Email hosting services allow businesses to create and use professional email addresses using their own domain name, such as yourname@yourbusiness.com. To find the best email hosting services, we reviewed more than 20 options, landing on the six best—including the best overall—based on price, features, storage limits, reliability, and user ratings.
Top 6 Email Hosting Services 2019
| Email Hosting Service | Best For |
|---|---|
| (Best Overall) Small businesses seeking combined value, features, and ease of use. | |
| Businesses in need of both an email and a web hosting service. | |
| Companies that send a high volume of emails and need unlimited storage. | |
| Businesses that want robust email security and data protection. | |
| Small businesses that need email with built-in marketing and collaboration tools. | |
| Budget-limited startups needing multiple email addresses for only $1/month. |
How We Evaluated the Best Email Hosting Services
Researching the best email hosting services can be time-consuming; it’s challenging to find providers that are affordable and offer a robust feature set. We endeavored to save businesses time by narrowing down the best email hosting options based on affordability, amount of storage, reliability, number of email accounts included, extra features, and user reviews.
The criteria we used to evaluate the best email hosting services include:
- Price: Affordability is key for small business working with limited budgets. To keep costs low, we chose providers with plans that cost $5 or less per month.
- Storage: The amount of storage included in email hosting plans is a key consideration for businesses that communicate primarily by email. The minimum requirement for our list inclusions was 100MB for entry-level plans.
- Reliability: High uptimes (the percentage of time a host is functioning properly) is critical to business email hosting. To ensure we included the best, our baseline uptime was 99%.
- Features and add-ons: The plans on this list offer a lot more than email hosting. Many also include built-in security (including anti-spam and anti-phishing features), business calendars, domain names, mobile-friendly sites and apps, support, and more. All of these were considered in our ranking.
- User reviews: For better insight into the usability of each hosting service on this list, we researched user reviews. Services with an acceptable rating from customers served as the baseline, though many of the services on our list surpass this basic requirement.
Given the criteria above, the overall best email hosting service on our list is G Suite. Given its value—with prices starting at just $5 per user, per month—and ease of use, it is a popular choice for small businesses. It also features a robust collection of productivity and collaboration tools at no additional cost.
Overall Best Email Hosting Service: G Suite
G Suite, powered by Google, is the professional version of Gmail that allows businesses to use a custom email address. With G Suite, users not only get reliable and user-friendly email, but also an entire suite of organizational and productivity tools—all for $5 per user, per month. G Suite is best for businesses that like an easy-to-use email client integrated with productivity tools like a word processor, spreadsheet application, and company chat.
G Suite Pricing
G Suite’s entry-level email plan costs $5 per user, per month, and jumps up to $10 and $25 per month for the premium plans, making it the most expensive email hosting service on our list. However, their entry-level plan comes with 30GB of storage and their mid- and top-tier plans come with unlimited storage.
G Suite Tiered Features
| Price | |||
| Storage | |||
| Number of Email Addresses Included | |||
| Uptime | |||
| 24/7 Support | |||
| Business Tools, such as Calendars and Word Processors | |||
| Video Conferencing | |||
| Robust Admin Tools |
Basic Plan
G Suite’s Basic plan costs $5 per user, per month with 30GB of storage. The plan includes a professional business email that uses your domain name (registered separately), cloud storage, a business calendar, anti-spam filters, organizational tools such as labels and folders, and 24/7 support. Users also get full access to the G Suite tools, which include video conferencing, team messaging, Docs (word processing), Sheets (spreadsheets), Slides (presentations), and more.
For the most part, the Basic plan will suit the average business’ email needs. Since G Suite plans are priced on a per user, per month basis, it can be a more expensive email hosting option for businesses that need many different email addresses, as $5 per user will quickly add up. Therefore, we recommend this plan for small teams that need a turnkey email and productivity solution.
Business Plan
The Business Plan costs $10 per user, per month and includes everything from the Basic Plan—such as a custom email address that uses your own domain, 24/7 support, and full access to G Suite—plus unlimited storage.
