The best email hosting providers can ensure a smooth hosting experience for you and your team, whatever scale you’re working at, and they’ll provide all the accounts, storage, and security features you need. Of course, having a custom business email conveys professionalism and is essential for anyone selling goods or services online.
With increasing demands for email hosting functionality, many internet hosting companies now offer web hosting services and email hosting as a package. In this comprehensive guide, based on a full review of 15 providers, I’ll cover the best email server hosting services available and will provide all the information you need to find the best services for your requirements.
The Best Email Hosts Tested by Our Experts
Domain.com – Best Domain Email Hosting for Google Integration
Bluehost – Best Email Domain Hosting Provider for Small Businesses
Liquid Web – Most Scalable Email and Website Hosting for Growing Businesses
A2 Hosting – Best Email Server Provider for Small Teams and Beginners
IONOS – Best Hosting Provider for Microsoft Office Email Hosting
HostPapa – Best Affordable Email Hosting for Teams and Enterprise
The Top 10 Email Hosting Providers Ranked
- DreamHost – Best email hosting provider overall
- Domain.com – Best domain email hosting for Google integration
- Bluehost – Best email domain hosting provider for small businesses
- Liquid Web – Most scalable email and website hosting for growing businesses
- A2 Hosting – Best email server provider for small teams and beginners
- InterServer – Most secure email hosting service
- IONOS – Best hosting provider for Microsoft Office email hosting
- Namecheap – Most affordable email hosting service
- HostPapa – Best affordable email hosting for teams and enterprise
- Name.com – Best email service provider for advanced features
- Show Full Guide
Best Email Providers Reviewed
In this section of my guide, I’ll provide in-depth reviews of what each email hosting provider offers and what they’re best suited for based on my extensive testing. I’ll provide everything you need to find the top email hosting provider for your needs, whether for business or personal email hosting.
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1. DreamHost – Best Email Hosting Provider Overall
Starting Price | $1.67/month |
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Key Features | Mobile App, Customizable Email Hosting, 25GB Storage |
Email Storage | 25GB |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- 25GB storage space per mailbox
- Top-notch anti-spam feature
- Easy to use
- Great email hosting for business and personal use
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only supports 100 recipients/h
2. Domain.com – Best Domain Email Hosting for Google Integration
Starting Price | $3/month |
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Key Features | Easy To Use, High Uptime, Strong Customer Support |
Email Storage | 30GB |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Large number of domain extensions available
- Integrates with numerous Google apps
- Top-notch applications for mobile devices
- Cheap introductory price
Cons
- Higher renewal prices
3. Bluehost – Best Email Domain Hosting Provider for Small Businesses
Starting Price | $2.08/month |
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Key Features | Easy Set-Up, 24/7 Customer Support, 25GB Storage |
Email Storage | 25GB |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- 25 email aliases
- Custom domain addresses
- Affordable pricing
- Includes Real-Time Anti-Phishing feature
Cons
- No monthly billing option
- Attachment size is unclear
4. Liquid Web – Most Scalable Email and Website Hosting for Growing Businesses
Starting Price | $2.25/mailbox |
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Key Features | Scalable, 25GB Storage, 50MB Attachments |
Email Storage | 25GB |
Mobile App | ❌ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Extraordinary 24/7 customer support
- Large mailbox storage
- Scalable email hosting service
- Advanced security measures
Cons
- Email hosting is an add-on
- Only 50MB per allowed attachment
5. A2 Hosting – Best Email Server Provider for Small Teams and Beginners
Starting Price | $1.59/mailbox |
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Key Features | Professional Emails, Follow-Up Reminders, 24/7 Support |
Email Storage | 10GB |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Scalable subscription plans
- Many additional features
- User-friendly email migration
- Anytime money-back guarantee
Cons
- Cap of 200-300 emails per hour
- Gets more expensive with higher tier plans
6. InterServer – Most Secure Email Hosting Service
Starting Price | $2.50/month |
---|---|
Key Features | Server Protection, Antivirus, User Privacy |
Email Storage | 25GB |
Mobile App | ❌ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Advanced security measures
- No-logging policy for complete privacy
- Unlimited email service
Cons
- Email hosting is an additional service
- Only basic email clients
7. IONOS – Best Hosting Provider for Microsoft Office Email Hosting
Starting Price | $1/month |
---|---|
Key Features | 70MB Email Attachments, Scalable, Affordable Small Business Plans |
Email Storage | 2GB+ |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Prices start from as low as $1/month
- Scalable mailboxes
- Integrates with Microsoft Office suite
Cons
- Customer support could be improved
- Microsoft Exchange plans are pricy
8. Namecheap – Most Affordable Email Hosting Service
Starting Price | $0.99/month |
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Key Features | Affordable, Scalable, Wide-Ranging Plans |
Email Storage | 25GB+ |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Cheapest email hosting on the market
- Excellent features for teamwork
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- All plans are annual
- Customer support can be slow
9. HostPapa – Best Affordable Email Hosting for Teams and Enterprise
Starting Price | $1/month |
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Key Features | Affordable, Accessible Interface, Excellent Security |
Email Storage | 1GB+ |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
- Unlimited IMAP connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Basic plan offers limited mail storage
- Outdated account management panel
10. Name.com – Best Email Service Provider for Advanced Features
Starting Price | $2/month |
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Key Features | Varied Plans, DNS Management, Great App Integration |
Email Storage | 10GB+ |
Mobile App | ✅ |
Anti-Spam | ✅ |
Pros
- Many subscription plans to choose from
- Additional features, like AI Email Writing tool
- Decent subscription renewal prices
Cons
- Many features only available in higher-tier plans
- No 24/7 customer support channels
Best Email Hosting Services Compared
Here’s a comparison table of the best email hosting services from my shortlist. It provides a concise overview of the key attributes that each company brings to the table.
