With a return on investment of 3600%, email marketing has remained one of the most effective marketing channels. It is a critical component of modern digital marketing strategy as it offers businesses the ability to reach a large audience in a highly targeted and personalized manner.
Whether you are a freelance writer, a brand consultant, a YouTuber, or basically any professional, we can rightly say email marketing is one of the most preferred lead generation & nurturing strategies.
For the success of an email marketing campaign, having a reliable email provider is crucial.
A reliable and efficient email provider ensures that your emails are delivered on time, with high security and privacy, and with features that can enhance your team’s productivity.
To choose the right email provider, the following are some factors that need to be kept in mind:
- Storage and storage limits;
- Reliability;
- Security;
- Integration with other tools;
- Customer support;
- User-friendliness;
- Mobility;
- And lastly, price.
The wrong email provider can lead to security breaches, lost emails, issues with email hosting, and wasted time, so it’s important to carefully evaluate your options and choose a provider that meets your specific needs and supports the growth of your business.
That said, let’s dive into the world of business email providers and discover the top email providers.
6 Best Business Email Providers: Feature Comparison
We are listing top 2024 email providers based on their features, pricing, user-friendliness, and overall experience:
Gmail / Google Workspace — Best Email Provider for Small Companies
Gmail is one of the most widely used email providers in the world, offering users a reliable, user-friendly, and secure email solution. It integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace tools like Google Drive and Google Calendar.
Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) is a cloud-based productivity and collaboration platform offered by Google. It’s designed to help businesses, organizations, and individuals streamline their work processes and collaborate effectively.
All data and files are stored on Google’s secure servers, making it easy for users to access their work from any device with an internet connection.
Feature Overview
- Email organization: Gmail allows users to organize their emails into labels, folders, and categories for easy management;
- Search functionality: Gmail’s search function makes it easy to find specific emails, even in large inboxes;
- Conversation view: Gmail groups related emails together into conversations, making it easier to follow a thread of messages;
- Multiple account support: Gmail allows users to manage multiple email accounts from one place.
- Integration with Google services: Gmail integrates with other Google services, such as Google Drive and Google Calendar, for convenient access to all of your information;
- Priority Inbox: Gmail’s Priority Inbox feature automatically separates important messages from less important ones, making it easier to focus on what’s important.
Pricing Overview
- Basic Plan: $6 per user per month, includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Meet;
- Business Plan: $12 per user per month, includes all Basic features plus enhanced security features and administrative controls;
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on the number of users and specific business needs, includes all Business features plus advanced security, compliance, and collaboration tools;
- There is also a 14-day free trial available for all plans.
iCloud Mail — Best Email Provider for Apple Users
iCloud Mail is a free email service provided by Apple Inc. It allows Apple users to store their emails, contacts, and calendar events on Apple’s servers and access them from any device with an internet connection.
The service offers a user-friendly interface and is integrated with Apple’s other services, such as the App Store and iTunes Store.
iCloud Mail offers several features, including the ability to send and receive emails from multiple devices, organize emails into folders, and search for specific emails. It also provides spam filtering and virus protection to keep your inbox free from unwanted emails.
iCloud Mail also offers a large storage capacity, making it easy for users to store their emails for an extended period of time. Overall, iCloud Mail is a convenient and reliable email service for Apple users.
Feature Overview
- Cross-device synchronization: iCloud Mail synchronizes your emails, contacts, and calendar events across all of your Apple devices so that you can access them from any device with an internet connection;
- Spam and virus protection: iCloud Mail includes spam filtering and virus protection to keep your inbox free from unwanted emails and to protect your information;
- Search functionality: iCloud Mail includes a search function that makes it easy to find specific emails;
- Email organization: iCloud Mail allows you to organize your emails into folders and labels for better management;
- Multi-device compatibility: iCloud Mail can be accessed from multiple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and PCs;
- Push notifications: iCloud Mail supports push notifications so that you can receive new email alerts in real-time
Pricing Overview
iCloud Mail is a free email service provided by Apple Inc. to its users. However, users who need more storage space can purchase additional storage through their Apple ID. The pricing for additional storage is as follows:
- 50 GB of storage: $0.99 per month;
- 200 GB of storage: $2.99 per month;
- 2 TB of storage: $9.99 per month.