The Business Plan is a good option for those who need more than the allotted 30GB included in the Basic Plan. These would likely include businesses that are frequently sending emails with large attachments, including consulting and legal companies that deal with a large number of documents on a regular basis.
Enterprise Plan
The Enterprise Plan costs $25 per user, per month, and includes unlimited storage as well as everything from the Business plan. This plan also features more advanced controls in the administrator interface. It is one of the most expensive plans on our list.
As its name makes clear, this plan is best for large businesses with significant customization, communication, and productivity needs. Most small businesses will likely find that they do not need the Enterprise plan, given the complexities added to the admin settings. If they do need unlimited storage, the Business Plan is a better choice.
Hosting Uptime
G Suite has a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Google takes this seriously, and in recent years, they have exceeded their 99.9% uptime goal. G Suite is not the only email hosting service with the 99.99% uptime guarantees; Zoho and HostGator offer similar guarantees.
Customer Service
G Suite customer service is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, and email. This is one of the most comprehensive customer service providers, as many providers do not offer support by phone. These options mean that it’s possible to get issues resolved quickly, in contrast to providers that only offer customer service through a support form.
What G Suite Is Missing
G Suite is missing a true entry-level email hosting plan; given the number of features included in every plan, the starting cost is high. Though G Suite is feature-packed, it does lack email marketing tools such as those available from Zoho, which are helpful in reducing the number of platforms small businesses need to use.
What Users Think About G Suite
G Suite is a highly rated email hosting service. Positive reviews frequently mention how easy Gmail is to use. Other positive reviews also note it is a good platform for businesses that require team-based project work. Negative reviews note that there is no integration with Microsoft Office. However, G Suite comes with programs such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides, eliminating the need for additional productivity software.
Where to Find G Suite
You can learn more about G Suite on their website by clicking “Pricing” to compare plans in more detail. Customer service is available 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat, so they are there to answer any questions you may have. Try any G Suite plan for free for 14 days; click here to learn more.
Best for Email & Web Hosting: Bluehost
Bluehost is an industry-leading email and web hosting service, noted for its exceptional value. Plans start at $2.95 per month and include multiple free email addresses, a free domain, reliable web hosting, and access to additional features like G Suite integration and domain privacy for minimal extra cost. It is the best solution for those who need both a business email and reliable web hosting from an industry leader.
Bluehost Pricing
Bluehost is a very affordable email hosting service with plans starting at $2.95 per month for five email addresses, 100MB of storage, a free domain name, and reliable web hosting. The next plan up is the Plus plan, which offers unlimited storage and unlimited email addresses for just $5.95 per month.
Bluehost Tiered Features
| Price | |||
| Storage | |||
| Number of Email Addresses Included | |||
| 24/7 Support | |||
| Web Hosting Included | |||
| Web Hosting Storage Limit | |||
| Web Hosting Bandwidth Limit | |||
| Free Domain Name |
Basic Plan
The Basic plan costs $2.95 per month, which includes five email addresses and 100MB of storage per account. It also includes standard Bluehost features such as a free SSL certificate (which allows sensitive user data to be encrypted for security) and one free domain name.
The Bluehost Basic Plan is an ideal solution for small businesses that need five or fewer email addresses and do not send many attachments. Companies that do not use email heavily in their day-to-day will most likely find the 100MB to be enough. These could be small businesses such as restaurants or salons that do not send a great deal of content-heavy emails.
Plus Plan
For $3 more per month than the Basic Plan, the Plus plan gives you unlimited storage and an unlimited number of email addresses, in addition to the basic plan inclusions. This is the ideal plan for businesses who need a high volume of email addresses. As an extra, it also comes with $200 in marketing offers, including a Google Ads credit.
The Bluehost Plus plan is a great value for growing businesses that send a high volume of attachment-heavy emails and need a large number of email addresses to accommodate many employees. For example, large law firms or companies with large sales teams that regularly send quotes via email.
Choice Plus Plan
The Choice Plus plan is nearly identical to the Plus plan but it also includes domain privacy—to protect your registration information—and automatic backups. As with all Bluehost plans, it can be used with major email clients such as Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail.
