ClearMyMail

*Est. $25 per year
Reviewed
April 2010
Email
ClearMyMail

Best web-based spam-filtering service

Pros
  • Very accurate
  • Low false positives
  • Compatible with all operating systems
  • Works with all POP3 email clients
Cons
  • Non-POP webmail accounts not supported
  • Setup can be complicated
  • Ongoing costs
 
 
Where to Buy
 
 
 
 

ClearMyMail is a subscription-based anti-spam service that, according to the developer, filters messages 18 ways before sending them on to the user's inbox. Because the filtration takes place remotely, there's none of the system drag associated with locally installed software. The downside is that ClearMyMail can be cumbersome to set up. Reviewers like the fact that, unlike most spam filters, ClearMyMail can be used with any operating system and even mobile devices like a BlackBerry. The service does very well in independent tests, catching close to 100 percent of test spam with very few false positives. Month-to-month subscriptions (*Est. $3.50 per month) are also available. If you prefer an anti-spam program that installs directly onto your computer, reviewers recommend Cloudmark Desktop (*Est. $40 per year).

ClearMyMail is reviewed by two U.K.-based technology magazines: PC Advisor and Web User. Both offer some basic testing and balanced reviews. TechRadar.com, a British website, has an interesting write-up based on a 30-day test. All three reviews are informative and relatively objective, but we would have liked to see some in-depth comparison with other anti-spam products.

Our Sources

1. PC Advisor

There's some informal testing mentioned in this mostly descriptive review. ClearMyMail gets the PC Advisor Gold Award; author John E. Dunn is impressed with the accuracy and low false-positive rate.

Review: ClearMyMail Spam Blocker and Antivirus Software Review, John E. Dunn, April 14, 2008

2. WebUser

ClearMyMail doesn't do quite as well in Web User's eyes, earning third place. Performance on the site's tests is admirable, though: it had perfect spam detection with no false negatives.

Review: ClearMyMail, Robin Nixon, March 27, 2008

3. TechRadar.com

Editors at TechRadar.com report that ClearMyMail had perfect performance in the site's 30-day informal test. The site reports that ClearMyMail blocked 392 emails in its 30-day test, or about 94 percent of what was received. Most impressively, not one spam message got through, while not one legitimate message was blocked.

Review: ClearMyMail Review, Editors of TechRadar.com, June 28, 2007

4. Computer Active

This very short review doesn't go into detail about testing or performance. Andrew Zarkesh gives ClearMyMail a 4-star rating, saying it works well for accounts that get a lot of spam.

Review: Review: ClearMyMail Utility Software, Andrew Zarkesh, Oct. 2007

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