Even with the rise of chat platforms, email remains one of the most effective methods of communication. You can use an email service for both personal and business communications, and need an email account for many regular activities, from booking a plane ticket to online shopping. While there are email services that charge a monthly or annual fee, there are plenty of email service providers that you can open and use.
1. Gmail
Gmail is one of the most popular email service providers, with an estimated 1.5 billion users around the world. It is a preferred choice many due to its modern interface, customization options, and the fact that it gives users access to the full Google Workspace. Users get a email address for personal and business use, with up to 15 GB of storage space.
Some of the Gmail features that stand out from its rivals include the ability to snooze an email, an option to recall a sent email and a confidential mode that protects the email contents from being downloaded or copied by the recipient. A recent addition to Gmail features is the auto-complete feature, which predicts phrases you might write while drafting the email.
2. Yahoo Mail
With over 225 million users, Yahoo Mail is another popular choice and one of the oldest email service providers. Users get 1 TB of online storage, making it a great option for those who send and receive larger file formats via email. Yahoo Mail has an advanced search feature that allows users to search email contents using a date, email address, or keyword, which is extremely convenient.
Another unique feature of Yahoo Mail is the ability to create up to 500 disposable aliases linked to your email, without sharing the actual address. These aliases can be used to avoid getting spam sent directly to your inbox. Other features include a built-in GIF collection, mobile access, virus protection and email forwarding.
3. Outlook
Like Gmail, Microsoft Outlook is integrated with other Microsoft tools, and you can access these services easily via their email service.
Outlook has a clean interface, and users get access to dozens of helpful features such as Skype, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Excel, and third-party tools like Trello. You get 15 GB of cloud storage, and up to 50 GB if you are a subscriber. Outlook also allows users to organize emails into folders, set out-of-office replies, snooze emails for later and schedule emails to be sent later. It has automatic email filtering that organizes important emails in a Focused Inbox, and other emails in the “Other Inbox”.
4. AOL Mail
If you are looking for a dependable email provider with 250 GB of storage, AOL Mail is an option worth considering. It is a web-based email service that is provided by AOL, a division of Verizon Communications. While it used to be extremely popular, it’s fallen quite a bit in rank. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t adequate.
You can use your email address to manage events via your calendar and set reminder notifications. Other features of AOL Mail include a clean interface, instant notifications, virus protection, to-do list, etc. You can also manage your AOL Mail via third-party email service providers such as Outlook.
5. iCloud Mail
iCloud Mail is an email service by Apple, and is a popular option among Mac users. You can get an email when you sign up for an Apple ID on your MacBook, iPad, or iPhone. However, iCloud is not limited to Apple users only; anyone can access iCloud Mail, even on a Windows laptop.
When you sign up on iCloud, you can access various products such as calendar events, reminders, iCloud Drive Content, and VIP labeling options. Users get 5GB of storage space that they can use to store emails and media such as photos and videos. It has the streamlined functionality that’s common with Apple products.
Pick a Provider
If you are looking for an email address, you have dozens of options to consider. You can choose between top options like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook, among others, depending on the features you are interested in. You can compare these options based on key features such as the amount of cloud storage space available, advanced filters, end-to-end encryption, virus and malware protection, scheduling options, and filtering options.
Another consideration is where you can get a professional enough email address that’s still available. Even if you aren’t planning on using this email for work, it should be formal enough. If you have to add half a dozen numbers to your address just to find one that hasn’t yet been claimed, you might consider a different provider.