Best Email Hosting Services
Email has become one of the most essential and ubiquitous communication tools for businesses and individuals alike. According to recent estimates from Statista, the number of daily emails sent is set to balloon to over 376 billion by 2025. This means that selecting the right email hosting service is becoming an increasingly important decision for businesses of all sizes.
Email hosting services help ensure that your emails are secure, easily accessible, and delivered quickly and accurately. The right email hosting service will also offer a variety of features to help you customize your email experience while seamlessly integrating with other core business services for maximum efficiency. Whether you are researching the best online store builders or looking for the best cloud storage solutions, it's worth taking the time to optimize your email hosting environment. In this comprehensive guide, we'll review the 7 best email hosting services of 2023 along with our top picks for each category.
Our Top Picks for the Best Email Hosting Services
- Google Workspace - Best for Highest Storage Capacity
- DreamHost - Best for Small Businesses
- Zoho Mail - Best for Startups
- A2 Hosting - Best for Security
- Microsoft 365 - Best for Those Using Microsoft Services
- IceWarp - Best for Unlimited Email Accounts
- Amazon WorkMail - Best for Integration with AWS Services
Best Email Hosting Services Reviews
- Easy to use and intuitive, familiar interface
- Seamless and secure integration with Google's large suite of apps and services
- Advanced security features including two-factor authentication, encryption and AI detection of malware and spam
- Up to 5TB storage available
- Cost per user license can be expensive for some businesses
- Does not offer unlimited storage for non-enterprise plans
Why we chose it: Google Workspace is our top pick for the highest storage capacity email hosting service of 2023. With up to 5TB of storage, Google Workspace offers an impressive amount of storage that far exceeds the other email hosting services on this list.
Formerly known as G Suite, Google Workspace offers a range of features including secure storage, collaboration tools and customizable email notifications. It integrates seamlessly with the rest of Google's applications like Drive, Calendar, Docs and Meet (Google's video conferencing tool) to help businesses streamline their operations and maximize efficiency.
Google Workspace has four user license tiers available: a Business Starter plan at $7.20 per month per user ($6 if billed annually), a Business Standard plan at $14.40 per month per user ($12 if billed annually), a Business Plus plan at $21.60 per month per user ($18 if billed annually) and an Enterprise plan for larger businesses. Each plan offers increasing levels of storage and features, with up to 5TB of storage available for its Business Plus plan and unlimited storage for the Enterprise plan. Google Workspace also boasts powerful security features such as two-factor authentication, encryption and AI detection of malware and spam.
Unlike some other services that made our list, Google Workspace does not offer unlimited storage for its non-enterprise plans. But with up to 5TB available per user, it still offers plenty of space for most businesses.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $14.40 per month for each user | 30GB, 2TB and 5TB (unlimited for enterprise plan | Available for Business Plus and Enterprise plans |
- Affordable price per user license
- Ad-free webmail
- Comprehensive spam filtering
- Email synced between all devices
- Limited to 100 recipients per hour
- No storage upgrades available
Why we chose it: With an extremely enticing price point and an intuitive setup that is easy for small businesses to use, DreamHost provides a great email hosting solution for small businesses on a budget.
DreamHost users enjoy an ad-free webmail interface and comprehensive spam filtering to keep unwanted messages out of inboxes. Plus, emails stay synced between all of your devices, allowing you to stay connected and organized no matter where you are. Unlike some other email hosting services which charge per user and allow for multiple mailboxes per user account, DreamHost simply charges per mailbox. With a price of $1.99 per mailbox ($1.67 if billed annually), the company offers one of the most competitively priced services on the market for small businesses that don't require a large number of unique mailboxes per user.
