Introduction
An email has become your life’s most important communication tool in the last few years. It’s used for everything from business to personal. Cloud services like Gmail have come a long way, and with tools like Dropbox, you can import all your emails into one easy-to-navigate application. We’ve compiled a list of the top 25 email providers today.
1. Gmail
Gmail: Google’s email service offers 15GB of storage, a spam-free experience, and excellent search functionality. It’s a “smart” email service. It constantly learns what you like and doesn’t like based on your regular email habits. Users can set the service to automatically send messages based on time, location, or various features tied to their Google profile.
2. Outlook
Outlook Express is a Gmail-like application for Windows. It offers decent but not excellent email functionality at less than 2GB of storage, good search functionality (despite its limitations), and great integration with Outlook 2003/Plus and Office 2007/2010.
3. Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Free email service does not offer more storage than Gmail but provides a customizable interface for searching and quickly formatting messages. It also has very effective spam filtering, just in case you need it. Its customizable interface is a plus if you hate being overwhelmed with too many options.
4. Fastmail
This one is an outlier because it’s a premium service and only supports advanced users’ needs. If you have many email addresses you need to run for work or other reasons, this service is for you. Fastmail offers 50GB of storage, an extreme amount for free services. Their search function is top-notch, and the interface is very well-designed. There’s no spam filtering, though, so you have to have a spam folder if you don’t want to see anything get lost in your inbox.
5. Sparrow
This is the first email client on our list, but it’s quickly earned its spot as one of the best. It offers 5GB of storage for free, which is great if you’re looking to set up an email account. It also has a filter for spam and a very effective search engine.
6. Yandex Mail
Yandex is another highly-rated web service that hosts free email services for anyone who wants them. Yandex Mail has an excellent filter for spam, and its interface is straightforward. There’s also no limit to how many emails you can have on the service, so you can go as high as you feel comfortable.
7. Zoho Mail
This free email service is one of the more popular options for users looking for an alternative to Gmail or Outlook. It offers 15GB of storage, which is slightly less than Google. Still, it also has almost equivalent search functionality and good integration with other productivity tools like calendars and tasks.
8. ProtonMail
This free email service is based on end-to-end encryption, which means all emails sent through it are fully protected from prying eyes. This isn’t the easiest of tasks, so I recommend trying out their beta program before using their service in a sensitive situation. It offers 5GB of storage for free, making it an excellent choice for the average user. Their web-based interface is just as easy to use as any other service on the market.
9. Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Mail is an alternative to Outlook Express. It offers excellent functionality and an easy-to-use interface, but its storage is capped at 3GB per email account. If you’re looking for something more powerful, look into Microsoft’s paid alternative Outlook 2011, which offers the same features with more excellent storage capabilities.
10. Mail.ru
Another free email service, Mail.Ru, offers 15GB of storage and a spam filter that works just as well as Yahoo! or Gmail’s offerings. Its interface can be overwhelming, but it offers excellent functionality and an easy way to filter spam.
11. Naver Mail
This web service has won awards for its email search functions and is popular in Korea, where it was created. It offers 10GB of storage for free and a spam filter as effective as any other primary service.
12. AOL Mail
AOL Mail is a more traditional email service offering free 5GB storage. It could be better for customization or integration, but it provides more protection against spam than most other services on this list.
13. Apple Mail
Apple’s email application for the Mac offers 10GB of storage for free and a reliable spam filter that works better than most other free services. It integrates with Calendar and Tasks, meaning you can have all your messages in one interface. This is an excellent choice if you’re looking for an alternative to Gmail.
14. TrashMail
TrashMail is a relatively new email service that offers unlimited storage. It was built to be an alternative to Gmail, the most popular free email service. The interface is simple, with easy access to search functions and automatic filtering for spam.
15. Gmx Mail
This web-based email service is one of the most potent free alternatives available. It offers 25GB of storage for free and offers advanced search functions powered by Google’s data center index. It also provides good integration with Google Calendar and a calendar function of its own.
16. Lycos
Lycos is an old-school email service offering free 10GB of storage. Its interface can be hard to get used to and doesn’t work with calendars or other productivity tools like other options on this list. However, it has a good spam filter and works with every browser, making it one of the best choices for computer-illiterate users.
17. Tutanota
Tutanota is another web-based email service that offers 5GB of free storage. This one is meant to be used by advanced users, and it uses advanced encryption methods to protect your emails from prying eyes. There are better choices for beginners, but it has good search functionality and an intuitive interface.
18. Thunderbird
This Windows, Mac, and Linux email application can be a great alternative to Outlook or similar programs. It offers a friendly interface and integration with Google Calendar and Tasks. It also provides a good spam filter and excellent search functions.
19. GoDaddy Email
This free email service is similar to Outlook Express, except it only supports one account per user. It uses the same spam filter and a search function that most other services use. Still, it only has some of the other features of Outlook, such as integration with other tools or the ability to receive calendar invites from certain people.
20. Hotmail
Hotmail is one of the original free services on the market, offering free email storage for 5GB per account. The interface is simple and provides a spam filter that works just as well as any other program on this list.
21. Scoot
This web-based email service offers storage of up to 30GB for free. Its main selling point is security; it uses encryption and other safeguards to protect your emails if someone can access your password. However, it works with any browser, so this might be an excellent choice for power users.
22. ZeptoMail
This web-based email service offers 15GB of free storage and a spam filter that works just as well as any other program on this list. It also has an easy-to-use search function, but its interface could be more straightforward if you’re familiar.
23. MailGun
This email service offers an excellent spam filter, search functions, and integration with Google Calendar. The only downside is that it only supports one email account per user.
24. SendPulse
This web-based email service offers storage of up to 20GB and integrates with calendar services like Google Calendar. It’s not meant for beginners, and the interface can be a little intimidating, but it has a good spam filter, and you can add unlimited emails to your account for free.
25. Mailoo
This web-based email service offers 20GB of storage for free. It works on any browser and has an intuitive and powerful interface. The only downside is that it’s not meant for beginners and needs to be clarified if you need to familiarize yourself with the program.