How to Set Up a Free Zoho Email Account in 4 Easy Steps

Looking for free business email? Zoho Email has you covered. In fact, it consistently ranks as one of the best business email providers.  Zoho Email offers secure, ad-free business email hosting that uses your own domain name (e.g., name@yourbusiness.com). You can get up to five free business email accounts with 5GB per user and a 25MB attachment limit with its free forever plan, and you can purchase additional email accounts for as little as $1 per user, per month.

To set up your free Zoho Email account, you’ll first need a domain name. Then, with a domain name you own, go to Zoho.com and sign up for an email account. Next, you’ll need to verify your domain, update your mail server information, and finally, set up your business email address using your desired username and display name.

Let’s take a look at how to create a free business email account using Zoho in four steps:

1. Sign Up for a Zoho Mail Account

Navigate to Zoho and click “Sign Up Now.” On the next page, select the Free Plan, which is listed below the paid options. Then, enter your current domain in the widget. Once entered, click “Add.”

Connect your domain name to Zoho

2. Verify Your Domain

Next, you’ll need to verify that you own your domain. The exact steps will vary depending on which provider you used to purchase your domain. We’ll use GoDaddy as an example, as it’s one of the most commonly used domain name registries. If you want instructions for a different provider, just select your provider from the list available on Zoho and they will supply directions.

The first step is to make note of the CNAME and Destination values, which will appear on the following screen.

Update CNAME

Once you’ve noted these, head over to GoDaddy and click “Manage” next to “Domains.”

Manage Domains from GoDaddy dashboard

Click on your domain to bring up the domain submenu. Select the “DNS Zone File” tab on the top, then find “Add Record” a little further down.

Add record to DNS Zone File

For the Record type, select “CNAME (Alias).” Then, in the window that pops up, enter the CNAME and Destination Values you noted from Zoho. The CNAME record should be entered under “Host” and the Destination Value should be entered under “Points to.”

Add Zone Record

Remember to click “Save” when you’re finished. Now, return to Zoho and click “Verify by CNAME” at the bottom of the screen. Once your CNAME has been verified, you will need to update your mail records.

3. Change Mail Record With Your Domain Provider

Now that your domain is verified, you need to update your mail records with GoDaddy (or your chosen domain hosting partner). Head back to your domain host and click the “DNS Zone File” tab.

Scroll down to the MX (mail exchanger) records section and delete any MX records listed.

Delete existing MX record

Next, add two new records. Scroll back up to the top and click “Add record.” For record type, choose “MX (Mail Exchanger).” Add the following information: “@” for “Host,” “mx.zohomail.com” for “Points to,” “10” for “Priority,” and “1 hour” for “TTL.” Click “Finish.”

Input Zone Record information

These changes will complete the mail record setup process. It generally takes around 30 minutes for these changes to take effect, at which point you can head back over to Zoho and create your new business email address.

4. Choose a Username for Your Business Email

Now that your domain has been verified, you will be given the option to add an email address in the Zoho Mail Manager. Start by clicking on “Create Account” in Zoho Mail. Input the username you would like to use as the first half of your business email address and click the “Create Account” button below.

If you would like to create accounts for your employees, go to “Add Users” and create new email addresses. Addresses can be changed later should you need to update formatting or remove a user. If you’re not sure what to use for your email addresses, learn more about choosing a custom email.

Zoho Email Alternatives

Not sure if Zoho Mail is right for your business email needs? Fair enough. It’s not for everyone. There are a number of good email hosting providers that offer quality plans at low prices. For example, Bluehost offers free business email with its low-cost web hosting plans, Google Workspace, 1&1 IONOS, and Hover are all high-quality business email providers that are reliable, affordable, and enable you to use your own custom domain name.

Learn more about the best cheap email hosting providers to determine which is best for your business email needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does Zoho Email for business cost?

Zoho Email offers both free and paid email hosting plans. The free forever plan includes up to five free business email addresses with 5GB of storage each. Users can purchase additional email addresses starting at $1 per user, per month for the same amount of storage, or up to $4 per user, per month for 50GB of storage.

Can you use Zoho Email with Gmail?

Yes, it is possible to connect your Zoho business email address to Gmail if you are using a paid plan. To do this, create your Zoho email account and then update your MX records. Businesses that want to use Gmail should consider opting for Google Workspace instead. While it costs $6 per user, per month, it gives businesses a lot more control over staff email accounts and includes productivity and collaboration tools that businesses need. Learn more about Gmail for business.

How do you get a domain name for your business email address?

There are a number of ways to get a domain name that you can then use for your business email and website. The most common way is by purchasing one through a domain name registrar, such as GoDaddy, but you can also get a free domain name through providers such as Bluehost, DreamHost, Squarespace, and Wix. Learn more about domain name registration.

What are the best ways to get a free business email address?

Though there aren’t any truly free ways to get a business email address that is safe, reliable, and suitable for professional use, there are many providers that you’re likely going to use anyway that include business email within their plans. For example, those building a WordPress site will need hosting, and hosts such as Bluehost include free business email with low-cost hosting plans. Get more information about how to get a free business email address.

Bottom Line: Zoho Email

While Zoho gives businesses free business email, email only scratches the surface of what Zoho provides businesses. It also has many other useful business solutions such as email marketing and CRM (customer relationship management) software, which businesses can use to leverage contact lists, foster leads, and generate sales.