ClearMyMail

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. Reviewers say that however the filtering is done, ClearMyMail offers nearly flawless anti-spam performance, and because the filtration takes place remotely, there's none of the system drag associated with locally installed software. The web-based nature of the service additionally means that it supports almost any operating system or POP3 email client, something few other spam filters offer. M most work only on a handful of Windows email clients. ClearMyMail even supports smartphones and tablets.

The downside is that ClearMyMail can be cumbersome to set up. You need to reconfigure your email client to connect to the service's mail servers instead of your email provider's servers, and afterward, you need to whitelist or blacklist all of the contacts who recently sent you mail, which can be a timely process.

Technical support is limited to email, although users on the ClearMyMail website say the company is quick to respond to help queries. The yearly fee (per email account) can add up quickly if you have multiple accounts that need protection, although ClearMyMail will provide custom quotes and discount prices for bulk subscriptions. Month-to-month subscriptions (*Est. $3.50 per month) are also available, and ClearMyMail will waive your fee any month a single piece of junk mail hits your inbox. If you prefer an anti-spam program that installs directly onto your computer and covers multiple email accounts, reviewers recommend Cloudmark DesktopOne Pro (*Est. $20).

ClearMyMail is reviewed by two U.K.-based technology magazines: PC Advisor and ComputerActive magazine. PC Advisor's review is more in-depth, although both test the products firsthand and offer balanced analysis. 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, and most are now on the old side.