Email has become a primary communication method for individuals and businesses, replacing everything from paper bills to channels for customer support.
The number of email users worldwide has been steadily growing year by year.If you want to go beyond the free email offerings, present a professional email address, and have some level of control over your corporate email communications, you'll want to sign up with an email hosting provider.
Also: Cloud-based email services: Everything you need to know
What is the best email hosting service right now? Our favorite email hosting provider is Google Workspace .If you want an email hosting provider that is familiar, offers ample storage, and gives customers a direct and easy-to-understand pricing structure, this is the right host for you.
ZDNET has tested many email hosting providers over the years and we keep an eye on market trends, changes in pricing, and improvements in the market.Below, we have compiled our recommendations for excellent email hosting providers specializing in email and office productivity, as well as solid web hosts offering email packages with a personalized touch.
Best email hosting services of 2024 Google Workspace Best email hosting service overall
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Up to 5TB of storage Flexible pricing Familiar to free Gmail users Cons Doesn't offer unlimited storage for enterprises More Details Google Workspace features: Your own domain name: Yes | Mailbox size: 30GB, 2TB, and 5TB | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone | Archiving and storage: Depending on the plan | Free trial
Formerly known as G-Suite, Google Workspace integrates an enterprise-level Gmail management interface with Google Docs, Meet, Calendar, and various other tools.
However, it's not just for the enterprise level — far from it.
Pricing is easier to understand with Workspace than with Microsoft Office 365.Microsoft offers a wide variety of plans and options that also integrate into its other licensing pricing structures.
Google gives you three simple choices: $6 per month, $12 per month, or $18 per month per user on a yearly contract, depending on your desired management features.Features include custom and secure email, pooled storage ranging from 30GB to 5TB, and support.
Enterprise clients can contact Google for tailored solutions.
You can also test out the service for 14 days for free.Customers say Google Workspace is a powerful, reliable host, although there are some customer support issues that should be ironed out.
View now at Google Microsoft 365 Business Best email hosting service for Microsoft customers
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Starts at 1TB cloud storage Spam and virus protection 24/7 support Cons Advanced security only included in Premium plans More Details Microsoft 365 Business features : Your domain name: Yes | Cloud storage size: 1TB | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone | Archiving and storage: Depending on the plan | One-month free trial
Microsoft 365 encompasses all the Office desktop apps, Office online apps, Microsoft Teams, all the benefits of Exchange, calendaring, mobile apps, and more.If you are comfortable with the Outlook email client and Microsoft software, you will want to consider Microsoft 365 Business for your email hosting solution.
Available in Basic, Standard, and Premium packages — with prices starting at $6 per month, per user — customers can opt for business-class email, security packages, webinar and large meeting virtual solutions, and access control, among other features.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard is available for $12.50/month per user, and this may be a better option if you want Loop workspaces.Microsoft 365 Business Premium, priced at $22/month, per user, includes enterprise-grade device protection.Customer feedback indicates that this option is great for businesses of all sizes, although some users would prefer more control over update mechanisms.
A one-month free trial is available.Individual home users can also opt for Microsoft 365 Personal, with subscriptions set at $69.99/year.
View now at Microsoft Hostinger Best email and web hosting combination
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Email hosting included in web hosting plans 24/7 support Cons No archiving options No spam detection More Details Hostinger features: Your domain name: Yes | Mailbox size: 10GB or 50GB | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone (surcharge for priority support) | Archiving and storage: No
We reviewed Hostinger positively when looking at website hosting providers.It should be noted that the company's shared web hosting plan does include email accounts and mailboxes.
Also: Hostinger web hosting review: Good support and a killer entry-level price
The dedicated hosting service provided by Hostinger goes a step further by using the customer-centric Titan email hosting service .
Titan email hosting services offer integrated calendars alongside email management and scheduling features.
Business plans begin at $2.99 per user monthly, or Enterprise plans are priced at $3.99 per user every month.Basic plans provide 10GB of inbox storage, whereas premium plans offer users 50GB of storage.
Android and iOS apps are available, alongside read receipts, email templates, inbuilt calendars and contacts, two-factor authentication, and more.Customers find this host provides the whole package with excellent support.
