Internet that respects your rights.
So here’s to the next 25 years – of faster updates, stronger privacy, and a service that grows with the planet. Here’s to the families, businesses, journalists, and dreamers who rely on Runbox every day. And here’s to the belief that technology should work for people, not the other way around.
Thank you for 25 incredible years. The best is yet to come.
Not a Runbox user yet? Join us today and see what email can be when it’s built for you.
With gratitude,
The Runbox Team