The Bluehost Choice Plan does not offer additional email features, but it does offer more web hosting features. The average small business will most likely find that they do not need the Choice Plus plan, but it might be a good option for businesses such as news and publication sites that depend on regular backups to protect their content.
Hosting Uptime
When using Bluehost for email hosting, you can expect very low (to no) downtime. It comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, though it’s worth noting that this doesn’t account for maintenance downtime. The uptime guarantee is also not a money back guarantee.
Customer Service
Bluehost customer service is available 24/7 via phone and live chat. This means that you get assistance whenever you’re working as opposed to waiting to receive a response. It also has three different technical support lines, depending on which type of help you are looking for. This ensures you will talk to the experts best suited to solving your problem or answering your question.
What Bluehost Is Missing
Bluehost’s entry-level plan, the Basic plan, only comes with a small amount of storage. Those who require a high amount of storage will find HostGator to be a better alternative. Beyond storage, it’s difficult to find an area where Bluehost is lacking.
What Users Think About Bluehost
Bluehost’s primary service is web hosting, so it is difficult to find email hosting-specific reviews. However, users comment that Bluehost provides good value and that their customer service is helpful. Negative reviews frequently note that their sites go down. In response, Bluehost’s representatives note that this is an issue with the server on which the user’s domain is hosted, not their own hosting servers. See user reviews on our Bluehost reviews page.
Where to Find Bluehost
Learn more about Bluehost and their email hosting services online. From their homepage, you can find detailed plan information by clicking on the green “Get Started” button. You can also click here to learn more.
Best Email Hosting for Unlimited Storage: HostGator
HostGator is an industry-leading web and email hosting service. Plans start at $2.75 per month for web hosting, unlimited storage and email addresses, a spam blocker, email forwarding, and 24/7 customer support. It’s best for businesses that send and receive a high volume of emails with large attachments due to the unlimited storage.
HostGator Pricing
HostGator’s entry-level plan is $2.75 per month, which includes web hosting, unlimited storage, and unlimited email addresses. As HostGator is primarily a web host, plans increase to $5.95 per month based on web hosting-specific features as opposed to email-related services.
HostGator Tiered Features
| Price | |||
| Number of Addresses Included | |||
| Storage | |||
| Web Hosting Included | |||
| Number of Hosted Domains | |||
| SSL Certificate | |||
| 24/7 Support | |||
| Dedicated IP Address |
Hatchling Plan
The Hatchling plan costs $2.75 per month, which includes unlimited storage, a free SSL certificate, one free domain name, web hosting for one domain name, unmetered bandwidth, auto-responders, mail forwarding, spam blockers, mailing lists, and 24/7 support. HostGator Hatchling subscribers also receive a $100 ad voucher for Google Ads and a $100 voucher for Bing Ads.
Small businesses that do not require many email addresses but do send a high volume of emails will find the Hatchling plan suits their needs well. This might include small legal practices and consulting-based businesses that are email-heavy, but have few employees.
Baby Plan
The Baby plan is HostGator’s mid-level plan that costs $3.95 per month. It includes all of the same email features of the Hatchling Plan, plus it includes a private SSL certificate so the public cannot see the contact information used to register your SSL certificate, helping to reduce potential spam. Additional features in the Baby plan are specific to web hosting, not email.
The Baby Plan is nearly the same as the Hatchling plan, with the addition of the private SSL certificate and additional web hosting features. Those looking for email hosting specifically probably won’t find a need to pay for the Baby Plan, as the Hatchling plan offers robust email features.
Business Plan
The Business plan costs $5.95 per month and includes all email features in the Baby plan with the addition of web hosting-specific features such as a dedicated IP address. This ensures greater business website security and increases speed by providing users with dedicated server resources.
The Business plan is for those that will take advantage of HostGator’s dedicated IP web hosting in addition to its email. While most small businesses will not need the increased speed and memory that come with a dedicated IP address, some ecommerce businesses could benefit from the site speed it affords.
