The best email hosting services of 2024: Expert tested

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Email has become a primary communication method for individuals and businesses, replacing everything from paper bills and phone calls to customer support channels. This means that business email hosting is in demand more than ever.

The number of email users worldwide has been steadily growing year by year, and it is estimated that 361.6 billion emails will be sent this year. Office workers send around 40 emails a day.

If you want to go beyond free, basic email addresses, obtain a professional email address, or have a high level of control over your corporate email communications, you'll want to sign up with a reputable business email hosting provider. We've found the best email hosting services for small businesses, large organizations, and individuals alike.

Also: The best web hosting services: Expert tested

What is the best email hosting service right now?

Our favorite email hosting provider is Google Workspace. If you want a familiar email hosting provider that offers ample storage with a direct and easy-to-understand pricing structure, this is the right host for you. Alternatively, if you are looking for a new email hosting provider for a small to medium-sized business, consider Hostinger or A2 Hosting. Hostinger is an affordable option that combines email and web hosting for individuals or SMBs, whereas A2 web hosting has a range of plans to suit small businesses.

ZDNET has tested many email hosting providers over the years, and we keep an eye on market trends, pricing changes, and market improvements. 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

Google Workspace integrates an enterprise-level Gmail management interface with Google Docs, Google Meet, Google Calendar, and other tools. Thankfully, it's not just for enterprises.

As an email hosting service, given Google's approach to security, tool suite, free service, and the fact it is used by billions of people worldwide, it's no surprise that many use this service as the backbone of their custom email addresses and inboxes.

Pricing is far easier to understand with Workspace than with Microsoft Office 365, as Microsoft offers various licensing pricing structures.

Google gives you three simple choices: $6 per month per user, $12 per month per user, 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 video meetings for between 100 and 500 participants. Enterprise clients can contact Google for tailored solutions.

You can also test out the service for 14 days for free and the company will also give you access to its Gemini assistant. Customers say Google Workspace is a reliable host, although some customer support issues should be ironed out.

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Hostinger

Best email and web hosting combination

We reviewed Hostinger positively when evaluating website hosting providers, and consider Hostinger an excellent option for businesses of all sizes that want to combine email and web services.

Android and iOS apps are available, alongside read receipts, aliases, email templates, calendars and contacts, forwarding rules, two-factor authentication, anti-spam measures, and more, depending on your plan.

During Hostinger's Black Friday sale, Premium plans combining web and email hosting begin at $1.95 per month per user, and Business plans start at $2.95 per month per user. Two months of free service on both plans are included.

If you opt for business email hosting alone, for a $0.99 per month per user starting subscription, you can enjoy up to 10GB of inbox storage, ten forwarding rules, and 50 email aliases. For $2.99 per month per user, you receive 50GB of storage.

Also: Hostinger web hosting review: Good support and a killer entry-level price

The company's standard web hosting plan includes email accounts and mailboxes. Hostinger's dedicated hosting service goes further by using the customer-centric Titan email hosting service. Titan email hosting services offer integrated calendars alongside email management and scheduling features.

Customers find this host provides the whole package with excellent support.

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Microsoft 365 Business

Best email hosting service for Microsoft customers

Microsoft 365 encompasses all the Office desktop apps, Office online apps, Microsoft Teams, Exchange's benefits, calendaring, mobile apps, and more.

If you are comfortable with the Outlook email client and Microsoft software, you should consider Microsoft 365 Business as a trusted, well-known solution for your email hosting.

Available in Basic, Standard, and Premium packages -- with prices starting at $6 per month per user -- you can opt for business-class email, security packages, webinar and large meeting virtual solutions, IAM access control, and custom business email addresses, among other features.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is available for $12.50 per month per user, and this may be a better option if you want Loop collaborative workspaces. Microsoft 365 Business Premium, priced at $22 per month per user, includes enterprise-grade device protection and advanced identity and access management. You can purchase Copilot for Microsoft 365 as an add-on with any package.

Customer feedback indicates that this option is great for businesses of all sizes, although some users prefer more control over their updates.

