Writer: Laura Bernheim
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
Ever since the days of Hotmail, Juno, and America Online, free email hosting has been highly desired and fairly easy to find. When Microsoft acquired Hotmail in 1997, the free mail service had more than 8.5 million users after only two years in business.
Nearly thirty years later, more than 4.37 billion people send more than 347 billion messages each day. With such an emphasis on business email communications and personal branding, however, many of those free email hosting platforms don’t come with the storage, features, and security needed to succeed.
Here, I’ll cover the free — and cheap — options that enable you to connect a custom domain name, filter away spam, and ensure your messages reach customers and colleagues.
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Best Free Email Hosting Services
Before I dive into the free options, you should know they have some limitations. Free email hosting doesn’t come with custom domains and usually has limited storage and features. That being said, these limitations aren’t dealbreakers if you’re using your email for personal reasons.
On the plus side, you can sign up for a free email hosting account just about anywhere. I utterly love the functionality that industry leaders at Google and Microsoft provide in Gmail and Outlook, respectively. Let’s dive into it.
1. Gmail
My first email host is one of the most popular providers on the market. If you’re looking for something simple and familiar, Gmail is the perfect choice for personal use. It comes with a decent amount of storage space for a free plan and has plenty of productivity tools, including Sheets, Slides, and Docs.
Pros
- It’s free and easy to use
- It has free collaboration tools
- You can access it anywhere
Cons
- The free plan is limited to 15GB of storage
- You don’t get a custom domain
- No professional email tools
Very few email providers outshine Gmail when it comes to personal use. However, businesses and organizations that need more storage capacity and multiple users will have to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at $7 per user per month.
2. Zoho Mail
Probably the closest competitor to Google Workspace on this list, Zoho Mail boasts powerful email services as the flagship of a larger suite of productivity tools. The company’s forever-free email solution is significantly pared back from the full platform, but it should perfectly meet the needs of most individuals and small businesses.
You can still connect to other user-friendly Zoho tools, such as instant messaging and an API interface, while relying on antivirus protections and a spam filter in a gloriously ad-free environment.
Pros
- Free custom domain name
- Up to five inboxes on one domain
- No ads
- Zoho does not scan emails for advertising purposes
Cons
- Does not support IMAP, POP, or Active Sync
- Storage is limited to 5GB per user
- Doesn’t have advanced collaboration tools
Zoho Mail is a rare gem because it’s one of the few free providers that lets you have more than one inbox on a domain. It also lets you have a custom domain to match your business, unlike Gmail and Outlook.
If you run out of space on the free plan, you can upgrade to Lite for just $1 per person per month.
3. Outlook
Another heavy hitter in the email industry, Outlook is a solid choice for email users who want compatibility with Microsoft products like OneDrive, Word, and Excel. It has the same amount of storage as Gmail’s free plan, but some people complain that it’s not as intuitive as it could be.
Pros
- It’s free
- It’s compatible with other Microsoft services
- It separates important emails from clutter and spam
Cons
- No custom domain
- The free storage space is fairly limited
- You don’t get any advanced business tools on the free plan
- You’ll see banner ads unless you upgrade to a paid plan
I’ve used Outlook for years, and personally, I find that it’s easy to use. It filters out spam fairly well, and I’ve never had issues with storage space. However, if you want to store a lot of photos and videos or need a plan for business use, you’re best off upgrading to a paid plan. Outlook paid plans start for as little as $1.99 per user per month.
4. Proton Mail
Proton Mail has a reputation for strong security in the email hosting space. It uses the latest encryption technologies to ensure your email communications stay between you and your intended recipient.
It offers a limited version of its paid plan that comes with 1 GB of email storage — not much, but perhaps enough for light email users who care more about privacy than storage.
Pros
- It’s free and easy to use
- Has end-to-end encryption and privacy protection
- Doesn’t have any ads
Cons
- The free plan has very limited storage space
- No IMAP/POP3 access or custom domains
- You have to upgrade for advanced business features
In terms of storage and collaboration features, Proton Mail’s free plan isn’t the best of the best. However, if privacy and security are your top concern, it’s a great choice due to its E2EE capabilities.
