Best email hosting alternatives to Google and Microsoft

Domain email hosting services is one of those things that many have very strong opinions about. While Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 continue to dominate the business email space, there’s many other high-quality services you can consider for your email hosting.

First, I will get my own bias on the table—I’m firmly on team Google when it comes to email service providers. In my many years of working with it, nothing even comes close to the value, flexibility and reliability that Google Workspace provides. While it can be quite complex in some cases, it’s relatively straightforward to implement and administer, especially when compared to Microsoft 365, which is needlessly complicated to manage for a small workgroup.

That said, many are just not in love with Google’s interface – or just want something with simpler plans or additional privacy features. Here’s my list of alternatives to Google and Microsoft for you to consider, along with some advantages of each:

Proton Mail:

Proton Mail is part of the Proton business suite that includes calendar, file storage, a password manager and VPN service. The advantage of Proton services is its big emphasis on security and privacy. Proton is a great service to consider for any legal or medical business for this reason. It’s also very cost-effective, with pricing competitive with Google and MS for the complete suite. If HIPAA compliance is a concern, definitely consider Proton Mail.

Fastmail:

I’ve used Fastmail’s basic email option for years as an email alternative and can attest to its reliability. They offer a business-class email and calendar product that’s well priced and packed with features. One of the advantages is its classy interface, emphasis on client privacy and compatibility with email client applications such as MS Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird and others.

Zoho Mail:

Zoho Mail can be purchased alone or as part of their larger Workplace business suite. If you’re just looking for inexpensive domain email that offers room to grow, be sure to check out this option. Their web interface is well-designed and easy to use, too.

Rackspace Mail:

Rackspace has been an email service provider for as long as I can remember. If your email needs are simple and you are looking for an inexpensive email host, be sure to consider this option. Rackspace mail is fully compatible with all major desktop and mobile email client apps such as Outlook.

IceWarp

IceWarp is a full business collaboration service that includes email, calendar, team chat, conferencing, contacts and abundant file storage. This is something to consider if you need service for a team—you get licenses for 10 users for as little as $23 per month.

As you can see, there’s a lot of options for business email hosting for your team besides Google and Microsoft. ProVirtual Solutions can help with email setup, migration and administration projects. Reach out today or visit the email service page for more information.

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