12 Best Free (& Private) Email Accounts & Service Providers of 2023
For these advanced features, Yahoo! Mail offers paid plans, starting at $1.19/month.
15 Best Free Email Service Providers for 2023 ��
Here you sit — in front of your computer (or on your mobile) — facing the daunting task of finding the best free email service provider for your business. And you have no idea where to start. First, take a moment to consider what you’ll need from your email service provider. How much storage do you need? Do you need multiple email addresses? How important are security and privacy? Don’t worry — you’ve come to the right place to get answers to your burning questions. Let’s learn some basics about email accounts, and then we’ll review the best email service providers so you can choose the best one for your business.
The 2 Types of Email Accounts
Email is sent and received through two types of accounts: email clients and webmail. While webmail appears to be more common, there are benefits to using email clients as well. You’ll need to decide which type is best for you.
1. Email clients
An email client is a software program installed on your computer to access and manage an email account. The email client connects to the internet and interacts with the provider’s email server to send and receive messages. Email clients can be beneficial for businesses. They often offer more advanced mailbox management functionality than webmail, and they may integrate more efficiently with other software the company uses. Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Apple Mail are examples of popular email clients.
2. Webmail
A webmail account is created online, and messages are sent and received via the internet through a web browser instead of installed software. Webmail allows you to directly access your email from the provider’s server by signing in to the website that connects to your email account. Opening a webmail account is generally free, and webmail can be accessed from any location with an internet connection. Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL are examples of popular webmail providers. Regardless of which type of email account you use, email marketing tools and protocols are available that also let you check messages from your phone and other devices. Let’s learn about three standard email protocols.
Three Standard Email Protocols
What exactly are email protocols? Simply stated, an email protocol is a method or system to retrieve or access email. For example, if you have a webmail account you access from your computer, you’d probably also like to manage your email from an app on your phone. The webmail hosting provider uses one of these protocols to make that happen. We’ll briefly discuss POP3, IMAP, and Exchange protocols.
1. POP3
POP3 (Post Office Protocol Version 3) retrieves your email from the provider’s server and downloads it onto your computer, allowing you to view email while offline. Email messages are then deleted from the server and can only be accessed from that same computer. This protocol works best for people with one email account and one computer.
2. IMAP
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) has advantages over POP3 because it stores your email data — instead of deleting it — on the provider’s server. Rather than downloading email messages directly onto your computer, IMAP lets you access and manage your email from any device and any location by logging in to your account online. This protocol is best for people with different email accounts who wish to access them from multiple devices.
3. Exchange
Exchange is a Microsoft protocol similar to IMAP. It utilizes a server where email accounts are configured, allows you to sync email messages across multiple devices, and lets you access your email account via the internet. Exchange also enables you to sync calendars, tasks, and contacts with co-workers, making this protocol especially beneficial for businesses and institutions. Now that the basics are covered let’s move on to the providers.
Best Free Email Service Providers
Which is the best email service provider for your business? That’s what we’re here to find out. Below is a brief review of each of the email providers that offer free mail service. (Some also offer a paid plan.)
1. Gmail
Type of email account: Webmail Best suited for: freelancers, small to large businesses Google’s Gmail is a free email service built into its suite of applications, including Docs (word processing), Sheets (spreadsheets), Slides (presentations), and Calendar. Gmail is accessible from any device and lets you live chat and join meetings right from your inbox! Free accounts include:
- 15 GB of storage (shared between Gmail, Drive, and Photos)
- Smart Compose to help you write and respond to email faster
- View attachments
- RSVP to events
- Snooze messages without opening email
- Receive nudges to follow up or respond to email
- Undo option to retract email shortly after being sent
- Filters to sort messages
- Spam filtering
- Schedule messages for later delivery
- Search options
- Unlimited emails
Paid accounts include:
- Custom business email
- Ad-free interface
- Instant messaging
- Shared calendars
- Additional storage
For these advanced features, Gmail offers paid business plans, starting at $6/month.
