Email has become a primary communication method for individuals and businesses, replacing everything from paper bills to channels for customer support. 

The number of email users worldwide has been steadily growing year by year. In 2019, there were 294 billion emails senteach day. In 2022, Statistica estimates we sent 333 billion emailed messages daily, a figure expected to increase to 392.5 billion this year.

Also: Cloud-based email services: Everything you need to know

Clearly, email is still a force for communication. Suppose you want to go beyond the free email offerings, present a professional email address, and have some level of control over your corporate email communications. In that case, you'll want to sign up with an email hosting provider.

Below, we have compiled our recommendations for excellent email hosting providers specializing in email and office productivity, as well as solid web hosts offering email packages with a personalized touch.

Our favorite email hosting provider isGoogle Workspace . If you want an email hosting provider that is familiar, offers ample storage, and gives customers a direct and easy-to-understand pricing structure, this is the right host for you.

Check out our top picks for email hosting services. 

Google Workspace

Best email hosting service overall

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Up to 5TB of storage
• Flexible pricing
• Familiar to free Gmail users

Cons

• Doesn't offer unlimited storage for enterprises

More Details

Google Workspace features: Your own domain name:Yes  Mailbox size:30GB, 2TB, and 5TB  Spam and virus protection:Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support:Chat, ticket, or phone  Archiving and storage:Depending on the plan Free trial

Formerly known as G-Suite, Google Workspace integrates an enterprise-level Gmail management interface with Google Docs, Meet, Calendar, and various other tools. However, it's not just for the enterprise level -- far from it. 

Pricing is easier to understand with Workspace than with Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft offers a wide variety of plans and options that also integrate into its other licensing pricing structures. 

Google gives you three simple choices:$6 per month,$12 per month, or$18 per month per user on a yearly contract, depending on your desired management features. Features include custom and secure email, pooled storage ranging from 30GB to 5TB, and support. Enterprise clients can contact Google for tailored solutions. 

You can also test out the service for 14 days for free.

View now at Google

Microsoft 365 Business

Best email hosting service for Microsoft customers

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Starts at 1TB cloud storage
• Spam and virus protection
• 24/7 support

Cons

• Advanced security only included in Premium plans

More Details

Microsoft 365 Business features: Your domain name:Yes  Cloud storage size:1TB  Spam and virus protection:Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support:Chat, ticket, or phone  Archiving and storage: Depending on the plan One-month free trial

Microsoft 365 encompasses all the Office desktop apps, Office online apps, Microsoft Teams, all the benefits of Exchange, calendaring, mobile apps, and more. If you are comfortable with the Outlook email client and Microsoft software, you will want to consider Microsoft 365 Business for your email hosting solution. 

Available in Basic, Standard, and Premium packages -- with prices starting at$6 per month, per user -- customers can opt for business-class email, security packages, webinar and large meeting virtual solutions, and access control, among other features. 

A one-month free trial is available. 

View now at Microsoft

A2 web hosting

Best affordable email hosting for small businesses

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Affordable
• Long-term, simple plans

Cons

• Storage relatively low on basic plans

More Details

A2 features: Your domain name: Yes  Inbox storage size:Up to 30GB  Spam and virus protection: Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support: Chat, ticket, or phone, Guru Crew Support  Archiving and storage: Depending on plan Money-back guarantee

A2 web hosting is an excellent option if you run a small business. A2 offers customers multi-account access,24/7 support, a variety of migration tools, anti-spam filters, administrator tools, useful email templates, and between 10GB and 30GB of storage per account.

As a bonus, this email hosting service is cheap, with plans starting at only$1.59 per month, as long as you agree to a 36-month contract. Premium plans begin at$2.59 every month. This email hosting service could be your best bet for a new business venture. 