Alternatively, individual home users can also opt for Microsoft 365 Personal, with subscriptions set at $69.99 per year.

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A2 Hosting

Best affordable email hosting for small businesses

A2 Hosting is an excellent option for small businesses. It offers 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. Plans start at only $1.59 per month per user (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 per month per user (30GB storage, up to 300 emails sent per hour limit, or 1,000 per day).

This email hosting service could be your best bet for a new business venture and will serve you well until you need to scale up. Customers enjoy the speed and reliability of this host, but some express frustration at the level of emergency support offered.

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Proton Mail

Best free email hosting service

Proton Mail should be in the running if you want a security-first email hosting solution, or you are looking for a free plan.

Developed by the same organization that offers Proton VPN, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass, Proton Mail offers free, business, individual, and family plans. Email is end-to-end encrypted, and storage levels range from 1GB to a massive 3TB on shared family subscriptions. The company is headquartered in Switzerland and so adheres to the country's strict data protection and privacy laws.

Mail Plus ($3.99/month) comes with 10 email addresses, 15GB of storage, and a custom email domain if you need a basic option. Proton's business plans start at $6.99 per month per user and include features such as secure business email, custom email addresses, a calendar, access to a writing assistant, and cloud storage.

Customers say they like the simple interface and security provisions but note that customer support needs improvement.

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IceWarp

Best email hosting service for cloud servers

Great name aside, IceWarp is an excellent browser-based email hosting option that combines cloud and on-premise technologies.

Its offerings 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.

IceWarp offers various subscriptions. The basic plan for startups and small businesses (up to 10 accounts) is $23 per month, and it includes 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user. One month of free service is included.

Business plans are the next step-up, starting at $3.50 per month per user, but you will need to agree to 10 user accounts at a minimum. This plan covers up to 500 users, with 200GB of email storage and 1TB of file storage per user. There is an optional desktop app suite. Custom plans are also available.

Customers find this service reliable and easy to use, although migration can take a while.

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Rackspace

Best email hosting service for migration assistance

Rackspace is one of the original cloud infrastructure providers. The company offers many infrastructure-as-a-service options, including complete 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 per user for premium service. If you want unlimited archiving, prices begin at $6.99 per month per user. A trial is available, although you have to make up your mind within 14 days. Customer feedback indicates that Rackspace's migration help and uptime are notable, but customer support can be lackluster.

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When you're on the hunt for a new email hosting provider, you may end up paying only a few dollars per month unless you have a large team to support, all of which may need a dedicated email address. To help you decide, we've highlighted each email hosting provider's noteworthy features below.

Email hosting service	Starting price	Storage	Your domain
Google Workspace	$6/user/month	30GB, 2TB, or 5TB	Yes
Hostinger	$1.95/user/month	10GB+	Yes
Microsoft 365 Business	$6/user/month	1TB+	Yes
A2 web hosting	$1.59/user/month	30GB	Yes
Proton Mail	$3.49/user/month	1GB - 3TB	Yes
IceWarp	$3.50/user/month	200GB	Yes
Rackspace	$2.99/user/month	25GB+	Yes

You don't necessarily have to pay for email hosting. There are free options out there, offered by reputable companies -- including Google and Microsoft -- that tick many of the boxes for average users. Some of these free services, too, can be bumped up with extra storage for a small monthly fee.

However, small and medium-sized businesses should consider email hosting services as an investment. They provide far more customization options than paid plans. This includes custom domains, collaboration and productivity tools, setup assistance, enhanced privacy and security measures, and flexible storage options.

There are countless 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 use case.

Choose this email hosting service…	If you want…
Google Workspace	A comprehensive office suite and you prefer the Google ecosystem. Google is familiar as an email hosting service and offers straightforward pricing with different storage options.
Hostinger	Email hosting, and you're also buying web hosting. As a combination, Hostinger is a solid choice to manage both.
Microsoft 365 Business	A comprehensive office suite and prefer the Microsoft ecosystem. If you want an email host focused on Outlook, stick with Microsoft.
A2 web hosting	An affordable email hosting plan over the long term. A2 is popular in the market for its offerings to smaller businesses, and rightly so.
Proton Mail	A security-first email solution or a free plan. Proton Mail is an end-to-end encrypted service with extremely high security standards. Specialist security support is available.
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.