2. AOL
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers, small businesses
AOL Mail is a classic, free mail service that includes a news hub on its homepage and provides the simple functionality of sending and receiving email.
AOL has a user-friendly platform that allows you to personalize and organize your inbox.
AOL offers spam filters, virus protection, spell-checker, sorting filters, folders, calendar, and a to-do feature.
You can also choose themes, create and manage folders, customize panels, and change the way messages are displayed.
Android and iOS apps are available, POP/IMAP protocols are supported, and your contact list can be imported from CSV, TXT, or LDIF files.
Free accounts include:
- Unlimited storage
- Send email attachments up to 25 MB
- Keyboard shortcuts to quickly perform simple tasks
- Reading pane to preview message without opening email
- Unlimited customer support
AOL also offers AOL Desktop Gold for Windows, starting at $4.99/month.
3. Titan
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: small businesses
Titan is a business email service with features to help small business grow and create deeper customer relationships. Titan offers customers a business email at their domain, a shareable calendar, and ample storage. Features like Read Receipts, Schedule Send, and Priority Inbox are provided to help Titan users streamline productivity and focus on the things that matter.
Free Plan Includes
Through various partners, Titan offers a free trial of its two paid plans
Paid Plans Include
- 10-50 GB Email storage
- Unlimited Mail Filters
- 10 Email Aliases
- Rich Webmail
- Multi-device support
- Inbuilt calendar and contacts
- iOS and Android apps
- Antivirus Check
- Advanced Anti-spam
- One-click import of existing emails and contacts
Titan has partnerships with leading domain registrars such as Hostinger, Hostgator, Name.com, and WordPress.com. Plans and pricing vary by partner.
4. Outlook
Type of email account: Email client
Best suited for: small to large businesses
Outlook (formerly Hotmail) is the free web version of email client Microsoft Outlook that provides email service, calendar, contact and task management, and search bar.
Outlook is part of Microsoft’s suite of Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Free accounts include:
- 15 GB of mailbox storage
- 5 GB of file storage in OneDrive
- View multiple email messages on separate tabs
- Immersive Reader helps you focus and concentrate on one specific email
- Integrated photo viewer
- Security and spam filters
- Web version of Office
- Android and iOS apps
- Clean interface with folders and filters for sorting
Paid accounts include:
- Ad-free interface
- Custom domain names
- Enhanced security protection
- Desktop version of Office, and 1 TB of storage
For these advanced features, Microsoft offers paid plans, starting at $5/user/month.
5. Zoho
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: startups, small businesses
Zoho believes in solving business problems and offers a professional email service that’s ad-free, secure, and private.
Zoho’s inbox is bundled within a suite of other services that let you manage your calendar, tasks, notes, and contacts.
Free accounts include:
- 5 GB of storage per user
- Five user accounts
- Send email attachments up to 25 MB
- Email hosting service
- Two-factor authentication to secure account
- Easy-to-use interface
- Suite of services
- Organizational folders
- Tags, filters, and advanced searches
Paid accounts include:
- Hosting of multiple domains
- Shared calendars, email, and folders
- Streams collaboration tool
- Offline access
- Android and iOS apps
- IMAP/POP access for email clients
For these advanced features, Zoho offers paid plans, starting at $1/month/user.
6. Mail.com
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small and medium-sized businesses
Mail.com offers free email service with a twist — they want you to express yourself! With more than 200 domain names to choose from, why be tied to using “@mail.com” when you can attach your username to domains like brew-master.com, consultant.com, or songwriter.net?
Free accounts include:
- 2 GB of file storage
- Send large email attachments up to 30 GB
- Mobile service to access your email and calendar from anywhere
- Mail Collector to combine and manage multiple email accounts from one platform
- Easy-to-use interface
- Intuitive interface
- Choice of custom domain names
- Calendar
- Email filters
- Archiving options
- Antivirus protection
- Spam filters
- Android and iOS apps
Paid accounts include:
- Ad-free interface
- Read receipt functions
- Automatic email forwarding
- Telephone support
- Additional storage
- POP3/IMAP settings
For advanced features, log in to your Mail.com account and upgrade to the Premium plan.
