Using a generic-looking email address (like bigtimemarketing@hotmail.com) is a surefire way to make your business look untrustworthy and unprofessional. You want a professional business email address, and if you’re like most startups and small businesses, you need it to be inexpensive, but reliable. We reviewed more than 20 leading options to find the five best cheap email hosting providers for small businesses at just $6 or less per month.
Here are the five best cheap email hosts for small businesses:
- Zoho Mail: Best free business email hosting provider for those who don’t rely on business email heavily
- Bluehost: Best for businesses needing more than five business email addresses at the lowest price
- DreamHost: Best cheap email hosting for those who don’t want a long-term commitment or contract
- Google Workspace: Best email host for managing collaborative teams
- IONOS by 1&1: Best inexpensive email hosting provider for those who also need a domain
If having a cheap email hosting provider isn’t the driving factor in your decision-making, check out our article on the best business email providers.
Overall 5 Best Cheap Email Hosts
 |  |  |  |  | |
Price per Month | Free | Free with hosting plan, $5.45 per month* | $1.99 per mailbox | $6 per user | $1 |
Billing Cycle | Annually | Annually | Monthly or annually | Monthly | Monthly |
Number of Email Accounts Included | Up to 5 | Unlimited | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Storage | 5GB | Unlimited | 25GB | 30GB | 2GB |
Ad-free | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Connect Your Own Domain | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Admin Control | N/A | N/A | N/A | ✔ | ✔ |
Unique Feature | Option for a free CRM | Free domain | N/A | Collaboration and productivity suite | Free domain |
Learn More |
*With 36-month commitment
How We Evaluated Cheap Email Hosting Providers
Small businesses and startups need safe, reliable, easy to use, and extremely affordable communication tools to connect with customers and communicate among their teams. That’s why we researched inexpensive email service providers with plans starting at $6 or less per month. We compared service plans, any extra features offered (like file storage, email protection, collaboration tools), and customer reviews to determine the best overall value.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the best cheap email hosting providers for small businesses:
Zoho Mail: Best for No-frills Free Business Email
Zoho Mail
What We Like
- Get up to five free business email addresses
- Option to connect to a free CRM
- Only pay for the storage you need
What's Missing
- Webmail only
- Very low storage limit
- You must pay for all accounts if you upgrade
Who Zoho Mail Is Best For
- Budget-conscious business owners who need free, no-frills email
Zoho Mail’s business email plans scale up based on the amount of storage included, so you only pay for what you need. It stands out for offering free business email hosting that is ad-free and comes with powerful privacy features, as well as extras like the ability to connect to Zoho’s customer relationship manager (CRM) for free. Its storage limit is low at just 5GB; however, it’s the ideal solution if you want a professional email address but do not depend heavily on email.
Tiered Pricing & Features
Zoho offers a Free Forever plan for up to five users, each with 5GB of storage. If you need more than five email addresses, you can get additional email accounts starting at $1 per month via the Mail Lite plan or $1.25 per month via Mail Premium.
If you need more than 5GB of storage, you can upgrade to the Zoho Workplace Standard plan at $3 per month, billed annually. It includes 30GB storage, 30MB attachments, and access to Zoho’s suite of productivity tools, which are similar to those offered by Google Workspace.
Free Forever | Mail Lite 5GB | Mail Lite 10GB | Mail Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Price* | Free | $1/month | $1.25/month | $4/month |
Billing Cycle(s) | N/A | Annual | Annual | Annual |
Number of Email Accounts Included | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Storage Limit | 5GB per user | 5GB | 10GB | 50GB |
Attachment Size Limit | 25MB | 250MB | 250MB | 1GB |
Includes a Domain Name | No | No | No | No |
Third-party Email Integration(s) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Admin Dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Security Features | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Collaboration Tools Included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Unique Features | Team collaboration, CRM integration | Team collaboration, CRM integration | Team collaboration, CRM integration | Team collaboration, CRM integration, white labeling |
* All plans (except Free Forever) offer monthly billing cycles for an added fee.
To learn more about each plan, choose a plan from the drop-down menu below:
Zoho Mail Ease of Use
Zoho is widely known to be one of the most user-friendly email hosts. They provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for everything from registering for a plan to connecting your domain. Should you get stuck, their live chat and email ticket support are there to help. Zoho also has many other tools, such as a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that integrates with Mail or Workplace, so you can streamline your business’ workflows in one place.
Learn more about affordable business email, including how to get a completely free business email.