Hosting Uptime
All plans come backed by a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Although this uptime rarely drops below the guaranteed 99.9%, when it does, users get a credit for a free month of service. It’s also worth noting that this guarantee does not include maintenance-related downtime under 45 minutes.
Customer Service
HostGator’s customer service is available 24/7/365 via live chat, phone, and fax. It offers users a toll-free number, a local number, and an international number for any questions, which can be convenient for those who live outside the U.S. or who travel internationally.
What HostGator Is Missing
HostGator is missing email plans that include more than one email address. Those who need multiple email addresses will find DreamIT Host and Bluehost to be better options, as they have low-cost plans with unlimited email addresses.
What Users Think About HostGator
In general, users note that HostGator is easy to use and provides great customer service. Their uptimes are some of the highest in the industry. However, users noted that the service can be slow.
Where to Find HostGator
Visit HostGator online to learn more about their email hosting services and plans. Click on “Web Hosting” on their homepage and you will information about all of their email and web hosting plans. Sign up for HostGator email with unlimited storage for only $2.75 per month.
Best Email Hosting for Security & Protection: DreamIT Host
DreamIT Host is a web and email hosting provider that offers unlimited email to all customers—including free daily backups and SSL certificates—with plans starting at $3.55 per month. All plans also come with mail filtering and 24/7 support. Given the robust spam protection, SSL security, and daily backups, DreamIT is the best choice for businesses that want their data secured, even on an entry-level plan.
DreamIT Host Pricing
DreamIT Host is a great value with plans ranging from $3.55 per month to $14.31 per month. All plans include unlimited email addresses, daily backups, free SSL certificates, and more. It’s worth noting that DreamIT is an Australian company, so prices reflect the current exchange rate from Australian to U.S. dollars.
DreamIT Tiered Features
| Price | |||
| Storage | |||
| Number of Addresses Included | |||
| Number of Hosted Domains | |||
| Free SSL Certificate & SSL-secured Email | |||
| 24/7 Support | |||
| Free Daily Backups |
Startup Plan
The Startup plan costs $3.55 per month, which includes 15GB of storage and unlimited email addresses. This entry-level plan also comes standard with free daily backups, SSL encryption to protect email data in transit, email archiving, instant email notifications on iOS devices, and up to 10 domains with unlimited addresses on each domain.
DreamIT’s Startup plan is best for businesses that need a super low-cost way of getting a high volume of secure email addresses but don’t require a large amount of storage. Sales teams that send documents via live links (as opposed to attachments) would be great candidates for this plan, as would medical consultants who need to send sensitive information by email.
Economy Plan
The Economy plan costs $7.14 per month, which increases storage limits to 50GB. This plan includes unlimited email addresses and all the features from the Startup plan. It’s designed to offer those on the Startup plan an affordable way to increase storage as their business grows.
The Economy plan is best for businesses that already use the Startup plan and want to stay with DreamIT, but need more storage. Those who want to start with unlimited email addresses without storage limitations will find HostGator’s entry-level plan to be a better option, which costs only $2.75 per month.
Business Plan
The Business plan costs $14.31 per month, which jumps storage up to 100GB. As DreamIT Host’s plans are differentiated entirely by storage limits, there are no other standout features for the Business plan.
Like the Economy plan, the Business plan is best suited for those who already use and are happy with DreamIT Host, but have grown out of their lower-level plan’s storage amount. Just as with the Economy plan, those looking for unlimited email addresses without storage limitations should consider HostGator instead.
Hosting Uptime
DreamIT Host boasts a 99.95% uptime. While they don’t offer an uptime guarantee like HostGator, or provide real-time service availability insights like Zoho, they do have a satisfaction guarantee. This guarantee gives users 45 days to use their service; if users aren’t satisfied with DreamIT Host, they get a full refund.
Customer Service
DreamIT Host has a 24/7 support team based in Australia. It is available via live chat, phone, and email. Only an Australian phone number is provided, so this is not an ideal channel for those who live outside of Australia.
What DreamIT Host Is Missing
DreamIT Host is missing a plan with unlimited storage. This means that while plans include unlimited email addresses and several security features, storage could be an issue if a high volume of emails are sent with large attachments. Those who want both unlimited storage and email addresses are better served by HostGator or Bluehost.