View now at Hostinger A2 web hosting Best affordable email hosting for small businesses
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Affordable Long-term, simple plans Cons Storage relatively low on basic plans Email sending limits More Details A2 features : Your domain name: Yes | Inbox storage size: Up to 30GB | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone, Guru Crew Support | Archiving and storage : Depending on plan | Money-back guarantee
A2 web hosting is an excellent option if you run a small business.A2 offers customers multi-account access, 24/7 support, a variety of migration tools, anti-spam filters, administrator tools, useful email templates, and between 10GB and 30GB of storage per account.
As a bonus, this email hosting service is cheap, with plans starting at only $1.59 per month (10GB storage, up to 200 emails sent per hour limit, or 500 per day), as long as you agree to a 36-month contract.Premium plans begin at $2.59 every month (30GB storage, up to 300 emails sent per hour limit, or 1000 per day).
This email hosting service could be your best bet for a new business venture.Customers enjoy the speed and reliability of this host but some express frustration at the levels of emergency support on offer.
View now at A2 IceWarp Best email hosting service for cloud servers
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Collaborative document editing Long test period Cons 10 users minimum for business plans More Details IceWarp features: Your domain name: Yes | Mailbox size: 200GB + 1TB file storage | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone | Archiving and storage: Included.
A great name aside, IceWarp is an excellent browser-based email hosting option that combines cloud and on-premise technologies.
Its offerings, in particular, are worth highlighting as they include shared contacts and calendars, collaborative document editing, mailing list management, web meetings, ChatGPT integration, audio and video calls, mobile apps and synchronization, and archiving.The dashboard, too, is an attractive interface for accessing emails, calendars, meetings, and files.
Regarding subscriptions, IceWarp offers a variety, with the basic plan for startups and small businesses (up to ten user accounts) priced at only $15/month, with 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user.
Starting at $3.50/month per user, business plans are the next step up, but you will need to agree to 10 user accounts, at minimum.This plan covers up to 500 users with 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user.Custom plans are also available.
If you decide you would rather go elsewhere within three months, IceWarp says you will not be charged.
Customers find this service reliable and easy to use, although migration can take a while.
View now at IceWarp Rackspace Best email hosting service for migration assistance
Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ZDNET Pros & Cons Pros Unlimited mailbox size Microsoft integration Migration assistance Cons Short trial More Details Rackspace features: Your domain name: Yes | Mailbox size: 25GB mailboxes, 30GB storage, or unlimited | Spam and virus protection: Yes | Aliases: Yes | 24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone | Archiving and storage: Depending on plan, additional fee | 14-day free trial
Rackspace is one of the original cloud infrastructure providers.
The company offers a wide range of infrastructure-as-a-service options, including full Exchange hosting, Microsoft 365 management, and traditional email hosting suitable for small to medium-sized businesses and beyond.
The company offers migration assistance from other hosts, a large team of MCSA-certified staff, and the ability to support an existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.Free migration is provided on all plans.
Subscriptions start at $2.99 per month per user and increase to $3.99 per month for premium service.If you want unlimited archiving, prices begin at $6.99/month.A trial is available, although you have to make up your mind within 14 days.Customer feedback indicates that Rackspace's migration help is notable, as well as its uptime, but customer support can be lackluster.
View now at Rackspace What is the best email hosting service? If you want a no-brainer decision, choose either Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, depending on whether you're more tied to the Google or Microsoft ecosystem.That's it.Both are excellent offerings that provide solid, if sometimes frustrating support, and will get you where you need to go.
Full stop.
However, there are other worthy options on the market.To help you make your decision, we've highlighted each email hosting provider's noteworthy features below.
Email hosting service
Starting Price
Storage
Your Domain
Google Workspace
$6/user/mo
30GB, 2TB, and 5TB
Yes
Office 365 Business
$6/user/mo
1TB+
Yes
Hostinger
$2.99/user/mo
10GB+
Yes
A2 web hosting
$1.59/user/mo
30GB
Yes
IceWarp
$3.50/user/mo
200GB
Yes
Rackspace
$2.99/user/mo
25GB+
Yes
Which is the best email hosting service? There are an absolute ton of email hosting providers, and we've done our best to highlight the top picks in the market.The best email hosting providers are listed below, depending on your need and particular use case.
Choose this email hosting service…
If you want…
Google Workspace
A comprehensive office suite and prefer the Google ecosystem.
