In today’s world of advanced technologies, it is crucial to have a friendly mailing service that manages all your emails and provides you with the utmost security. Despite being the most popular and widely used mailing app, Gmail has been in the news for monetizing data and not offering an ad-free inbox. This is one of the reasons why it is high time to look for Gmail alternatives today.
What is Gmail?
Gmail is the most used email service worldwide. It provides users with its inbuilt organizing feature that helps you label, sort into separate folders, set notification alerts and reminders, and much other support to manage all your emails. Developed and launched by Google in April 2004, Gmail is easy to use and set up. Currently, 1.8 billion people are using Gmail for sending and receiving emails.
What to Look for in a Gmail Alternative?
Before proceeding forward with the top 11 alternatives to Gmail, you must know what you are looking for. If you are clear on that, you can decide sooner and wisely, without a hint of regret later. Let us catch you up on what to check in Gmail alternatives.
- Privacy policy: An email provider should have stringent privacy and individual policies. A reliable email provider will always have a strict privacy policy in tune with its respective jurisdiction.
- End-to-end encryption: All emails should have end-to-end encryption for better protection of data.
- Accessibility: Adherence to protocols, such as IMAP and POP, to access encrypted emails through third-party software or mobile application.
- Open-source code: It allows easy tracking of any vulnerabilities.
- Anonymous registration: Unlike Gmail, you can use it to register yourself and secure your personal information anonymously.
- Unlimited aliases: This feature allows you to create temporary emails to send and receive emails and keeps your inbox spam-free.
- Anonymous payment: Email service providers must have flexible payment gateways to keep your digital payment mechanism separate from your email information.
Best Gmail Alternatives of 2023 (Most Secure Free Email Providers):
1. Mailbox.org
One of the most reliable alternatives to Gmail and the best free email service for privacy, Mailbox.org offers an ad-free experience for individuals and enterprises. It provides facilities for cloud, calendar, and contact lists.
Why Mailbox.org:
- Allows you to use your custom domain name
- Video conferencing
- Cloud storage, calendar data, and address book
- Germany-based data protection
Pros:
- No personal information is required for availing of the services
- Third-party email service providers are supported
- Free trial for 30 days
Cons:
- You need to subscribe to a premium plan for more storage provision which requires a prepaid credit scheme.
2. Zoho Mail
Meant for both businesses and individuals, Zoho Mail is a popular Gmail alternative listed among the most secure email providers. It offers mail services, calendars, and notes features. The Workplace plan is available at $1 per user per month billed annually.
Why Zoho Mail:
- Zoho Mail integrates with Zoho CRM for better sales management
- Storage up to 10 GB
- Custom domain email for businesses
- Easy migration and email collaboration
- Mobile access and email privacy
Pros:
- 24×7 customer support
- 99.99% uptime
- A 15 days free trial is available.
Cons:
- Cannot sync with contacts present on social media.
- For more than 5GB storage, you need to upgrade to a premium plan.
3. Outlook
Outlook is a great Gmail alternative that offers the best free email service for privacy. It has a user-friendly interface and account management. To use Microsoft Outlook Premium standalone email service, you will have to pay $19.95 per year.
Why Outlook:
- Outlook offers mailing, calendar, and task management services
- It has an enterprise-grade security level
- Data encryption is available for emails as well as for sent emails
Pros:
- Outlook is ad-free
- Integrates with Skype, OneDrive, and Calendar.
- Free one-month trial is available
Cons:
- Outlook offers only 5GB of storage, which is disappointing compared to Gmail (15GB)
- It offers ransom detection and recovery of essential files in OneDrive and deactivation of malware upon premium subscription.
4. iCloud Mail
For iOS users, iCloud Mail comes with every Apple device offering a user-friendly UI and storage of up to 5GB. It is the best Gmail alternative to protect the privacy and send encrypted emails.
Why iCloud Mail:
- Signing in is easy. You can use either your @icloud.com email address or your Apple ID
- Enjoy the free cloud space of up to 5GB
- Access all the iCloud Mail features through your Apple devices
Pros
- User-interactive and intuitive UI
- No ads
Cons
- Lacks many advanced features for composing emails
- Working with iCloud Mail requires an Apple-supported browser
- It requires an Apple ID to sign in
- No POP3 services are available
5. FastMail
One of the best Gmail alternatives for its minimalistic utility, FastMail is another secure email provider. Its primary services are for both individuals and enterprises, offering advanced features to protect your privacy. Unlike Gmail, it doesn’t monetize your data. FastMail has three different subscription plans, each offering various ranges of storage space. The Basic plan is available at $2/month/user.
Why FastMail:
- Custom domain emails
- Supports PGP and IMAP
- The storage space can range from 2GB to 100GB
- It is security-focused
- Contact, mail, and calendar are all synced
- Import and export from other email providers
Pros:
- Completely ad-free
- Highly customizable spam filters
- A 30-day free trial period is available
Cons:
- It is a paid email service provider. No free versions are available
- Lack of end-to-end encryption
- Not apt for users who required advanced features
6. GMX
Global Mail Exchange, also known as GMX, is one of the reliable alternatives to Gmail. Known to the market for its high-quality and thoroughly tested services, the app offers a fully functional mailbox, spam filters, antivirus, and a free calendar.
Why GMX:
- Easy to use and organize
- You can access the mailbox on the go
- Combine multiple mail accounts and enjoy the webmail
Pros:
- Users can create up to ten email accounts using GMX.