What Users Think About DreamIT Host
DreamIT Host has a high rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 90 users on TrustSpot. Reviewers frequently comment that DreamIT Host is very easy to use and they have great support. While the majority of reviews were very positive, a couple did note that the interface was initially a challenge to use. However, this is in regard to their web hosting services and not their email hosting services.
Where to Find DreamIT Host
Get more information directly from DreamIT Host. From their website, choose the “Hosting” menu option and click “Email Hosting” to learn more. Try DreamIT Host risk-free with their 45-day satisfaction guarantee by clicking here.
Best for Marketing & Collaboration: Zoho
Zoho is an online office suite and email marketing platform celebrated for its collaboration and productivity tools as well as its integrated email marketing. Zoho comes with standard email for as little as $1 per month (if billed annually), and plans come loaded with features, including robust email marketing tools. Zoho is the best email hosting service for businesses that are looking for low-cost email with integrated marketing solutions.
Zoho Pricing
Zoho has three email hosting plans: Mail Lite, Standard, and Professional. Mail Lite, their entry-level plan, costs only $1 per user, per month and includes 5GB storage and standard email features. For just $2 more per month, the Standard plan jumps up to 30GB and includes G Suite integration.
Zoho Tiered Features
| Price | ||
| Storage | ||
| Number of Addresses Included | 1 | |
| 24/7 Support | ||
| Attachment Limit | ||
| Productivity Tools | ||
| Email Marketing | ||
| Advanced Analytics | ||
| Custom Branding |
Mail Lite Plan
The Mail Lite plan costs $1 per user, per month with annual billing. This small price comes with an equally small 5GB of storage and attachment limit of 25MB. It also includes productivity tools such as a calendar, tasks, and notes, as well as an email marketing campaign tool that allows you to send up to 12,000 emails to as many as 2,000 users per month for free.
Zoho’s Mail Lite plan is best for businesses that do not need a large number of email addresses or a significant amount of storage, but will likely make use of email marketing campaigns. Early-stage entrepreneurs and small businesses building brand awareness would likely be the best candidates for this plan.
Mail Premium Plan
The Mail Premium plan costs $4 per user, per month with annual billing (or $4 per month if billed monthly) and gives users 30GB of storage and an attachment limit of 40MB. It also includes G Suite integration for those who prefer the Gmail interface, advanced analytics and reporting options, access to all Zoho productivity tools, and custom branding.
The Standard plan is best for small, marketing-savvy businesses that need more than the 5GB included in the entry-level plan and are interested in creating a strong branded presence on all of their Zoho tools. With additional G Suite integration and robust analytics, the Standard plan would likely serve the needs of marketing agencies or content-heavy sites that regularly track traffic and visitor engagement.
Hosting Uptime
Zoho has a 99.9% uptime guarantee, outside of scheduled maintenance and updates. They also have a service tracker, so you can see their real-time status and operational details. Go to Zoho Services Availability for the most up-to-date performance data.
Customer Service
Zoho’s customer service is available in the U.S. 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Support is available by phone, live chat, and support tickets. There is also a comprehensive help center on the website for those interested in troubleshooting on their own.
What Zoho Is Missing
Zoho’s user interface could be more user-friendly; those who are new to Zoho and not technically savvy may find it difficult to use. Also, there is no plan that offers unlimited storage, so Zoho may not be the best choice for those who need lots of storage or think they may need it in the future.
What Users Think About Zoho
Users rate Zoho Mail highly. Users particularly like the included productivity add-ons, as well as the free email campaigns for up to 12,000 emails per month. Negative reviews note that while the anti-spam filters are good, some find them too sensitive.
Where to Find Zoho
Learn more about Zoho Mail by navigating to zoho.com/mail. There, you will get comprehensive information on all of their email hosting plans. You can also try Zoho Mail for free for 30 days with no credit card required. Click here to get started.