Google is familiar as an email hosting service and offers straightforward pricing with different storage options.
Office 365 Business
A comprehensive office suite and prefer the Microsoft ecosystem.
If you want an email host focused on Outlook, stick with Microsoft.
Hostinger
Email hosting, and you're also buying web hosting.As a combination, Hostinger is a solid choice to manage both sides.
A2 web hosting
A supremely affordable email hosting plan over the long term.A2 is popular in the market for its offerings to smaller businesses, and rightly so.
IceWarp
Comprehensive email services, but prefer to avoid Microsoft and Google.This is an excellent option for startup companies, too, that need up to 10 inboxes.
Rackspace
Microsoft features, but want to work with a non-Microsoft provider.
Rackspace should be considered if you want assistance with migration.
Factors to consider when choosing an email hosting service When you are on the hunt for a new email hosting provider, consider the factors below.
Features : Flexibility and different features are paramount when you select an email hosting service.Software bundles, sending tools, custom domains, billing options, and more could sway your choice, so you need to decide what features are the most important to you.Affordability : As the majority of email hosting providers will require customers to sign up to at least a year, or more, you need to take into account the rolling fees over time and match your budget with the right host.Reliability : Ensure you pick an email hosting provider with minimal downtime, as there's no point in paying for a host that is unreliable and could impact your access to the services you have signed up for.Scalability : If you are a small to mid-size business owner, you may need to scale up your operation in the future.
Consider choosing a provider that can easily scale to match your evolving needs.How did we choose these email hosting providers? Many of us at ZDNET have decades of experience with email hosting providers.In making recommendations, we take this experience and combine it with crucial factors, including:
Familiarity : We have included vendors that ZDNET authors are personally familiar with and feel comfortable recommending.After all, if we wouldn't use the service, it's probably not worth consideration.
Pricing : We have included a range of email hosting providers that offer services and price points suitable for different clients.There's no point in paying for multiple inboxes or advanced features if you are unlikely to use them.Security : In today's world, filled with data breaches and cyberattacks, security must be at the forefront of your online communication channels.We selected providers known for their robust security practices and frequent upgrades, improvements, and audits.Customer support : Signing up to a new email hosting service or switching provider can be a stressful experience.We prefer to showcase companies known for providing solid customer support over email, phone, and chat.Should I host my email? While it is certainly possible to self-host your email and local backup options seem attractive, you will need some technological acumen and be willing to undergo the setup process, whether at home or by renting a server.
For most users, signing up for an email hosting service is the easier and quicker option.
Do you get free email with a GoDaddy domain? Domain purchases alone will not net you free email services.Instead, you will need to sign up for hosting, of which some plans will grant you free, professional email hosting for a year.
How do I properly recover a stolen email account with a Google server? This doesn't just apply if you're using Google for your email.If you're using another hosting provider, but also using Gmail, you might need to get this answered.It's obviously easiest if you can still log in.
But even if you can't, Google offers a set of steps for you to follow.Here's Google's page to get you started.
But keep in mind that the best way to avoid having to recover a stolen email account is to protect it properly.Be sure to set up multi-factor authentication and get your recovery codes from Google .
What free email service ends in org? There are free email services, but be careful: free services often come with other costs, including privacy.Since it's costly to maintain an email hosting service, those using free services may not get much support or may find the service just disappears one day.
Or, you may be bombarded with adverts every time you access your inbox.
Also, be careful of free services that are essentially phishing sites, capturing all the emails you get, including personal identifying information.That said, mail.com is a fairly safe service that offers email addresses with the linuxmail.org and musician.org domains.
Other free services, like Yahoo and Google, allow you to set up email aliases, so if you have another mailer that supports .org, you can get that email at your Yahoo or Gmail account.
My web-hosted email stopped forwarding to my phone.How do I fix it? There's not one single answer for that.
It generally depends on your email provider and phone OS.That said, if you use any of the common email providers, you can go to this troubleshooting page for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and this troubleshooter for the Google Android email app .Sometimes, you may need to either update your app or reinstall it completely.
Are there alternative email hosting services worth considering? There are a tremendous number of hosting providers on the market.As we said, just about every web hosting provider also offers email.
But here are more providers that provide excellent email hosting services and support.
View at Dreamhost View at GoDaddy View at Amazon View at Zoho View at Intermedia ZDNET Recommends
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