DreamHost does have some limitations, however. Its email accounts are limited to 100 recipients per hour, which could be an issue for organizations using email marketing software for large campaigns. Additionally, there are no storage upgrades available. Although the 25GB storage should be enough for most users, those needing more will have to regularly clean out their mailbox or add additional mailboxes.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $1.99 per month for each mailbox | 25GB | Yes |
- A strong suite of features, including team collaboration and task management tools
- Free plan for up to 5 users and 1 domain
- Attachment size up to 1GB
- Affordable pricing
- Limited storage on the free plan
- Email archiving is only available on the most expensive plan
- No monthly payment options
Why we chose it: Zoho Mail is an excellent choice for nimble startups looking for a free email hosting service that can be easily upgraded into an affordable paid plan as their business grows.
Zoho Mail offers a strong suite of features, including the ability to host multiple domains and domain aliases, collaboration and task management tools, event and calendar scheduling, and email recall. Its free plan includes 5 users and 1 domain, making it a strong choice for a very small business or a startup just getting off the ground.
Its paid plans are also quite affordable, with a Mail Lite plan at $1 per user, a Mail Premium plan at $4 per user and a Workplace plan at $3 per user. Zoho's storage ranges from 5GB per user all the way up to 50GB per user, with the Mail Premium plan offering an impressive 1GB attachment size limit. All paid plans come with offline access, email hosting for multiple domains, Microsoft compatibility and email recall. The Workplace plan offers access to several additional collaboration and productivity tools (including a word processor, file manager, instant chat communicator and online video meeting software) while the Mail Premium plan provides advanced encryption and archiving features.
Unfortunately, the free plan is somewhat limited in storage space, with only 5GB available per user. Email archiving is only available on the Mail Premium plan, and all plans are billed annually, with no monthly payment options. Despite these drawbacks, Zoho Mail still provides an excellent and affordable email hosting solution for small and quickly growing businesses.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $3 per month for each user | 5GB, 10GB, 50GB | Only for Mail Premium plan |
- High level of security and spam protection
- Automated email responding and forwarding
- 24/7 customer support
- Money-back guarantee
- No free trial available
- Cheapest pricing is only available with a 3-year upfront payment
Why we chose it: With a variety of security features including advanced spam protection and sender verification, A2 Hosting is a strong option for businesses seeking a secure and reliable email hosting solution.
A2 Hosting offers several features to protect businesses from malicious activity, including an email filtering system that scans each incoming message for spam and malware, secure encryption for messages sent over the web and a sender verification setting that requires email senders not on your approved contact list to pass a verification process.
A2 Hosting also provides automated email responding and forwarding features so that incoming emails can be addressed quickly and efficiently. If you find yourself unhappy with their service, A2 Hosting also provides a full 30-day money-back guarantee as well as a pro-rated refund for any unused services if canceled after the first 30 days.
Unfortunately, A2 Hosting does not offer any free trial options. The company offers two different hosting plans — the Professional plan at $2.49 per email address ($1.99 if billed annually or $1.59 if billed for three years upfront) and the Pro Plus plan at $3.49 per email address ($2.99 if billed annually or $2.59 if billed for three years upfront). The Professional plan includes 10GB of storage space and continuous email backup while the Pro Plus plan provides 30GB of storage space along with email templates and advanced email scheduling.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $1.99 per month for each emailaddress | 10GB and 30GB | Only for Pro Plus plan |
- Easily integrates with Microsoft Office Suite
- Includes powerful collaboration tools
- Strong suite of security features
- 24/7 customer support
- One of the more expensive solutions
- Outlook email client and other features do not always work well for Linux users
Why we chose it: Microsoft 365 is designed for businesses that use the Microsoft Office Suite and need optimized email hosting that integrates well within the Microsoft ecosystem.
With near flawless integration with a variety of Microsoft services including Outlook, Exchange Online and SharePoint, Microsoft 365 offers a powerful collaboration suite that facilitates easy communication and collaboration between team members. It also provides some of the most robust security features available, including data loss prevention capabilities, multi-factor authentication protocols and malware scanning.
