---
title: "Proxy Mail QA vs Mailosaur: manual QA or test automation · Proxy Mail QA"
description: "Mailosaur is a paid platform for automated email and SMS tests in CI. Proxy Mail QA is a free web app for testing sign-up and login emails by hand. Here's how to choose, or use both."
url: https://proxymail.qa/compare/mailosaur
---

1. [Home](https://proxymail.qa/)
2. [Compare](https://proxymail.qa/compare)

# Proxy Mail QA vs Mailosaur

Mailosaur is built for test automation: your Cypress, Playwright or Selenium tests create addresses and read codes and links through its API. Proxy Mail QA is built for people: testers, agencies and builders checking email flows by hand.

Updated October 12, 2026

Prices and limits below are from Mailosaur’s pricing page on 12 October 2026\. Check it for current details.

## At a glance

|                               | Proxy Mail QA                                                                                   | Mailosaur                                                                                      |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Built for                     | Testing email flows by hand                                                                     | Automated email and SMS tests in CI                                                            |
| Free                          | The whole product under fair use                                                                | 14-day trial, no free plan                                                                     |
| Paid                          | Team plan coming soon                                                                           | Personal $20 a month billed yearly (1 user, up to 3); Core $50 a month billed yearly (5 seats) |
| Email volume                  | Up to about 500 incoming emails a day under fair use                                            | Personal: 15,000 a month (500 a day). Core: 75,000 a month (2,500 a day)                       |
| Codes and links               | Shown on each account’s row in the web app, and returned on their own by the API and MCP server | Detected and returned by the API (text.codes, html.links)                                      |
| Test account details          | Personas, notes, tags, encrypted saved passwords, QA reports                                    | Not the focus                                                                                  |
| API and SDKs                  | REST API and MCP server; no client libraries yet                                                | Yes, with libraries for most test frameworks                                                   |
| SMS                           | No                                                                                              | Add-on, from $37.50 a month                                                                    |
| Email previews across clients | No                                                                                              | Add-on, from $25 a month                                                                       |

## Where Mailosaur is the better choice

- **Large automated suites.** Client libraries for the common frameworks, and higher sending volumes per plan.
- **SMS and rendering.** Phone numbers for SMS tests, and previews of how an email looks in different clients, are available as add-ons.

## Where Proxy Mail QA is the better choice

- **Manual and exploratory QA.** Create an address, sign up, and the code or link appears on the row as the email lands: no test code needed.
- **Free for individuals.** The whole product is free under fair use, so a tester or a solo builder can start without a budget conversation.
- **Everything about a test account in one place.** Persona, saved password, notes, tags and every email, so anyone on the project can pick the account up later.
- **Agents and tests on the Free plan.** The REST API and MCP server wait for the code or link and return just that.
- **Things automation misses.** Links to `localhost` are flagged, including Supabase links that only redirect there after verifying, and the full email is a click away in a locked-down view.

## Try it on your next sign-up test

Free plan, no credit card. Create an address and watch the code or link arrive.

[Create a free account](https://app.proxymail.qa/?mode=signup)

## Questions

### Does Mailosaur have a free plan?

Its pricing page lists a 14-day free trial and no free plan. Proxy Mail QA has a Free plan with the whole product under fair use, and no credit card.

### Can Proxy Mail QA replace Mailosaur in my CI pipeline?

For many sign-up and login tests, yes: the REST API creates an address and waits up to 30 seconds for its code or link, on the Free plan. Mailosaur still offers more for large automated suites: client libraries for each framework, SMS and email previews.

### Why use both?

Automated tests cover the paths you scripted. Exploratory testing finds the rest: the confusing email, the link that points to localhost, the code that expires too fast. Proxy Mail QA gives the people doing that work private addresses, personas, saved passwords and notes.

## Related guides

- [Proxy Mail QA vs MailinatorPrivate inboxes for manual QA, against the best-known public inbox and its automation plans.](https://proxymail.qa/compare/mailinator)
- [Proxy Mail QA vs MailSlurpReady-made test accounts in a web app, against an API for creating inboxes, sending and SMS.](https://proxymail.qa/compare/mailslurp)
- [Proxy Mail QA vs testmail.appAddresses that last up to 30 days with codes on the row, against a low-cost API for test pipelines.](https://proxymail.qa/compare/testmail)
- [Proxy Mail QA vs Gmail plus-addressingWhy one inbox and a pile of name+test addresses stops working for QA, and what to use instead.](https://proxymail.qa/compare/gmail-plus-addressing)

[See every email testing problem we solve →](https://proxymail.qa/solve)

Mailosaur is a trademark of its owner. Proxy Mail QA is independent and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