Bluehost: Best Cheap Email Host for Multiple Email Addresses
Bluehost
What We Like
- Ultra-affordable with unlimited email at just $5.45 per month
- Includes a free domain
- Connects to Gmail or Microsoft Office
- Built-in security features
- Get business email hosting and web hosting in one plan
What's Missing
- Requires at least a 12-month contract
- Cheapest advertised pricing only with a 36-month contract commitment
- No collaboration tools
Who Bluehost Is Best For
- Businesses just starting out that need both web hosting and business email as cheap as possible
- Businesses that need a high number of email addresses for one low price
Bluehost is a web and email hosting provider that bundles a full suite of email and web hosting features into their package offerings. Bluehost plans start at $2.95 per month for up to five free business email addresses, or $5.45 per month for unlimited email addresses with unlimited storage.
All packages include a free domain name, desktop and mobile accessibility, web hosting, and antivirus and spam filters to protect sensitive data. It’s ideal if your business needs web hosting as well as a large number of email accounts or email with unlimited storage. If you prefer using the Gmail interface for email, you can connect your Bluehost email to Google and access your business email via Gmail.
Tiered Pricing & Features
If your business has a WordPress website, Bluehost is a good solution for email hosting because all of its web hosting plans include free email hosting. Its entry-level package starts at $2.95 per month (with a three-year commitment) and includes five free business email addresses.
Bluehost’s Plus plan starts at $5.45 per month (also with a three-year commitment) and includes unlimited email hosting. Their plans also include a free domain name and give you the ability to connect your business email to providers like Gmail.
Basic | Plus | Choice Plus | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $4.95/month* | $7.45/month* | $7.45/month* | $18.95/month* |
Billing Cycle(s) | 1-year minimum | 1-year minimum | 1-year minimum | 1-year minimum |
Number of Email Accounts Included | 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Storage Limit | 100MB | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Attachment Size Limit | 50MB | 50MB | 50MB | 50MB |
Includes a Domain Name | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Third-party Email Integration(s) | Gmail, Microsoft Office | Gmail, Microsoft Office | Gmail, Microsoft Office | Gmail, Microsoft Office |
Admin Dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Security Features | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Collaboration Tools Included | No | No | No | No |
Unique Features | Website hosting | Website hosting | Website hosting | Website hosting |
* Price listed for a one-year commitment. For maximum discount, you may opt to purchase a plan with a three-year commitment.
To learn more about each plan, choose a plan from the drop-down menu below:
Bluehost Ease of Use
Bluehost is known for user-friendliness and award-winning customer service. Using Bluehost for email is easy with their intuitive interface that caters to the beginner. Bluehost email also integrates with Gmail and Microsoft 365 should you prefer to use their interfaces for email. If you have trouble with any part, such as integrating your domain, their customer service is ready to help you.
Want to learn more about Bluehost? Read more about what users have to say on our Bluehost reviews page.
DreamHost: Best Cheap Email Hosting Provider for Contract-free Plans
Dreamhost
What We Like
- A high amount of storage with 25GB for a very low price of $1.67 per month
- Free domain name included with low-cost web hosting plans
- Built-in security features
What's Missing
- Does not come with a productivity suite like Google Workspace
Who DreamHost Is Best For
- The new business owner who wants high-quality, low-cost email hosting without a long-term commitment
DreamHost is another leading web hosting provider that also offers cheap email hosting. It’s straightforward and easy to use, providing good value for small businesses that need a high amount of storage at a low cost and that don’t want a long-term contract.
While you get free email with a web hosting plan, you can also purchase DreamHost’s email hosting service as a standalone product. Your email account comes with 25GB of storage at $1.99 per mailbox, per month on a month-to-month basis, or just $1.67 per mailbox, per month when billed annually.
Like Bluehost, with DreamHost email hosting you can access your email through the Gmail interface if you prefer, and you get free business email by purchasing one of their web hosting plans. So if you’re also building a website for your business, it’s best to get your email free through your web hosting plan.
Tiered Pricing & Features
DreamHost offers standalone email hosting with 25GB of storage. It costs $1.99 per mailbox, per month when billed monthly, or as little as $1.67 per mailbox, per month ($20 per year) with annual billing. It’s straightforward and pretty easy to set up and use, can be accessed from all of your devices, offers high-quality spam filters, and is ad-free.
Email Plan | |
|---|---|
Price (Month-to-Month) | $1.67/month |
Price (With an Annual Contract) | $1.99/month |
Billing Cycle(s) | 1 month or 12 months |
Number of Email Accounts Included | 1 |
Storage Limit | 25GB |
Attachment Size Limit | 40MB |
Includes a Domain Name | No |
Third-party Email Integration(s) | No |
Admin Dashboard | Yes |
Built-in Security Features | Yes |
Collaboration Tools Included | No |
Unique Features | Low-cost month-to-month plan |
Email Plan
DreamHost offers one of the cheapest email hosting plans out there. If you don’t want to commit to a one-year contract, their month-to-month plan is only $1.99. It’s the best plan when all you need is email hosting that has a low commitment requirement, is ad-free, and includes security features to keep your account safe.