However, all of its stress-free integration and powerful collaboration tools come at a price to match. There are three primary plans available: the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan at $6 per user, the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan at $12.50 per user and the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan at $22 per user. All the plans provide online versions of Office applications, 1TB of storage and a 50GB mailbox, while the standard plan adds the ability to use desktop applications, and the premium plan adds advanced security features.
It's worth noting that those using Linux systems may experience difficulty with some of Microsoft 365’s features and software such as the Outlook email client. While this may be an issue for Linux users, Windows and Mac users will find the Microsoft 365 experience to be smooth and seamless.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $12.50 per month for each user | 50GB | All plans |
- Unlimited email accounts
- Large amount of storage
- Includes suite of collaboration and productivity tools
- Lacks integration with third-party services
- Setup for some advanced features can be difficult
Why we chose it: For organizations that need to host a large number of email accounts, IceWarp offers unlimited email accounts at no additional charge.
IceWarp offers a suite of collaboration and productivity tools. This includes an email client and email hosting service, a contact manager, voice calls and video conferencing, task management solutions, collaborative document editing and more. All of IceWarp's plans include access to this entire suite along with the provided email hosting.
The three monthly primary plans offered by IceWarp are the Startup Package at $1.50 per user, the Business plan at $3.50 per user ($7.50 for access to desktop versions of its suite) and the enterprise Corporate plan which starts at $2.60 per user. The Startup Package includes up to 10 users while the Business plan is for between 10 and 1,000 users. The Corporate plan is for larger companies that will have more than 1,000 users. All of the plans come with a total of 200GB of storage for emails and 1TB of storage for general files across all users.
Although IceWarp provides unlimited email accounts and a strong suite of productivity tools, it lacks integration with many third-party services, and setup for some of its advanced features can be difficult. Nonetheless, IceWarp is a solid email hosting service for businesses that need access to a large number of email accounts at a reasonable price.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $3.50 per month for each user | 200GB | All plans |
- Full integration with AWS services
- High levels of security
- Works well for large enterprise-level businesses
- Complex setup for those unfamiliar with AWS
- Not the best for small businesses
Why we chose it: For companies that already heavily utilize the AWS ecosystem, Amazon WorkMail offers a powerful email hosting solution that is fully integrated with the rest of their AWS services.
Amazon WorkMail offers a secure email hosting solution that is designed to meet the needs of large enterprises. WorkMail is especially well-suited for companies that require high levels of security and compliance that utilize AWS to orchestrate complex workloads across a number of different company divisions and regions. It can also be heavily customized to interact with other applications running on Amazon’s cloud, allowing you to tailor your experience to meet the specific needs of your business.
The pricing structure for Amazon WorkMail is very straightforward at a simple $4 per user per month. Each user is provided 50GB of storage. While this service is great for large businesses that already have an AWS infrastructure, its complex setup process for small businesses or those unfamiliar with AWS can be a deterrent.
| Average price | Storage options | Archiving options |
| $4 per month for each user | 50GB | Added fee |
Other companies we considered
FastMail
- Up to 100GB of storage per user
- Can have over 100 custom domains with one account
- Lacks suite of productivity and collaboration tools
- Doesn't offer end-to-end encryption
Founded in 1999, FastMail is one of the oldest email hosting companies and has been providing services for over two decades. While it allows a large number of custom domains to be used with one account and a high amount of storage on its top-tier plans, the lack of integrated productivity tools and end-to-end encryption makes it less than ideal for businesses looking to enhance their email hosting experience beyond the basics. While not a bad service by any means, it simply doesn't stack up to the other email hosting services on this list.
Rackspace
- Migration assistance that helps you switch to their service
- Integrates well with Microsoft Outlook
- Archiving comes at an extra cost
- More expensive plan does not come with extra storage
- Doesn't include suite of collaboration and productivity tools
Rackspace provides a comprehensive migration service that helps guide businesses to smoothly switch over and set up their new email hosting with ease. Unfortunately, archiving services require an upgrade to a significantly more expensive plan and no additional storage is included. Rackspace generally serves as more of a barebones email service, lacking the various collaboration and productivity tools offered by other providers on this list.