7. Yahoo! Mail
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small businesses
Yahoo! Inc. is a global internet service provider that offers a free plan featuring a search engine, news, finance, sports, and entertainment.
Yahoo! Mail includes spam filters, POP3/IMAP settings, mobile apps, and integration to add other email accounts.
Free accounts include:
- 1 TB of storage
- View option to quickly find photos, documents, receipts, and travel information
- Filters to sort and organize incoming mail into specific folders
- Archive email you’d rather not delete
- Search options to find messages, photos, documents, or people
- Easy-to-use interface
- Themes
- Calendar
- Customizable message layout
- Filters
- Folders
- Search options
- Contact management
Paid accounts include:
- Use with custom domain names
- Automatic mail forwarding
- Multiple calendars
- Ad-free inbox
- Priority customer service
For these advanced features, Yahoo! Mail offers paid plans, starting at $1.19/month.
8. ProtonMail
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small to large businesses
Proton Technologies is a global leader in online security, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that provides a secure, open-source, private email service with end-to-end encryption.
No personal information is required to open an anonymous email account.
ProtonMail is easy to use, can be used on any device, and is optimized for productivity and organization.
Free accounts include:
- 500 MB of storage
- One email address
- Send up to 150 messages per day
- Three folders/labels
- Limited support
Paid accounts include:
- Multiple email addresses
- Custom domains
- Unlimited folders and labels
- Powerful filters
- Priority customer service
- ProtonMailBridge application enables integration with popular email clients, like Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird.
For these advanced features, ProtonMail offers paid plans, starting at approximately $6/month.
9. iCloud Mail
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small businesses
iCloud Mail is free to anyone with an Apple ID through the Apple Mail app and can be accessed on Apple mobile devices, Mac computers, or Microsoft Outlook on a Windows computer.
iCloud Mail has a clean, ad-free interface that allows you to modify its appearance, easy-to-use search functionality, automatic and manual spam filters to block unwanted messages.
Default mail folders for Inbox, VIP, Drafts, Sent, Archive, Trash, and Junk are included, and additional folders can be created.
Filters sort messages and flag important contacts, and color-coded labels categorize messages.
Free accounts include:
- 5 GB of storage (shared between all apps and devices)
- Create up to three active email aliases
- Keyboard shortcuts for more efficient emailing
- Easily unsubscribe from email lists
- Mail Drop sends large attachments from iCloud
Additional iCloud storage can be purchased, starting at $0.99/month.
10. GMX Mail
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers, small and medium-sized businesses
GMX (Global Mail eXchange) Mail offers a lot for a free email service provider.
Once you open a free email account, you’ll also have access to a calendar, address book, Online Office (word processing), Search for Windows (web search), and cloud storage.
Android and iOS apps are available for mobile use, and email accounts include advanced security features, like encrypted emails, antivirus software, and spam filter.
You’ll also have options to choose free and customized email apps, use Mail Collector to combine all your email accounts in one place and use filter rules to organize and manage your inbox.
Free accounts include:
- 65 GB of storage
- Send large email attachments up to 50 MB
- Create up to 10 alias email addresses
- MailCheck browser extension so you never miss important emails
- Helpful support services
11. Mozilla Thunderbird
Type of email account: Email client
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small businesses
Thunderbird is a free, secure, open-source email application by Mozilla that’s easy to use and highly customizable, loaded with features and add-ons to personalize and design your email experience.
Thunderbird offers a Mail Account Setup Wizard, an automated version update system, tabbed email to browse multiple messages for easy reference, and intuitive spam filters.
Customize the appearance of Thunderbird with themes and utilize advanced search tools and filters.
Manage large files by uploading documents to an online storage provider and sharing links instead of sending files and archive messages you want to keep.