DreamHost Ease of Use
By only having one plan, DreamHost makes it profoundly easy to sign up. Having a basic email service also helps in managing your account easily and without headaches. Unlike Google Workspace, there is no collaboration and productivity suite, nor does it offer admin control, so if you’re managing a collaborative team, consider Google Workspace instead.
Interested in learning more about DreamHost? Check out what other users are saying on our DreamHost reviews page.
Google Workspace: Best for Businesses Managing Collaborative Teams
Google Workspace
What We Like
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Includes Google’s robust suite of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g., Google Docs, Sheets, Calendar)
- Large 30GB storage limit
- Leading admin controls for managing large teams
- Advanced security features built-in
What's Missing
- Does not include a domain name
- Most expensive option at $6 per user, per month
Who Google Workspace Is Best For
- The business that requires extensive collaboration and wants an office suite
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is an industry-leading email hosting and business application provider. It’s email hosting package is extremely intuitive, packed with added value, and affordably priced starting at $6 per user, per month.
With an uncluttered interface, straightforward navigation, and built-in collaboration tools, Gmail setup and customization is simple. Given these features, Google Workspace is an ideal email and collaboration solution for non-tech-savvy businesses that don’t want to spend a lot of time on email setup or maintenance.
Tiered Pricing & Features
Google Workspace plans start at $6 per user, per month for a secure email account that uses your domain (with up to 30 email aliases) and includes productivity tools and 30GB of storage.
While it’s possible to get cheaper email hosting that connects to Gmail, the real selling point is access to Google Workspace, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, as well as calendars, team messaging, and video conferencing—making it the best cheap email hosting option for collaborative teams.
Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $6/month | $12/month | $18/month |
Billing Cycle(s) | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month |
Number of Email Accounts Included | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Storage Limit | 30GB* | 2TB* | 5TB* |
Attachment Size Limit | 25MB send 50MB receive | 25MB send 50MB receive | 25MB send 50MB receive |
Includes a Domain Name | No | No | No |
Third-party Email Integration(s) | Yes; Asana, Zoho, DocuSign, Freshdesk, and others | Yes; Asana, Zoho, DocuSign, Freshdesk, and others | Yes; Asana, Zoho, DocuSign, Freshdesk, and others |
Admin Dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Security Features | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Collaboration Tools Included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Unique Features | Collaborative office suite | Collaborative office suite | Collaborative office suite |
* Pooled storage used between Google Drive, Gmail, Chat, Docs, and other Google Workspace services.
To learn more about each plan, choose a plan from the drop-down menu below:
Google Workspace Ease of Use
The Google registration process is straightforward, but their admin section can be confusing for beginners. While they have very well-documented articles about how to set up services, such as your domain, they lack live customer support. They use the same interface as Gmail for your email accounts, which makes it much easier to manage your account overall.
Wondering how Microsoft Office 365 compares? Check out the in-depth look at Google Workspace vs Office 365.
IONOS by 1&1: Best Cheap Email Hosting Provider With a Free Domain
IONOS
What We Like
- Ultra-cheap at just $1 per month
- Includes a domain name
- Built-in admin controls
What's Missing
- Does not include productivity tools like Google Workspace
- If you need more than five email accounts, Bluehost is cheaper
- Less storage than Zoho Mail, which is free
- Can be difficult to cancel the plan
Who IONOS Is Best For
- Budget-conscious businesses that need a domain and email as cheap as possible
IONOS is a web hosting and business application provider that offers low-cost email hosting with an included domain name. It stands out by offering basic, secure email hosting for only $1 per month, including spam protection, modest storage, a domain name, and customer support, but little else. If you’re a freelancer or an early stage startup with an extremely limited budget, and you need a domain name included, this plan could be right for you.
Tiered Pricing & Features
IONOS by 1&1 offers a bare-bones business email hosting solution. Plans start at $1 per month but only include 2GB of storage and a maximum attachment size of 100MB. So while $1 per month for business email with a free domain sounds like a great value, it’s not sufficient for many businesses given the low storage included. It also does not include the collaboration tools most businesses need, requiring them to be purchased separately.