Best for Multiple Address at $1/Month: 1&1 IONOS
1&1 IONOS is a budget email hosting service known for its exceptional affordability. In fact, their entry-level plan is what separates them from alternatives, as it costs only $1 per month and includes up to 25 email addresses. It is the best email hosting service for startups with growing teams on a tight budget.
1&1 IONOS Pricing
1&1 IONOS pricing for their entry-level plan is the most affordable on our list. The Mail Basic plan costs just $1 per month (billed annually), which includes up to 25 email accounts, each with 2GB of storage. Premium plans—which go up to $10 per month—include increased storage limits, but only include one email address each.
1&1 IONOS Tiered Features
| Price | |||
| Storage | |||
| Number of Addresses Included | |||
| Free Domain Name | |||
| Spam Filter | |||
| 24/7 Support | |||
| Microsoft Office Suite |
Mail Basic Plan
The Mail Basic plan costs only $1 per month with annual billing. Though this only gets you 2GB of storage per email address, it does give you up to 25 email addresses, making it a great value. It also includes a free domain, a spam filter, and 24/7 support. While it may seem like 1&1 would include embedded advertising in emails to offset the low cost, this plan is ad-free.
1&1’s Mail Basic plan is the best option for businesses that need 25 or fewer email addresses and that do not need a high amount of storage. This could be small businesses with a staff of 25 or fewer that primarily use email as a quick communication tool between employees or for responding to frequent customer inquiries. At $1 per month, it is the cheapest plan on our list.
Mail Business Plan
The Mail Business plan jumps up to $7 per month with annual billing and gives you 50GB of storage and one email address. Compared to the other email hosting services on our list, such as Bluehost and HostGator, this isn’t a great value for the price given the single email address with limited storage.
This plan is likely only going to be appealing to those who are already using 1&1 IONOS email hosting and need more storage, but do not want to leave the provider. Those who need many email addresses but also need more storage will find Bluehost a better option, which costs $5.95 per month.
Microsoft Exchange Plan
The Microsoft Exchange plan costs $10 per month for just 25GB of storage. The reason for the higher price, despite lower storage than their Mail Business plan, is because this plan uses Microsoft Outlook as the email interface and includes access to the Microsoft Office Suite.
The Microsoft Exchange plan is the best option for businesses that need both email hosting and access to Microsoft Office. This includes companies with teams that work collaboratively on projects using basic productivity tools like word processors and spreadsheets. However, those who want these sorts of tools might find G Suite or Zoho to be more affordable options.
Hosting Uptime
1&1 IONOS boasts a near 100% uptime—not including site maintenance. However, unlike other hosting services on our list, they do not have an uptime guarantee. If you prefer a host with a guarantee, consider HostGator.
Customer Service
1&1 IONOS’ customer service is available 24/7 by phone and online. They also have a help center where you can find the answers to commonly asked questions and troubleshoot issues on your own.
What 1&1 IONOS Is Missing
1&1 seems like an exceptionally affordable option for businesses seeking up to 25 email addresses. However, upgraded plans are charged on a per-address basis, so total cost increases quickly. They also don’t offer any plans with unlimited storage.
What Users Think About 1&1 IONOS
Users note that 1&1 IONOS is user-friendly and very affordable for new customers. Negative reviews frequently note that their pricing doesn’t scale well, as prices jump up quickly for plan upgrades.
Where to Find 1&1 IONOS
Get more detailed information about 1&1 IONOS online by clicking “Email” on their homepage. There are no current free trial offers, but their entry-level package costs only $1 per month, making them a very low-cost investment. Get started with your own account by clicking here.
Bottom Line: Best Email Hosting Services
The best email hosting services are those that combine ample storage, high uptimes, and multiple addresses to meet a small business’ needs. We considered these factors in our ranking, as well as security, privacy, domains included, customer support, and add-on features like productivity and collaboration tools.
Based on our criteria, we found that the best overall email hosting provider is G Suite. They are not only reliable and feature-rich—including email and productivity tools with their email hosting packages—but they are also one of the most easy-to-use email platforms. Try G Suite today risk-free with their 14-day free trial available on any plan.
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