Note: These prices are subject to change and may vary depending on your country and currency. It’s always recommended to check the latest pricing information on the Apple website or through the Apple ID account settings.
Neo — Best Business Email Without Domain (Easiest Set-up)
Neo offers a professional email hosting service and growth suite designed to help small businesses expand and enhance their brand.
With Neo, professionals and businesses can obtain a custom email address and a free domain name. Neo also enables users to manage calendars and contacts, create their first website, and foster strong customer relationships through email marketing and appointment scheduling tools.
Neo’s powerful mobile and web apps provide convenient access to email from anywhere. Setting itself apart from other email services, Neo offers unique features such as AI email writing, tracking CTR, and open rates.
Its appointment booking tools can aid in sending cold emails, creating marketing campaigns, following up with timely leads, and acquiring more customers.
Features Overview
- Powerful and user-friendly email and calendar system with up to 100GB of storage;
- Includes a free domain name and a one-page website;
- Features innovative new tools such as AI email composer, Email open tracking, Signature designer, Follow-up reminders;
- Designed to support growing businesses with tools like Email marketing, Appointment scheduling, Contact groups;
- Email templates to engage more leads effectively;
- Accessible across all devices with dedicated apps for iOS, Android, and web platforms.
Pricing Overview
- Starter: $1.99 per mailbox per month, billed yearly;
- Standard: $3.99 per mailbox per month, billed yearly;
- Max: $7.99 per mailbox per month, billed yearly.
Also read: 10 Best WordPress Hosting Providers in 2023
ProtonMail — Best Privacy-First Email Provider
ProtonMail is a highly secure email service provider based in Switzerland. It offers end-to-end encrypted email services, making it one of the most secure email providers available.
ProtonMail uses an open-source infrastructure, ensuring that users have complete control over their data. It is one of the sought-after enterprise email providers.
The service is easy to use and offers features such as custom domains, VPN services, and calendars. ProtonMail also has a strict no-logging policy, ensuring that users’ privacy is protected. In addition, the company operates under Swiss privacy laws, which are some of the strongest in the world.
ProtonMail is available on multiple platforms, including the web, iOS, and Android, making it accessible to users anywhere and on any device. Overall, ProtonMail is an excellent choice for individuals and businesses looking for a secure and private email service.
Features Overview
- Custom domains: The service allows users to use custom domains for their email addresses, making it ideal for businesses and organizations;
- VPN service: ProtonMail offers a VPN service, providing an extra layer of privacy and security for users;
- No logging policy: The company has a strict no-logging policy, ensuring that user data is not collected or stored by ProtonMail;
- Calendar app: The company offers a calendar app, ProtonCalendar, for scheduling appointments and events;
- Support for multiple languages: ProtonMail is available in multiple languages, making it accessible to users worldwide;
- Large community support: The service is supported by a large community of users and developers, providing a wealth of resources for help and support.
Pricing Overview
ProtonMail offers several pricing plans for both personal and business users. The pricing plans range from free to paid, based on the features and services provided.
- Free Plan: This plan offers basic features, including 500 MB of storage, 150 messages per day, and limited support.
- Plus Plan: The Plus plan starts at €5 per month and includes additional storage, higher message limits, and priority support.
- Professional Plan: The Professional plan is designed for businesses and starts at €8 per user per month. It includes features such as custom domains, team management, and priority support.
- Visionary Plan: The Visionary plan is the highest tier plan and costs €30 per month. It includes all features from the other plans, plus additional benefits such as a VPN service and the ProtonCalendar app.
Mozilla Thunderbird — Best Cost-Effective Email Provider
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open-source email client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It provides a range of features for managing and organizing email, including filtering and labeling, support for multiple email accounts, and a built-in calendar.