5. Mail.com
Doing things just a little bit differently than competitors, Mail.com allows customers to choose from more than 100 email domains. Of course, it’d be far better to use your own domain name, but I expect most users can find an option that fits for the short term.
Pros
- Free and easy to use
- You can choose from more than 100 domains
- 2FA is enabled
Cons
- You’re limited to just 2GB of storage
- IMAP/POP3 is not supported
- Some customers report unreliability
- The free plan has ads
Owned by United Internet — the parent company of global hosting provider IONOS — Mail.com opens the door to premium infrastructure and support without spending a dime. However, its email storage is more limited than that of other free providers, so it’s best for light personal use.
Best Cheap Email Hosting: Plans Starting at $0.59/Month
Considering email marketing comes with a massive return on investment of 36-to-1, the added performance perks of reasonably priced plans bode extremely well for your personal and business communications.
Sheer simplicity represents the major benefit of operating your web hosting and mail account through one web host — there’s one bill, one support team, and one account interface.
The best email hosting service will be eager to help you connect your custom domain names, SMTP server, MX record, and webmail clients, drastically shortening the setup time and headaches commonly associated with configuring email inboxes.
Take a look at the best email hosting providers below:
6. IONOS
- Create custom accounts at your own domain
- Free domain included, 100% ad-free
- Try for FREE by using money-back guarantee
- Just $1/month if you don’t use the guarantee
- Scalable to unlimited accounts and users
- Get started on IONOS now »
EMAIL
RATING
IONOS, which hosts more than 22 million custom domains, offers a wide variety of email and productivity plans. All three webmail plans are $4 or less per month. With the company’s 30-day money-back guarantee, simply cancel within 30 days to get your small investment back.
Each plan comes with a free domain name and at least 2GB of mailbox storage. (Be aware that you may have to pay the remaining domain registration fees if you cancel your plans)
IONOS features automatic SSL encryption and ISO-certified data centers that comply with data privacy regulations. Every inbox also comes with top-tier virus protection and anti-spam tools.
7. Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.59
- Easily import contacts, messages, and calendars
- Antivirus checks and anti-spam
- 1-click integrations with 50+ productivity tools
- Support for IMAP, POP3, and SMTP
- Less than $1 per mailbox per month!
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Showing major value, Hostinger email plans come complete with all the collaboration and productivity tools you’d expect from higher-priced hosts. We especially love the easy integrations with platforms like Twitter, Google Drive, and others. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 50 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
As a budget web host, Hostinger seamlessly connects web hosting customers to a professional email service with a free and custom domain name registration included with most shared hosting plans.
Hostinger also offers upgraded business-class email solutions, ranging from $0.59 to $2.99 per inbox. These plans come with up to 50 GB of storage per account and come equipped with antivirus and anti-spam protection.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll find roomy inboxes with a built-in calendar, address book, two-factor authentication, and several other productivity add-ons.
8. Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- FREE domain and unlimited emails
- Secure email with 3 webmail solutions
- FREE spam filtering and antivirus scans
- Google Workspace integration available
- Shared Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks
- Get started on Bluehost now.
For email hosting with security and tons of available features, Bluehost is one of our favorites. The company includes a free domain name for a year, POP3 and IMAP security for unlimited emails, plus email forwarding and three web-based email solutions. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Known for its user-friendly, all-inclusive web hosting plans, $1.99 leads the way as a professional email hosting provider as well. The company provides all the tools website owners need for a small business, including professional email marketing tools and a selection of email clients.
Bluehost’s email hosting service is rolled into its shared and WordPress hosting packages, which also include Spam Experts protection, unlimited inboxes, and three webmail clients.
Customers will appreciate using the familiar cPanel interface to configure each email account, and most users can leverage a free trial of Office 365 with the Microsoft Outlook email client.
9. HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- Unlimited email accounts and storage
- FREE migration, domain, and SSL certificate
- Webmail access via Horde and Roundcube
- FREE SpamAssassin and weekly backups
- Seamless G Suite upgrade for more productivity
- Get started on HostGator now.
Woven into HostGator’s well-appointed web hosting plans is all the email power you’ll ever need. Unlimited addresses and storage, coupled with ready-to-go Horde and Roundcube webmail clients, combine with the host’s high-class infrastructure to provide reliable and secure sending environments. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
I love HostGator for its unlimited hosting plans, including storage, bandwidth, databases, domains, and — yes, you guessed it — email addresses. The email host gives customers tons of room to grow and protects each inbox with SpamAssassin and weekly backups.
Using cPanel, HostGator supplies email client access to Horde and Roundcube, along with upgrades to a hosted email solution like Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365.
Even better, HostGator gives customers a longer-than-average 45-day money-back guarantee. You can take your time to ensure the trusted hosting provider is the right fit for your business email hosting needs.
10. A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- FREE software for webmail, newsletters, contact forms, list management, and spam filtering
- Unlimited inboxes, forwarding, and autoresponders
- Secure POP3, IMAP, and SMTP messaging
- Unlimited storage and transfer with FREE SSL
- Get more than 85% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
Combining the internet’s most popular and secure email technologies with high-speed and reliable infrastructure, A2 Hosting ensures your messages are delivered on time. As a recipient, you’ll appreciate the company’s multiple spam filtering programs, along with autoresponders and forwarding. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
Thanks to a modern approach to web and email hosting, A2 Hosting is always near the top when it comes to performance, reliability, and support for a wide range of technologies. The email host boasts unlimited accounts, robust spam protection, and always-friendly customer support.
Each email server is equipped with SSD disk space and security measures to protect your inboxes from spam, viruses, and malware. Even better, shared hosting customers get the same email perks as those who use VPS and cloud hosting.
As a strong all-around host, A2 Hosting is a leading option for personal or business email hosting.
11. GoDaddy.com
Monthly Starting Price $6.99
- Professional email solutions on your domain
- Microsoft Outlook and Office 365 available
- World-class data security and spam filtering
- HIPAA-compliance features with premium plans
- 99.9% uptime guaranteed
- Get started on GoDaddy now.
Arguably the most noteworthy name in domain and email hosting, GoDaddy touts premium, affordable email and productivity solutions for personal use and businesses of all sizes. Whether you just need a couple gigs of email storage or a robust hosted email server with Office 365, GoDaddy has you covered. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 25 GB – 100 GB | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
With professional email addresses starting with a custom domain name, why not trust your email account with the world’s largest domain registrar?
GoDaddy has built a reputation as a beginner-friendly web host catering to those creating their first website, but the company has rebuilt many of its services to also cater to many high-powered organizations.
GoDaddy’s shared hosting plans integrate with Microsoft Office 365 and Exchange mailboxes for one year. Alternatively, the email host offers plans priced per inbox, ranging from roughly $2 to $8 per month.
What’s the Difference Between Email Hosting and Web Hosting?
When I talk about web hosting, I’m referring to the servers that store a website’s files, which contain images, libraries, and text. These servers make websites accessible on the internet so people can visit them. Without web hosting, websites would sit on developers’ computers, collecting dust.
Email hosting is similar, except instead of website files, the servers store emails, contacts, calendars, photos, and anything else you have in your email. With email hosting, you can access your email from anywhere on any device connected to the email server.
Many web hosting providers also offer email hosting, which is a huge plus for people who have websites for personal or business reasons. Combining web and email hosting lets you manage everything under one roof.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Free Email Hosting?
I’ve said this a million times, but when it comes to free services, you get what you pay for. That’s not to say that free email providers like Gmail and Outlook don’t have their uses. In fact, these providers are perfect for light personal use. However, heavy email users and businesses should pay attention to their limitations:
Pros
- It’s free and easy to use for beginners
- You can send messages and store photos and videos
- Several free providers offer limited access to collaboration and productivity tools
Cons
- Strict storage limits mean businesses will quickly run out of space
- Most free providers limit you to one email address per account
- Free providers often use ads
- Free plans come with fewer advanced features and integrations for businesses
- No custom domain
Which Free Email Provider Is Best?
