When Gmail was launched in 2004, it instantly took the world by storm and is still increasing in popularity to this day. In fact, the majority of students and professionals use their Gmail email address as their formal email address. Even though Gmail is considered the king of all email service providers, there are a few other alternatives that lack the drawbacks of Gmail and provide a user-friendly experience. With enhanced privacy, more storage space, and a faster response time, several competent email service providers make great alternatives to Gmail. Let us take a look at a few of these alternatives and the most important aspects that you should know about them.
1. Outlook
Microsoft’s Outlook Email offers a simple and user-friendly interface that is often compared to Gmail. If you use a Windows operating system, this email service will integrate with the user interface and make it easier to use. Important features like calendar, OneNote, contacts, OneDrive, and OfficeOnline can be easily synced with Outlook. With more than 400 million users accessing this Outlook email, this platform is extremely easy to use, even for novices. One major downside to using Outlook is that it offers only 5 GB of storage, which is way less than what other email services provide. However, if data storage is not your top priority, you can consider this alternative for its impressive user experience.
2. FastMail
FastMail provides a seamless experience with its ad-free interface and amazing spam filter feature. If you are a beginner, you will find it easier to create an account on FastMail and work around it. You also don’t have to worry about receiving spam emails due to its spam filter feature. Monthly plans start from $15 per year. However, you do get a free trial to test your experience. Simple features like the ability to pin important messages, an ad-free experience, customizing your anti-spam filter compel users to use this email service.
3. Zoho Mail
If you are looking for a Customer Relationship Management or CRM tool, Zoho Mail is an ideal choice. It gives you up to 10 GB of document storage and 5 GB of free storage. This email service provider is quite popular among new and established business owners as it is easy to use, offers a seamless interface, and provides business plans with $0 as the starting price. With Zoho Mail, you will have no trouble syncing your documents, links, calendar, tasks, contacts, and notes with your email account. You can choose between a free and paid plan, depending on your storage and backup needs.
4. Tutanota
Launched in March 2015, Tutanota is the product of a German-based startup and is well-known for its privacy and security features. With features like end-to-end encryption and a whopping 1 GB of free storage, this email service is already grabbing attention and gaining popularity. When looking at alternatives for Gmail, Tutanota should be included in your list. Along with your emails and client conversations, your contacts and important information are encrypted too. Plans start from 0 euros and go up to 48 euros per year. Paid plans offer extra storage, custom domains, 5 aliases, and other exclusive features.
5. Yandex
One of the smartest email service providers of all, Yandex, protects your emails from viruses, fraud, and spam. It lets you automate your emails and access themes to change the interface look. You are given 10 GB of free storage, to begin with. However, if you stay active and use the service for a prolonged period, you can receive an additional 1 GB of free storage. You can upload files up to 30 GB in a single email. If you like to keep your emails organized in folders and categories, Yandex Mail is for you. You can also integrate your Apple iCloud Mail, Thunderbird, and Outlook with this platform.
6. ProtonMail
If your main concern is privacy and security, this email service provider has got you covered with its end-to-end encryption feature. It is apt for businesses with highly sensitive and confidential data that must not be leaked before getting launched. The user experience of this email service is also impressive. While most email service providers do not pay much attention to user interface and user experience, which are, in fact, two primary deciding factors to test a platform, ProtonMail has got it covered. The ‘self-destruction’ feature allows you to set an email or message to be self-destructed after a designated period of time. Using this email platform feels like you’ve done this before.
Some of these Gmail alternatives offer better privacy, more storage, and an overall seamless experience. If you are a beginner, most of these platforms will let you create and use an account without additional help. Try different options so you can find the one that best suits your needs.