Thunderbird also offers robust security features, including encryption and anti-phishing tools. The software is highly customizable, with many add-ons available to extend its functionality.
Thunderbird has a user-friendly interface and supports multiple languages, making it accessible to many users. It is also compatible with popular email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook, making it a versatile email client for both personal and business use.
In addition, Thunderbird has a strong reputation for privacy and security, and it is widely used by individuals and organizations looking for a secure email solution.
Features Overview
- Multiple account support: Thunderbird can manage multiple email accounts from different providers, making it an ideal choice for people with multiple email addresses;
- Email filtering and labeling: The software offers advanced email filtering and labeling options, making it easier to organize and categorize emails;
- Built-in calendar: Thunderbird includes a calendar for managing appointments, events, and tasks, making it a one-stop solution for email and scheduling;
- Message templates: Thunderbird has the ability to create and save message templates, making it faster and easier to respond to common email inquiries;
- Add-on support: The software is supported by a large community of developers who create add-ons and extensions to extend its functionality;
- Compatibility with popular email services: Thunderbird is compatible with popular email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook, making it a versatile choice for email management.
Pricing Overview
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open-source email client making it a cost-effective solution for anyone looking for a powerful, customizable, and secure email client.
Mozilla Thunderbird relies on donations and contributions to fund its development and maintenance. The software is supported by a community of volunteers and developers who provide technical support and help with bug fixes and other issues.
Inbox.com — Best Ad-Free Email Provider
Inbox.com is a Norway-based email provider with a strong focus on privacy and security. Originally launched in 2004, it quickly gained millions of users, but stopped being open to new customers in 2016. In 2023, it opened its doors once again for new registrations.
Inbox.com is based on a simple concept – provide a premium service at all levels. A highly secure and private email environment, award-winning customer support, and a simple, fast user interface.
If a user or business is simply concerned about big tech having access to their data, Inbox.com is a solid choice. But it’s more than that. For example, Inbox.com doesn’t access or sell customer data, so user emails are ad-free. Also, emails are encrypted, so third parties cannot access them.
In addition, Inbox.com offers secure cloud-based storage and compatibility with all major email clients and devices, making it a solid choice for professionals and organizations who need a highly functional email whilst keeping the security, privacy, and customer service of a specialized provider.
Features Overview
- Secure cloud storage: 15GB of secure backup for all communications, easily accessible from multiple devices;
- Universal compatibility: Compatible with all major IMAP/POP/SMTP email clients, making it possible to integrate Inbox.com email accounts with email apps like Outlook, Apple Mail, and others on any device;
- Security measures: Strict email encryption, comprehensive security strategies and privacy protocols to keep all your communications safe and away from prying eyes;
- Ad-free: Dedicated to providing an ad-free service that eliminates distractions, spam, and ad-based threats;
- Great customer service: Award-winning customer support (ranked no. 1 for customer service by Newsweek in the email service category).
Pricing Overview
Inbox.com offers one simple plan for all users, personal or business. It can be contracted on a monthly or yearly basis, with the yearly plan offering a discount:
- Monthly: 0.99 USD for the first month, and then 5.99 USD per month;
- Yearly: 11.88 USD for the first year, and then 59 USD per year.
Conclusion: Best Business Email Providers
While there are many options of email providers available in the market, it’s crucial to understand your business needs and goals first and then make a decision.
All email providers mentioned in this article are excellent choices, each with its own unique features and benefits. Whether you are looking for security, ease of use, collaboration, or customization, choose the provider that suits your needs and budget.
Also read:
- 14 Best Email Marketing Platforms in 2024 (Software Review)
- 11 Best Bulk Email Service Providers for 2024
- Email Deliverability: The Definitive Guide
Author Bio
Kruti Shah is a content writer and marketer at The Marketing Drama. She loves to write about insights on current trends in Technology, Business, and Marketing. In her free time, she loves baking and watching Netflix. You can connect with her on Linkedin.