I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but by far the best email hosting service is the one that comes attached to your web hosting plan.
You can configure any number of webmail clients and mobile apps to access your inbox and send messages to find just the interface you want, all while keeping your monthly bills to a minimum.
The major advantage is the brand recognition you’re building by combining your domain name with your online communications.
Whether your contacts are professional or personal, emailing from a custom domain name shows a level of sophistication and attention to detail that builds confidence and trust.
Here are some other features to look out for:
- POP3, IMAP, and SMTP support
- Unlimited storage and inboxes
- High attachment file size limits
- Email forwarding and autoresponders
- Robust antivirus and malware protection
- Strict spam filtering rules
- Easy setup of webmail software
- Newsletters and other marketing tools
The free email products listed earlier are typically supported by ads or restrict the number of accounts, limit how much storage, and hamper the speed and security with which your communications are delivered.
Email associated with web hosting plans gives you unlimited room to grow in many regards, along with the added advantage of receiving only one bill for your online services.
You can manage your inboxes, webmail client, and other technical configurations from the same control panel that connects you to your website files and operations.
What’s the Best Paid Email Service?
Well, perhaps our web-and-email hosting double-dipping is getting out of hand. Although the email services are included for free with even the most affordable plans, you’re still technically paying something.
However, partnering with platforms that specialize in just email hosting and delivery can be an important tool for medium and larger businesses that require large numbers of inboxes, top-notch reliability, and tons of storage.
Even better, many of these premium products boast extra features for productivity and collaboration, from analytics and automation to marketing templates and social media integrations.
Take a look at some other paid services you should consider:
To be fair, this list is by no means comprehensive — but it provides a solid cross-section of my favorite options for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
No matter if you select Rackspace Email, Zoho Mail, or any other suitable provider, be sure to prioritize customer support teams that can quickly respond to any problems you may encounter. I still strongly support all-in-one solutions, including those from web hosts such as IONOS, Hostinger, and others.
Which Is the Safest Email Provider?
Despite the pervasiveness and popularity of email communications, it’s actually not a terribly secure method of sharing important or sensitive information.
Messages must pass through multiple networks and servers to reach your intended recipient, and each new waypoint exposes emails to attack if they aren’t properly secured.
To fully protect an email message, it must be encrypted throughout its entire journey. That also means the recipient needs to use the same encryption system, which can be difficult to configure and tough to manage.
These companies excel at handling challenging technology while presenting simplified mail clients and mobile apps.
- Proton Mail: Widely regarded as one of the best secure email providers in the industry, ProtonMail servers in Switzerland protect your data while you interact with the platform’s extremely user-friendly interface. Users get one free protonmail.com account or premium plans up to $34 per month for unlimited users.
- Tuta: For those who love open-source software, Tuta is on a mission to protect privacy and fight for human rights. Millions have signed up for Tuta’s end-to-end encryption that covers a user’s entire mailbox. Those seeking community-driven security can sign up for Tuta for free on their domain or spend up to $7 per month for custom domains, extra storage, and a white-label interface.
Emails generally aren’t encrypted if you don’t use a specialized platform, which means attackers who infiltrate a network or server can easily read the messages’ full text or view attachments.
Regardless of the level of security you choose to implement on your online communications, you can boost your protection with two-factor authentication, strong password management, and keeping an eye out for phishing campaigns and suspicious attachments. When in doubt, check user reviews to learn about first-person experiences.
Boost Your Brand With a Custom Domain and Free Email Hosting
Ever since the ubiquitous “You’ve got mail” alert announcing a new message in your inbox, email has been used to drive timely communication between friends, family, colleagues, and customers.
Despite the growing popularity of chat and video conferencing, email is still among the most popular electronic communication methods around.
Once your inboxes are all set up and flourishing, be sure to explore email marketing platforms that enable you to create a mailing list and see who is opening and clicking on your messages.
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