View now at A2

Rackspace

Best email hosting service for migration assistance

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Unlimited mailbox size
• Microsoft integration
• Migration assistance

Cons

• Short trial

More Details

Rackspace features: Your domain name:Yes  Mailbox size:25GB mailboxes, 30GB storage, or unlimited  Spam and virus protection:Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support:Chat, ticket, or phone  Archiving and storage:Depending on plan, additional fee  14-day free trial

Rackspace is one of the original cloud infrastructure providers. The company offers a wide range of infrastructure-as-a-service options, including full Exchange hosting, Microsoft 365 management, and traditional email hosting suitable for small to medium-sized businesses and beyond.

The company offers migration assistance from other hosts, a large team of MCSA-certified staff, and the ability to support an existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. Free migration is provided on all plans. 

Subscriptions start at$2.99 per month, per user, and increase to$3.99 per month for premium service. If you want unlimited archiving, prices begin at$6.99/month. A trial is available, although you have to make up your mind within 14 days. 

View now at Rackspace

IceWarp

Best email hosting service for cloud servers

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Collaborative document editing
• Long test period

Cons

• 10 users minimum for business plans

More Details

IceWarp features: Your domain name:Yes  Mailbox size:200GB + 1TB file storage  Spam and virus protection:Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support:Chat, ticket, or phone  Archiving and storage:Included.

A great name aside, IceWarp is an excellent browser-based email hosting option that combines cloud and on-premise technologies.

Its offerings, in particular, are worth highlighting -- as they include shared contacts and calendars, collaborative document editing, mailing list management, web meetings, audio and video calls, mobile apps and synchronization, and archiving. The dashboard, too, is an attractive interface for accessing emails, calendars, meetings, and files.

In regards to plans, IceWarp has a variety -- with the basic plan for startups and small businesses (with up to ten user accounts) priced at only$1.50 per user, monthly, with 200GB of email storage. Starting at$3.50/month per user, business plans are the next step up, but you will need to agree to 10 user accounts, at minimum. 

If you decide you would rather go elsewhere within three months, IceWarp says you will not be charged. 

View now at IceWarp

Hostinger

Best email and web hosting combination

Screenshot by Gabriela Perez/ Pros & Cons Pros

• Email hosting included in web hosting plans
• 24/7 support

Cons

• No archiving options
• No spam detection

More Details

Hostinger features: Your domain name:Yes  Mailbox size:10GB or 50GB  Spam and virus protection:Yes  Aliases:Yes  24/7 support:Chat, ticket, or phone (surcharge for priority support)  Archiving and storage:No

We reviewed Hostinger positively when looking at website hosting providers. It should be noted that the company's shared web hosting plan does include email accounts and mailboxes.

Also: Hostinger web hosting review: Good support and a killer entry-level price

That said, the dedicated hosting service provided by Hostinger goes a step further, using the Titan email hosting service. Titan email hosting services offer integrated calendars alongside email management and scheduling features.

Business plans begin at$1.59 per user monthly, or Enterprise plans are priced at$3.99 per user every month. Basic plans provide 10GB of inbox storage, whereas premium plans offer users 50 GB. Android and iOS apps are available, alongside read receipts, email templates, two-factor authentication, and more. 

View now at Hostinger

What is the best email hosting service?

If you want a no-brainer decision, choose either Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, depending on whether you're more tied to the Google or Microsoft ecosystem. That's it. Both are excellent offerings, that provide solid, if sometimes, frustrating support, and will get you where you need to go. Full stop.

However, there are other worthy options on the market. To help you make your decision, we've highlighted each email hosting provider's noteworthy features below.

Email hosting service	Starting Price	Storage	Your Domain
Google Workspace	$6/user/mo	30GB, 2TB, and 5TB	Yes
Office 365 Business	$6/user/mo	1TB+	Yes
A2 web hosting	$1.59/user/mo	30GB	Yes
Rackspace	$2.99/user/mo	25GB+	Yes
IceWarp Cloud	$1.50/user/mo	200GB	Yes
Hostinger	$1.59/user/mo	10GB+	Yes

Which is the best email hosting service?

There are an absolute ton of email hosting providers and we've done our best to highlight the top picks in the market. The best email hosting providers are listed below, depending on your need and particular use case.

