I recently submitted Nullmail to Proof of Usefulness, and it scored +76 - officially “in business”! Here’s why this project matters.
What It Is
Nullmail is a verifiable, open-source privacy tool with active development and organic traction. While early-stage (approx. 10,000 monthly inboxes), the project's 'privacy-first' architecture is validated by its open GitHub repository and recent 'battle-testing' against domain flagging (Cloudflare). It effectively solves a specific problem (disposable email) without data collection, positioning it as a high-utility tool in a niche market. The score reflects its functional utility and transparency, balanced against its small scale and lack of revenue compared to established brands.
Who It’s For
- Privacy-conscious users who want to keep their real email private
- Developers, QA engineers, and testers needing temporary inboxes for account verification and workflow testing
Description
Nullmail is an open-source disposable email service that provides instant, anonymous inboxes with automatic expiry and zero tracking. It helps users protect their privacy, avoid spam, and quickly verify accounts without exposing their real email address. Built with a minimal, privacy-first architecture, it prioritizes usefulness over growth or data collection.
Audience Reach
Because the project is privacy-first and does not use analytics or tracking at all, exact user numbers are unavailable. However, roughly 10,000 disposable email addresses are generated monthly, indicating consistent active usage.
Target Users
People who want to protect their privacy online, avoid spam during signups, and developers or testers who need temporary email inboxes for account verification and testing workflows.
Technologies
Other, SvelteKit (TypeScript/JavaScript) frontend and server framework, Supabase for backend services and storage, ForwardEmail for email infrastructure, and Vercel for deployment and hosting
Traction Evidence
Google Search Console reports approximately 2000 monthly impressions and 500 clicks from organic search queries related to temporary email services. Combined with ~10,000 generated inboxes per month, this indicates steady real-world usage without relying on tracking or analytics.
Open Source
Check out the code here: https://github.com/gkoos/nullmail