When it comes to selecting an email service, Gmail is the default option for the great majority of online users. And there is reasonable justification for this. Google Workspace provides tighter interfaces between Gmail and Google’s productivity suite, which includes Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet. If you wish to rely less on the Google ecosystem or seek a privacy-focused email service, the following are the most acceptable Gmail alternatives to test in 2021.
10 Best Alternatives to Gmail in 2022
Privacy issues are a key reason why users switch from Gmail. Many consumers feel unsafe with Google having access to their personal information. Also, end-to-end encryption is not enabled by default. Some users are also concerned about the lack of capabilities that Google promised to bring over from the now-defunct Inbox by Google. Consequently, if you prefer a more feature-rich and privacy-focused email service provider than Gmail, see the table below.
1. ProtonMail
ProtonMail Is the Most Private Alternative to Gmail, headquartered in Switzerland, is a secure alternative to Gmail. It offers end-to-end encryption and requires no personal information for email account creation. ProtonMail utilizes open-source encryption libraries for security, and the firm claims to employ safe implementations of AES (sometimes known as military-grade encryption), RSA, and OpenPGP.
The free tier of ProtonMail includes 500MB of storage and a daily limit of 150 messages, but you must upgrade to the commercial version to use all of its capabilities. Choose the $4 per month Plus plan for additional features such as custom filters, the use of your own domain, and priority customer service.
2. Outlook
If you utilize Microsoft’s services, you are likely familiar with Outlook. Outlook is Microsoft’s email application, in case you haven’t heard. Outlook, like Gmail, integrates with Microsoft’s productivity applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It is important to note that the accessible version of Outlook contains advertisements.
The cost to remove advertisements from Outlook is $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. The subscription also includes 50GB of mailbox storage (15GB in the free edition), bespoke domain names, and 1TB of OneDrive storage. Outlook is a common alternative to Gmail for businesses.
The most important features are integrating the Microsoft Office suite, custom domains, scanning and removing harmful attachments, and 5GB of free OneDrive storage.
3. Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail is another service to explore if you’re looking for an alternative to Gmail. Even for free users, Zoho Mail provides an ad-free experience. This is what makes it an appealing option. In addition to 5GB of storage, the free tier includes access to Zoho’s broad workplace applications.
In addition, Zoho provides a free plan for small enterprises with no more than five users. This is appealing if your firm is starting and you need email hosting for a single domain. Mail Lite, Mail Premium, and Workplace subscriptions are available for more users and features.
Key Features: ad-free experience, dedicated mobile applications, access to Zoho workplace apps, Zoho CRM integration, and a complimentary enterprise tier
4. Tutanota
Tutanota is another popular email service that prioritizes privacy and provides encrypted email service with E2E encryption. GDPR-compliant, the German corporation maintains your encrypted emails in safe data centres nationwide. Tutanota, like Zoho Mail, provides a free, ad-free experience.
The free tier of Tutanota provides 1 GB of storage, a single calendar, and limited search capabilities. The premium plans include up to 10GB of storage, and more capacity can be obtained through separate storage subscriptions.
5. Yahoo Mail
Yahoo may not be as popular as it once was, but Yahoo Mail remains an attractive option to Gmail. Yahoo Mail provides free customers with a massive 1 TB of storage space, which is an intriguing feature. However, the maximum file size for an attachment is limited to 25 MB.
In addition, you can alter the appearance of Yahoo Mail with themes. In addition, Yahoo Mail allows you to manage all your email addresses in one location, apply filters, group discussions, and examine emails by topic, among other features. You can also use Yahoo Stationery to create themes for appealing emails easily. Despite this, keep in mind that the free edition contains advertisements.
6. iCloud
iCloud is the best alternative to Gmail for Apple users
Your Apple ID is used by Cloud Mail to provide email services. It is a beautiful addition to the services already accessible through iCloud. You are provided with 5GB of storage space and a 20MB file size restriction for incoming and outgoing messages. This is increased to 5GB with Mail Drop. iCloud Mail is the most suitable alternative to Gmail for Apple ecosystem customers.
Before switching to iCloud Mail, you should also be aware that iCloud supports IMAP and SMTP but not POP3. Another issue with iCloud Mail is that the spam filtering algorithm is complicated and may occasionally block out valuable emails.
7. StartMail
StartMail is a private email service developed by the creators of StartPage, a popular alternative to Google Search and a remote search engine. StartMail, a company based in the Netherlands, conforms to Europe’s GDPR privacy standards. The company employs PGP email encryption and supports the SMTP and IMAP protocols.
It is important to note that there is no free StartMail version. Annually, the premium package costs USD 44.95. StartMail provides 10GB of storage, unlimited aliases, and the option to utilize your domain. StartMail can even be purchased with Bitcoin. StartMail does not offer mobile applications at this time.
8. Posteo
Yet another Gmail alternative email service from Germany is Posteo. You can register without personal information, such as your phone number or address. The company also claims that it does not track its users and has no advertisements. Notably, Posteo is committed to sustainability and operates solely on renewable energy.
Posteo is unquestionably a premium email service. Although free to use, the free version has several limitations, including 20 MB of storage, email functionality with certain providers, and the absence of forwarding, address book, and calendar encryption. All of these restrictions are removed, however, upon purchasing a subscription for 1 euro each month
9. Mailfence
Mailfence is an option to explore if you’re looking for a private email service with a free tier. However, ironically, you must have an active email account to register with Mailfence. Although Mailfence needs this for verification, it is unorthodox for an email provider to require an email address for signupsignup.
Mailfence’s free edition provides 500MB of storage for emails and documents. Paid plans range in price from €2.50 per month to €25 per month. Mailfence delivers 15 per cent of earnings from its Pro and Ultra plans to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the European Digital Rights Foundation by its mission.
10. Mailbox
Mailbox offers a premium email service. As this is a paid service, you can rest confident that there will be no advertisements in your inbox. The service employs PGP for encryption and anonymized message headers to remove user-specific information such as IP addresses and software clients.
The monthly price of Mailbox ranges from 1 euro to 9 euros. After the trial period of two weeks, you must pay to continue using the service. If you can afford to pay for an email service, you should consider Mailbox as an alternative to Gmail if you have the means.
These are the most acceptable alternatives to Gmail in 2022, with additional storage capacity, privacy features, and signupsignup choices that do not require a phone number or address.