Best Email Hosting Provider | Starting Price | Uptime | Email Storage | Free Domain | Key Features | Money-Back Guarantee |
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DreamHost | $1.67/month | 100% | 25GB | ✅ | Mobile App, Customizable Email Hosting, 25GB Storage | ✅ |
Domain.com | $3/user | 99.9% | 30GB | ✅ | Easy To Use, High Uptime Guarantee, Strong Customer Support | ✅ |
Bluehost | $2.08/month | 99.99% | 25GB+ | ✅ | Easy Set-Up, 24/7 Customer Support, 25GB Storage | ✅ |
Liquid Web | $2.25/mailbox | 100% | 25GB | ❌ | Scalable, 25GB Storage, 50MB Attachments | ✅ |
A2 Hosting | $1.59/account | 99.9% | 10GB+ | ❌ | Professional Emails, Follow-Up Reminders, 24/7 Support | ✅ |
InterServer | $2.50/month | 100% | 25GB | ✅ | Server Protection, Antivirus, User Privacy | ✅ |
IONOS | $1/account | 99.9% | 2GB+ | ✅ | 70MB Email Attachments, Scalable, Affordable Small Business Plans | ✅ |
Namecheap | $0.99/month | 100% | 25GB+ | Free email domain with website domain | Affordable, Scalable, Wide-Ranging Business Plans | ✅ |
HostPapa | $1/mailbox | 99.9% | 1GB+ | ✅ | Affordable, Accessible Interface, Excellent Security Settings | ✅ |
Name.com | $2/month | 99.99% | 10GB+ | ✅ | Varied Plans, DNS Management, Great App Integration | ✅ |
How We Review And Test Hosting Providers
15 Providers Tested
20 Data Points Measured
300+ Hours Testing
500+ User Reviews Read
To be able to offer our readers factual information and only the best web hosting solutions, we evaluate and test the most popular hosts in the market. Here are the main factors we focus on:
- Features: We ensure the provider includes basic features like a custom domain, an SSL, generous storage and bandwidth, and email accounts, as well as advanced tools like domain protection, staging, automated backups, and more.
- Ease of use: It’s important that, regardless of their experience managing a site, all users can quickly and easily navigate the hosting provider’s dashboard. All providers on our list either offer an easy-to-navigate custom panel or a widely used cPanel.
- Performance: We ensure the provider offers at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee and uses up-to-date and functional servers. We test this by setting up a site with each provider, testing site loading speed and traffic handling capabilities, and monitoring the uptime.
- Customer Support: We ensure that users can reach customer support 24/7 via various support channels. We also contact them to test whether the support agents are knowledgeable and efficient.
- Value for Money: We evaluate the features within the package and the price point it retails for. We only recommend plans that offer the best value for money.
How Does Email Hosting Work?
Often, email hosting is used by businesses or individuals looking to run extensive email campaigns. The service enables users to send large quantities of emails and comes with dedicated storage.
A professionally hosted email service allows you to customize your email address however you want. So instead of having to use [email protected], for example, you can use a [email protected] address.
What’s the Difference Between Email Hosting Providers and Web Hosting?
Web hosting and email hosting are two different web-based services:
- Web hosting gives users space on a remote server to store files and information for a website, which can be accessed via the internet. Website storage and bandwidth are key for web hosting.
- Email hosting enables full management of emails and everything associated with them. For example, hosted email services allow you to send and receive messages from custom domains rather than generic ones, which you might get with a free email account.
Email hosting also logs information like recipient information and the time and date that messages were sent.
How Much Does Email Hosting Cost? Is It Worth It?
The website hosting and email providers on my shortlist offer their services from around $1/month per mailbox. This can increase significantly with added features, though you can also get discounts when subscribing for larger numbers of mailboxes and for longer-term plans.
Having a hosted email service is extremely useful and is invaluable for businesses. Being able to send messages from your own domain is crucial for a professional appearance – and users may assume that messages coming from generic domains or free services are either spam or scams, as we explore in our guide to how to avoid phishing scams.