- Each GMX account offers up to 65 GB of storage.
- The app supports attachments up to 50 MB
Cons:
- Not a user-friendly interface
- It does not support 2FA.
7. Tutanota
One of the most renowned and secure email providers, Tutanota is a free open-source Gmail alternative. It provides data encryption, which extends to your mail in your mailbox and your contact list. The Premium plan costs €12, which comes to roughly $14 per year.
Why Tutanota:
- End-to-end encrypted emails with two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Compatible with iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android
- Free encrypted contacts, and calendars
- The free version lets you enjoy storage of up to 1 GB
Pros:
- No personal information (including phone number) required to signup
- Secure and easy-to-use, open-source email provider
- Works on macOS, Windows, Linux, Browser, iOS, and Android
- Totally ad-free
Cons:
- You are required to upgrade your plan to avail high-quality services.
8. Posteo
A German-based, secure email provider, Posteo is an alternative to Gmail with top-notch security levels governed by European privacy laws. It will cost you $1 per month per account. For more storage space, you will need to upgrade with a premium deposit.
Why Posteo:
- Server-side email encryption
- Open PGP encryption
- Supports IMAP encryption, thus, allowing flexibility and easier accessibility
- Up to 50MB, attachment is possible
- Secure and ad-free
Pros:
- Storage up to 2GB is available. For additional space, you need to upgrade to a better plan
- Anonymous payment is possible
- Two-factor authentication (TOTP) is possible
- No personal details are required upon signing up
Cons:
- There is no feature for a custom domain email
- Lack of spam folders
9. Mailfence
A Belgian secure email provider, Mailfence is a free Gmail alternative platform that lets you sign up for free and enjoy Belgian legal and privacy protection. With its free plan, you get 500MB of space to send emails as well as 500MB of space for documents. It supports 2FA. The Entry plan starts at 2 EURO where you get 5GB emails, 12GB documents, 3 groups, and a custom email domain.
Why Mailfence:
- Lets you migrate your domain
- Mailfence offers OpenPGP encryption
- Contacts, messages, documents, and calendar features are available
Pros:
- There are no ads, no spam, no trackers, and no backdoors
- Enables you to send encrypted emails to recipients that don’t support OpenPGP encryption
- Mailfence is a browser-based app supporting all screens. No plug-ins, no add-ons are necessary
- Shares transparency report on the blog
Cons:
- No open-source code
- It uses the sender’s and recipient’s addresses, IDs, and IP addresses that can be disclosed on the court’s order
10. SmartMail
SmartMail is a Dutch-based Gmail alternative to protect privacy. It is one of the best email providers that focus on privacy protection based on Dutch laws. It only saves your IP address and other details, such as device model, country name, etc., until the browsing session. SmartMail has two plans – the Personal account costs $29.99 the first year and the Business account costs $59.95 per year.
Why SmartMail:
- The IP address saved is also encrypted and anonymously stored for three days
- Provides an unlimited number of aliases that you can use when you don’t want to share your permanent email ID while sending emails
- It supports IMAP and SMTP protocols
- You can use your own domain email
- Tracking the cookies is prohibited
- Encryption is done on the server side instead of the browser-side
Pros:
- SmartMail offers PGP encryption
- You can easily create a ‘temporary email on the fly
- Subscriptions can be either through cards or cryptocurrency
Cons:
- Only a 7-day free trial is available
- Costly compared to other Gmail alternative
11. Yahoo Mail
A perfect Gmail alternative, Yahoo Mail has a similar interface as that to Gmail. The secure email service provider is best for those who wish for transitions without hindrances.
Why Yahoo Mail:
- Offers 1 TB storage space along with custom domain email
- Affordable and easy to setup
- Trusted by millions of users
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Easy customization
- Supports large attachments
Cons:
- You have to pay $3.49/month to enjoy an ad-free inbox with priority customer support
12. ProtonMail
One of the most secure Gmail alternatives is ProtonMail. Its stringent privacy settings are covered under Swiss privacy laws offering data security, integrity, and neutrality. The Professional plan is available at $8/month/user for up to 5000 users and up to 5GB/user.
Why ProtonMail:
- End-to-end encryption
- The ProtonMail inbox is user-friendly, designed, and optimized to provide maximum productivity
- Easy to use and compatible on any device and with any software, including other email providers
Pros:
- Open-source platform
- New users do not have to provide their personal information.
- Application is not required to be installed
- New users get up to 500MB of storage free
Cons:
- You have to go for premium plans for advanced features.
- Subject lines for emails are not encrypted.
See Also:
Conclusion
With this, we end the article by bringing you the best Gmail alternatives that will make your life sorted, organized, and better. You will have access to the necessary services whenever and wherever you want to protect your privacy. Choose wisely!
What is the best alternative to Gmail?
As the best alternative to Gmail, we have iCloud Mail, ProtonMail, Zoho Mail, etc. They are the best fit to provide highly secured email services with advanced features.
Is Gmail secure for personal use?
In the last few years, Gmail has been facing several complaints about compromising users’ privacy and confidential information from their inboxes and allowing access to third-party invaders without conscious consent. Keeping the above in mind, it is prudent to look for Gmail alternatives.
Which free email is best for privacy?
ProtonMail and Mailbox.org are both great Gmail alternatives to protect the privacy of their users. Both are available for free. They also have a premium version in case you are looking for advanced features.