Choosing the right email hosting provider can be tricky, especially as you will likely be tied to a contract for at least a year. When you are on the hunt for a new email hosting provider, consider the factors below.

Features: Different features can help you choose the right email hosting service. Software bundles, AI 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: Most email hosting providers require customers to sign up for at least a year or more. You must consider the rolling fees over time and match your budget with the right host. In addition, keep in mind that promotional prices may not last. Reliability: Ensure you pick an email hosting provider with minimal downtime. There's no point in paying for an unreliable host that could impact your access to the services you signed up for.Scalability: If you own a small or midsize business, you may need to expand your operation. Consider choosing a provider that can quickly scale to match your evolving needs. Security: As email services are often the gateway to our other online services, choosing an email provider with a strong security record is worthwhile. Unfortunately, even the largest and best companies may eventually experience a breach, but you want to at least find a company that constantly works to improve its security posture.Contracts: Before you sign up, consider how long you will likely use the service. You may choose a month-to-month service or a rolling contract over years, and you may want flexibility in the contract's terms. Read them carefully before you commit to a new email service.

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.Email-only: Many email hosting providers now package their email solutions with other services. We want to include a variety, including cheaper email-only options.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.Flexibility: We like to see various email and hosting plans, including family and business options, and contracts with different time frames. Customer support: Signing up for a new email hosting service or switching providers can be stressful. We prefer to showcase companies that provide solid customer support over email, phone, and chat.

Over the years, I've helped several small businesses launch, from website designers to miniaturists and artist e-commerce shops. When you start a new venture, every cent counts, but I always advise that new business owners consider email a priority and as something worth investing in.

It's one of the main ways your customers communicate with you, and a branded email address tends to instill more trust in you than a generic free one. Dedicated email addresses also add a layer of professionalism to a new brand, and for the sake of what might only be a few dollars a month, it's worth it.

Email hosting FAQs

Email hosting is a service that allows customers to use their own custom domain names in their email addresses, rather than being stuck with the email provider's domain. For example, I could set up admin@mybusiness.com rather than myname@gmail.com. Email hosting often provides a wide range of useful add-ons, including email management suites and collaboration tools.

While it is undoubtedly 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 easier, quicker, and requires less management.

However, if you are absolutely sure you want to self-host, we recommend that you check out Mailcow or Roundcube.

When you sign up for an email hosting service, you pay for email addresses, the storage required to store your emails, and the platform to send, receive, and organize your email. An email forwarder does none of these things: all a forwarder does is redirect emails received by one email address -- such as hello@yourbusiness.com -- to another email address, like hello@yoursecondbusiness.com.

Email hosting and web hosting are both online services, but each serves a different purpose. Email hosting focuses on providing customers with custom email addresses and associated services, such as email storage and archiving. In comparison, web hosting services provide storage for files and content used by websites, rather than email platforms. They may also give subscribers a free domain name.

There are also differences in terms of cost. Email hosting services are typically priced per account (or in groups for business use), whereas web hosting pricing structures can be based on time periods, storage requirements, and services, including e-commerce or CMS support.

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.

GoDaddy provides a range of services, including web and email hosting. You can buy standalone email hosting services with plans starting at $1.99. The company's email services center around the Microsoft 365 suite, including additional tools such as web apps and improved security.

In most cases, you get what you pay for. Some robust and functional free email services are available, but keep in mind that they likely have limitations. These could include the number of emails you can send daily, your email addresses, or the amount of storage available.

Our best recommendation for a free email service is Proton Mail, which offers 1GB of storage, one user account, and one email address.

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, using free services may not get you much support or may bombard you with ads 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 reasonably 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.

There is a tremendous number of hosting providers on the market. As we said, just about every web hosting provider also offers email. Here are a few more providers that provide excellent email hosting services and support.