Choose this email hosting service...	If you want...
Google Workspace	A comprehensive office suite and prefer the Google ecosystem. Google is familiar as an email hosting service and offers straightforward pricing with different storage options.
Office 365 Business	A comprehensive office suite and prefer the Microsoft ecosystem. If you want an email host focused on Outlook, stick with Microsoft.
A2 web hosting	A supremely affordable email hosting plan over the long term. A2 is popular in the market for its offerings to smaller businesses, and rightly so.
Rackspace	Microsoft features, but want to work with a non-Microsoft provider. Rackspace should be considered if you want assistance with migration.
IceWarp Cloud	Comprehensive email services, but prefer to avoid Microsoft and Google. This is an excellent option for startup companies, too, that need up to 10 inboxes.
Hostinger	Email hosting and you're also buying web hosting. As a combination, Hostinger is a solid choice to manage both sides.

How did we choose these email hosting providers?

Many of us at have decades of experience with email hosting providers. In making recommendations, we take this experience and combine it with factors, including:

• Familiarity: We have included vendors that authors are personally familiar with and feel comfortable recommending. After all, if we wouldn't use the service, it's probably not worth consideration.
• Pricing: We have included a range of email hosting providers that offer services suitable for different clients and price points. There's no point in paying for multiple inboxes or advanced features if you are unlikely to use them.
• Security: In today's world, filled with data breaches and cyberattacks, security must be at the forefront of your online communication channels. We selected providers known for their robust security practices. 
• Features: Flexibility and different features are paramount when you select an email hosting service. Software bundles, sending tools, custom domains, billing options, and more have been included in our recommendations.

How do I properly recover a stolen email account with a Google server?

This doesn't just apply if you're using Google for your email. If you're using another hosting provider, but also using Gmail, you might need to get this answered. It's obviously easiest if you can still log in. But even if you can't, Google offers a set of steps for you to follow. Here's Google's page to get you started. 

But keep in mind that the best way to avoid having to recover a stolen email account is to protect it properly. Be sure to set up multi-factor authentication and get your recovery codes from Google.

What free email service ends in org?

There are free email services, but be careful: free services often come with other costs, including your privacy. Since it's costly to maintain an email hosting service, those using free services may not get much support or may find the service just disappears one day. Or, you may be bombarded with adverts every time you access your inbox.

Also, be careful of free services that are essentially phishing sites, capturing all the emails you get, including personal identifying information. That said, mail.com is a fairly safe service that offers email addresses with the linuxmail.org and musician.org domains. Other free services, like Yahoo and Google, allow you to set up email aliases, so if you have another mailer that supports .org, you can get that email at your Yahoo or Gmail account.

My web hosted email stopped forwarding to my phone. How do I fix it?

There's not one single answer for that. It generally depends on your email provider and phone OS. That said, if you use any of the common email providers, you can go to this troubleshooting page for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and this troubleshooter for the Google Android email app. Sometimes, you may need to either update your app or reinstall it completely.

Are there alternative email hosting services worth considering?

There are a tremendous number of hosting providers on the market. As we said, just about every web hosting provider also offers email. But here are more providers that provide excellent email hosting services and support.

Best alternative AWS email hosting service

Amazon WorkMail

As an AWS-based service, WorkMail integrates with all the other AWS services, allowing you to build a relatively rich cloud-based, customized infrastructure.

View at Amazon

Best alternative for small businesses

DreamHost

Dreamhost provides top-notch, advertless email services suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.

View at Dreamhost

Best alternative for startups

GoDaddy

GoDaddy offers cheap, no-nonsense email hosting services and a variety of web hosting solutions perfect for businesses just starting up.

View at GoDaddy

Best alternative for ad-free email

Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail is a solid option for small businesses that want ad-free, clean email experiences. 

View at Zoho

Best alternative for Microsoft 365 & Exchange

Intermedia

Intermedia is a great alternative for compatibility with Microsoft 365 & Exchange.

View at Intermedia

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