Free accounts include:
- Quick Filter Toolbar to filter email faster
- Smart Folders to manage multiple email accounts in one inbox
- Add-ons Manager helps you find and install add-ons right from Thunderbird
- One-click Address Book makes adding contacts quick and easy
- Attachment Reminder reminds you to add attachments before sending mail
12. Yandex Mail
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers/self-employed, small businesses
Yandex is a Russian technology company that offers internet-related products and services, including free email accounts.
When you register for a free account, you’ll also have access to useful web hosting services, save and share files, get directions, and more. Mobile apps are available.
Free accounts include:
- 10 GB of storage
- Customizable interface to personalize the appearance of your inbox
- Timer to schedule email messages to be delivered at a later date
- Simple password recovery so you don’t get locked out of your device
- Multiple Yandex inboxes under one account
- Built-in antivirus protection
- Spam filters
- Secure log-in to the app with fingerprint or PIN
- Email sorting filters
Paid plans are not available in all countries. For additional information, contact [email protected] .
13. HubSpot
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: startups, small and medium-sized businesses
HubSpot is a popular inbound marketing platform that offers a free email tool within their free CRM platform, which also includes sales, content management, customer service, and more marketing tools.
Free accounts (with CRM) include:
- CRM stores unlimited data
- Customizable, ready-to-use email templates
- Drag-and-drop editor to personalize messages, insert images, and add calls-to-action
- Valuable contact insights stored in CRM help tailor messages to boost user engagement
- Schedule email to be delivered at a later time
- Organize contacts
- Send 2,000 messages per month
- Post-send analysis
- Excellent email deliverability
- Privacy and data protection
Paid marketing features include:
- Automation
- List segmentation
- Form follow-up email
- Reporting dashboard
- A/B testing
- Smart content
For these advanced features, HubSpot offers paid marketing plans starting at $45/month.
14. Tutanota
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: freelancers, small to large businesses
Tutanota is based in Hanover, Germany, and believes in your right to privacy.
Tutanota provides an ad-free, easy-to-use, secure, open-source email service that encrypts your entire mailbox, calendar, and address book.
No personal information is required to open an anonymous email account, and apps for iOS, Android, and desktops are available.
Free accounts include:
- 1 GB of storage
- One user
- Tutanota domains
- Limited search
- Calendar
- Secure emails
- Ad-free
- For private use only (but can easily be upgraded)
- Emails, calendar, and contacts are encrypted for privacy
Paid accounts include:
- Multiple custom domains
- Unlimited search
- Multiple calendars
- Five email aliases
- Inbox rules
- Email support
- Out-of-office notifications
Tutanota offers paid plans for these advanced features, starting at approximately $1.45/user/month.
15. Sendinblue
Type of email account: Webmail
Best suited for: startups, small and medium-sized businesses
Sendinblue originated as a digital agency and now offers an all-in-one platform for powerful, budget-friendly digital marketing tools.
Email, SMS, Facebook, Chat, and CRM are just a few ways Sendinblue helps you build better customer relationships.
Free accounts include:
- Unlimited storage for contacts
- Send up to 300 messages per day (email templates can be customized)
- Email marketing automation workflows for up to 2,000 subscribers
- API and Plugins (basic integrations, like RSS, Google Contacts, WordPress)
- Sales CRM
- Email marketing campaign features
- Contact management
- Transactional emails
- Marketing automation
- Reporting
- Support
- Integration
Paid marketing features include:
- Multiple inboxes
- Marketing automation
- No daily sending limits
- A/B testing
- Multi-user access.
For these advanced features, Sendinblue offers paid marketing plans, starting at $25/month.
So, Which Is the Best Free Email Provider for You?
There you have it. We’ve narrowed your search down to 15 of the best, most popular email providers.
And the best part is, they’re free! And you can upgrade to top-notch features for an affordable price.
Now it’s time to take action and answer the question:
Which email service provider will best suit your business needs?
Now, go ahead and sign up for that free account.