Email Hosting Services Guide
Just as when you are researching the best accounting software for small businesses or the best small business loans, picking the right email hosting service for your business requires a deep examination of several specific factors. The following sections outline some of the key considerations to help you make an informed decision.
Main things to know before choosing email hosting services
Before selecting an email hosting option for your business, consider the following:
- Security measures: Look for a service with adequate safeguards and demonstrable compliance with security regulations.
- Setup requirements: Make sure you understand whether you're facing a complex technical setup or if the service is simply plug-and-play.
- Storage limits: Confirm the storage capacity that comes with each plan and how much additional storage you can add.
- Archiving: Determine whether your provider includes archiving in its plans, offers it as an upgrade or expects you to handle it separately.
- Integration: Check to see if the service integrates with other software you use, such as customer relationship management (CRM).
- Support: Understand what kind of support the service offers and how quickly you can expect a response.
- Number of users: Identify the number of users each plan allows, and determine whether it meets your current and future needs.
- Price: Investigate the pricing structure for the various plans available, and consider how much you are willing to pay.
What is the average monthly cost of email hosting services?
Similar to the best email marketing software, the cost of email hosting services varies widely depending on the features, functionality, service, plan and number of users. Many services offer plans ranging from $2 to $6 per user per month. Some services also offer a discounted rate if you choose an annual plan, rather than a monthly one.
What are the requirements to open an email hosting account?
The requirements to open an email hosting account largely depend on the service you choose. That said, most services require you to provide certain basic information such as your name, address and credit card information. Some services may also require you to have a valid domain name and a DNS record that points to their service.
What are the benefits of email hosting services?
The benefits of using email hosting services include:
- Increased security: Many services offer advanced security measures such as two-factor authentication and encryption to keep your data secure.
- Accessibility: Most services provide mobile and web-based access, so you can retrieve your emails from any device.
- Better deliverability: Services often use sophisticated algorithms to ensure that your emails reach their intended recipients.
- Improved brand image: Using free email services such as Gmail and Yahoo! may not reflect positively on your business, whereas using a custom domain name with an email hosting service may increase the perceived professionalism of your company.
- Ability to scale: As your business grows, most email hosting services can accommodate additional users with ease.
- Support: Many services offer 24/7 support to help you resolve any technical issues you might face.
- Integrations: Many services can be integrated with other applications such as CRM systems, project management tools and more.
How We Found the Best Email Hosting Services
In order to accurately evaluate the best email hosting services, we considered a variety of factors such as pricing, features, storage and customer support. The following are some of the most important criteria we used to create our ranking of the best email hosting services.
- Price: We took into account the pricing tiers and features offered by each service.
- Storage: We looked at how much storage each service offers and what types of files can be stored.
- Integrations: We assessed which services offer the most integrations with other applications.
- Security: In order to evaluate each service’s security measures, we looked at whether they use two-factor authentication and encryption. We also considered whether the provider has any additional features such as malware scanning and spam filtering.
- Ease of use: We considered user interfaces and tutorials, as well as the ability to access emails from any device.
- Automation: We evaluated each service’s ability to automate common tasks such as calendar notifications, scheduling emails and more.
- Additional features: We assessed whether each service offers any additional features such as access to productivity and collaboration tools.
Summary of the Best Email Hosting Services of 2023
- Google Workspace - Best for Highest Storage Capacity
- DreamHost - Best for Small Businesses
- Zoho Mail - Best for Startups
- A2 Hosting - Best for Security
- Microsoft 365 - Best for Those Using Microsoft Services
- IceWarp - Best for Unlimited Email Accounts
- Amazon WorkMail - Best for Integration with AWS Services