Mail 1 | Mail 1+ | Mail Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $1/month | $4/month | $5/month |
Billing Cycle(s) | 1 month | 1 month | 1 month |
Number of Email Accounts Included | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Storage Limit | 2GB | 12GB | 50GB |
Attachment Size Limit | 100MB | 100MB | 100MB |
Includes a Domain Name | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Third-party Email Integration(s) | No | No | No |
Admin Dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Security Features | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Collaboration Tools Included | No | No | No |
Unique Features | No | No | No |
To learn more about each plan, choose a plan from the drop-down menu below:
IONOS Ease of Use
IONOS boasts as “having streamlined the process of crafting a personalized email address and made it as easy as possible for you to set up and use.” This simplicity is evident as soon as you click on the “continue” button on the plan you wish to use.
You can connect your email account to major platforms like Google Workspace using IMAP and SMTP settings should you prefer to use another interface over IONOS’. Their email interface may seem a bit plain compared to other platforms; however, having a plain interface adds to the simplicity of using an email provider without having to research how to use other tools.
Other Top Email Hosting Providers We Considered
Wondering where some of the other top email hosting providers are? The short answer is that we didn’t include them because they simply don’t stack up to the providers that made our list. Either they’re not as user-friendly, cost more money, or offer fewer inclusions and features.
Here are a few of the other email hosting providers we considered (and why they didn’t make our list):
- Microsoft 365: More expensive than Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) at $12.50 per user, per month for a plan with comparable features that is widely considered to be less user-friendly.
- Rackspace: Plans start at $2.99 per user, per month for 25GB of storage, making it 50% more expensive than DreamHost for the same storage and features.
- Hover: Plans start at $20 per year with 10GB of storage, so while it costs nearly as much as DreamHost, it requires committing to an annual contract and provides less than half the amount of storage.
- Hostinger: Email hosting plans are offered on a per-user basis starting at 99 cents per user, per month. This is very competitive with IONOS by 1&1 and includes more storage, but doesn’t include a free domain name. Those who don’t need a domain will likely find Zoho’s free plan to be a better value. Hostinger also offers unlimited email hosting with unlimited storage for $9.99 per month, which is comparable to Bluehost’s plan that costs nearly half that at just $5.45 per month.
- HostGator: In order to get email hosting through HostGator, you must have a web hosting plan, and email hosting plans are only available for an additional fee. Plus, HostGator charges an additional fee of $6 per month for Google Workspace (which you can get directly from Google for the same price).
- Amazon WorkMail: Pricing starts at $4 per user, per month with 50GB of storage. While this is a very high amount of storage, it’s not necessary for most small businesses. Those requiring a great deal of storage will find the unlimited storage for just over $1 more per month offered by Bluehost a better value.
- MXRoute: Good value for businesses that need a high number of email accounts, since its plan includes unlimited email addresses with unlimited storage for $40 per year. However, its interface is antiquated and not user-friendly.
- Yandex: While it advertises a free business email offer, the free version does not include any storage. In order to get email storage, you must upgrade to a premium account, which costs around $2 per month. However, the cost of premium plans is displayed in Russian rubles, and the amount per month may vary based on foreign currency rates. In short, avoid the headache and skip Yandex.
Once you’ve selected your email provider, some questions may arise. Our complete guide to business email will help answer most, if not all, of your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get a free email address?
There are many ways for you to get a free email address. Some are free for the first year, some give you a short trial, and some are completely free, but only if you purchase a domain. This article will guide you in selecting a good free email provider.
How do I set up a professional email address?
Generally, setting up a professional email address involves four steps. To start, choose which email service provider you wish to use, then get a domain name, choose an email format, and connect your email to a third-party service provider (e.g., Gmail). For more information, check out the step-by-step instructions on how to set up a professional email address.
What are the best email apps for business?
There are a ton of great email apps for businesses―no matter what you’re looking for, there’s likely to be an app available to help. Some of the top email apps include Edison, which serves as an email assistant, Front for managing team inboxes, Spark for in-inbox productivity and collaboration, HubSpot for mobile sales management, and myMail for managing multiple inboxes. Get the full list of the best email apps for business.
Bottom Line
The best cheap email hosting providers give you more than just professional email at a low price. They also provide tools businesses need, from security and admin controls to ample storage and powerful collaboration tools. If you’re still on the fence, you can’t go wrong with the world’s leading business email hosting provider, Google Workspace. Plans are month-to-month, so there’s no risk in trying it. See for yourself why so many choose Google Workspace.
You May Also Like…
- Follow step-by-step instructions on how to create a custom business email address.
- Choose the right email username by checking out these professional email address ideas.
- Rev up your business email by adding one of the following best professional email tools.