Joanna Kneller is a freelance writer, editor, and certified content marketer, who helps businesses and authors create engaging content that inspires readers. She also enjoys traveling and misses the adventures of life on the road while living in an RV. Connect with her on LinkedIn or see more of her work at writer.me.
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What is a webmail?
Webmail is a form of email you access exclusively from the internet and so it exists primarily on the cloud rather than your computer. Instead of an installed application fetching your email, you manage your inbox right from your internet browser.
Examples of webmail providers include Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Hotmail.
Now, take a look at the best free email service providers (and the best email accounts for privacy) you can get your hands on today — both webmail and email clients included. For each email service provider, we’ve highlighted a unique feature to help you find the best fit.
Best Free Email Accounts
- Gmail: Best for Offline Accessibility
- AOL: Best for Interface Organization
- Outlook: Best for Multiple App Integrations
- Yahoo! Mail: Best for Lots of Storage
- iCloud Mail: Best for IMAP
- Mozilla Thunderbird: Best for Managing Multiple Accounts
1. Gmail: Best for Offline Accessibility
Unique Feature: Native File Collaboration
Sign up here.
Type of email: Webmail
Who should use it: Anyone who already uses and loves the rest of Google’s products.
It might seem like an obvious top pick, but Gmail is just too versatile not to get our first slot. According to Litmus Labs, Gmail has the second-highest email provider market share (behind Apple iPhone’s native email app).
Ironically, one of the reasons Gmail has become so popular is because of all the communication options in your inbox that don’t involve email.
Gmail is a regular email inbox tool you can access once you have a Google account. Since it’s built into Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), creating a Gmail account is more than creating an email account. It gives you access to a full suite of free applications, including Google Play, Calendar, Google Docs, and more, that allow you to chat, video conference, and share files with the people in your contact list.
For example, Google Hangouts, available from your inbox’s left sidebar (or the right — you can customize how your inbox is displayed), lets you text and video chat with other Gmail users for the things that might not warrant an email message.
Like most other email accounts today, Gmail also has an intuitive calendar where you can set meetings and reminders.
A few things to know about setup: First, privacy settings are built into the user agreement. So, if you have specific security preferences, be ready to take care of these before you start using your new email account. After you create your email address, you’ll be redirected to a home page with more privacy settings.
This section also asks about your YouTube preferences because the platforms are connected through your Google account. Unlike other email accounts, you can use your Gmail address to log in to and manage your YouTube account. You’ll also use this account to collaborate on shared documents and spreadsheets right from a cloud-based Google Drive.
Offering a generous 15 GB of free email storage, Gmail does everything it can to make your inbox less chaotic, including providing advanced filters that automatically push emails into separate folders as they arrive. And none of these functions costs a dime.
This email service also has extensive options for customizing. And personalizing your inbox is more than selecting graphics or themes — it lets you decide how you want your email inbox to function. So, you can choose whether you want a reading pane, which emails show up at the top of your inbox, and more.
Core Features
- Allows you to un-send emails. Within seconds of sending an email you didn’t mean to send, a handy “Undo” button will pop up in the bottom-right hand corner of your screen.
- 15GB free email storage. You can store thousands upon thousands of emails without worrying that you’ll soon reach an upper limit.
- Accessible from any internet-connected device. And on any browser, too. While email clients vary in terms of compatibility with operating systems and devices, Gmail is available on whatever device you have on hand.
- 99.9% protection from suspicious/spam emails. Some might argue that Gmail’s spam filter is oversensitive — I myself have had perfectly legitimate emails routed to my spam folder.
- Texts suggestions that help you write emails faster. Gmail’s Smart Compose feature uses machine learning technology to predict what you’re writing with high accuracy. Whether you use the suggestions is up to you, of course.
What We Like
- Each Google account comes with a range of helpful tools and resources.
- You can use “Labels” to create folders to organize your inbox. This is helpful if you get a lot of email or if you’re using your Gmail account for business.
- Lots of ways to personalize your email inbox for your specific needs.
- Easy to use and effective free tool for email.
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