Are Email Hosting Providers Secure?
All the providers on my list of website hosting with email are highly secure, with InterServer coming out on top for security. They provide end-to-end encryption for messages and typically deploy a combination of SSL/TLS, AES 256, PGP, and S/MIME public-key encryption.
They also provide centralized control panels, which can assist with addressing issues, as well as excellent customer support. Of course, it’s always wise to use strong, unique passwords and implement multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
Different Types of Email Hosting
There are several types of email hosting available, each with its own set of features and levels of control. Every business unit has unique ways of using and accessing emails, and the approach determines the best type of email hosting to be used.
Here are some common types:
IMAP: Internet Message Access Protocol is a standard Internet protocol for accessing email messages. Instead of downloading and storing messages locally, this protocol allows users to organize email data directly on the server.
Messages can be accessed and managed from multiple devices without downloading them individually.
POP3: Post Office Protocol is another protocol for receiving email from a server or a client device. Unlike IMAP, POP3 downloads emails to the client and removes them from the server.
Actions taken by the client won’t be reflected on the server or other devices, making it more suitable for users accessing email from a single device.
Cloud email: This email hosting type hosts email accounts in the cloud. It offers scalability, flexibility, and duplication, ensuring high performance and reliability of email services. It’s a great match for businesses of all sizes, especially those with distributed teams or with many remote employees.
SMTP: The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is an industry standard designed to handle the sending, receiving, and relaying of email messages between email clients and receiving mail servers.
It quickly processes and forwards emails to their destinations, ensuring efficient and reliable transmission.
Webmail: Web-based email is a service that allows users to manage their email accounts through a web interface provided by their hosting service. Unlike traditional email clients, users don’t need to install any software to use webmail.
Your Email Hosting Options
Email hosting is offered in various formats, which you can pick from depending on your needs and the features that are useful to you. There are three main hosted service options to choose from:
Email Hosting Client Types
Many providers offer both personal and business solutions. This includes the web-based Gmail email client and Microsoft Outlook, a Microsoft 365 application.
Other popular products include the Mac-default Apple Mail, the web-based ProtonMail email client, the Zoho Mail business solution, and Microsoft’s Exchange Online for business, formerly known as Email Exchange hosting.
Key Factors to Consider When Comparing Email Hosts
Choosing the right email hosting service is crucial for your success. When searching for the best email hosting provider for your needs, consider these factors:
Scalability – This will determine a lot about what you need from your email hosting provider. With a small business, you may not be worried about storage capacity, email attachment size, or hourly email caps, but this may make a big difference for a large business.
You should also consider whether it’s easy to scale up if you need to. By keeping your requirements in mind, you can ensure the mail server service provider you select is right for you.
Features – Any email hosting comparison should start with the functionality you need with your email hosting plan. Features like analytics and reporting, automation, and app integrations will help to make email management less time-consuming.
You might also consider if you want tools like a website builder or web hosting to run alongside email hosting.
Plan Caps – Some email server hosting services have caps on metrics like the number of emails you can send in an hour, the size of email attachments, and the storage capacity available for your emails, or only allowing you to add up to five users, for example.
Before committing to web hosting plans, make sure they include sufficient resources for your needs.
Ease of Use – Before committing to an email server hosting provider, make sure that it’s easy to use and navigate. If the interface is hard to use, it will slow you down.
Security – Another vital feature of any mail server service provider is the level of security provided with your email hosting service. If your business works with sensitive or confidential information, then a higher level of protection, like email hosting with InterServer, may be sensible.
Customer Support – Customer support is a vital part of email hosting. Make sure that the host offers support 24/7 via channels like live chat, phone, and email.
Budget – Allocate a budget for email hosting and assess whether you can get a good email hosting service with the features you need for that amount. The key to getting good value for money is to ensure you have all the features you need.
Are Free Email Hosts Worth It?
While it’s not ideal, a free email service may be suitable for less financially established businesses.
When paying for hosted business email with a dedicated email service, you can decide exactly what features you need, including the size of email attachments and how messages are sent – and most private email hosting services are fairly inexpensive to purchase.
While a free email hosting service can work on a short-term basis, there are many reasons why investing in a private email hosting provider is a better option.
Conclusion – What’s the Best Email Hosting Solution?
Getting solid email hosting in place for your business is essential. The best providers will offer all the accounts you need alongside ample storage, security solutions, and functionality that can scale with your organization.
Based on my research and testing, I rate DreamHost as the top provider on the market. It’s a highly flexible solution and comes with a wide range of options for customization. It’s also very affordable, has a great mobile app, and comes with lots of room for you to scale – and it offers an impressive money-back guarantee, meaning you can test it without taking any risks.
FAQs
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References
- Creating Accessible Emails (Harvard University – Digital Accessibility)
- Seven tips to help identify a fraudulent ‘phishing’ email (Purdue University – Purdue Today)