How to Choose an Email Service

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Last Updated: February 20, 2024 References

Out of all the (free) Email services on the Internet, which one is the best for you? This will help you narrow the choices down to the best one for your needs.

Steps

If you are a person who needs massive amounts of space, this should accommodate all the large emails you receive. Keep in mind that many large email providers don't last long (e.g. 30gigs is one such email host which was discontinued).

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Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Gmail

1
If you need lots of space and simplicity, Gmail is the one for you.
- Gmail continually gives you more space. It is currently offering 15 gigabytes of space.
- While Gmail is an extremely simple email program, it has a large number of features and 30 different languages, but if you just want to receive and send emails, you can just ignore these options.
- Another great thing about Gmail is that you have no banner ads. Only relevant text ads are discreetly shown on the side. It also allows you to search for emails and organize them into as many different folders as you want.
- If you are worried about getting junk mail, Gmail is a great way to go.
- Gmail allows you to send 20MB of attachments in each email.
- Gmail incorporates several brilliant features - RSS feeds, integrated Google search for your mail, labels, conversations, automatically saving drafts (possibly the best feature ever), free auto forwarding, sending email from other email accounts (after verifying that they are yours) and lots more. With the huge space for emails, there's no need to delete emails. You can easily just archive them.
- Instead of organizing your inbox into separate emails like other email services, Gmail organizes emails together into conversations, making it so much easier to follow your emails.
- Gmail has the best email search ever. With a search bar right up top, you can search every word of every email you've ever sent and received within seconds.
- They have also very recently integrated GTalk (a form of instant messaging), which is very popular as well.
- The best thing about Gmail is that it's always being improved upon. If you ever have an idea of a better way to do something or a feature that you want to see, it is very easy to contact them and make suggestions. If you have any problems, their help page is extensive and easy to find what you need. If you can't find it, you can email them for help and you're guaranteed to get a response. You're guaranteed to be happy with Gmail.
- The interface is spartan, yet still not lacking in features. Generally, GMail loads fastest compared to Windows Live Mail and Yahoo! Mail.
- Gmail is also good at reminding you about things you have set in Google Calendar. If you check you Gmail often, a little pop message will remind you on that days date at what time you should do the item.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Yahoo! Mail

1
If you just need a simple email program to send and receive with few features, choose Yahoo! Mail.
- A lot of people use Yahoo! Mail just for signing up for things they don't want to be spammed by, and since Yahoo! Mail is not JavaScript based, it is faster on most computers.
- Yahoo! Mail has a new version in limited beta in which they are turning the interface into a more desktop like one.
- One problem is that Yahoo! has large banner ads and adds an advertisement onto your emails, however you can press an arrow which hides them.
- Another good things about Yahoo! is that you get unlimited space.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Hotmail

1
Hotmail is another program.
- It has features, but a limited amount of space.
- It is also a little complicated for the non-computer savvy person. 2MB storage (Note: after 30 days, account storage bumps up to 250MB), signatures, stationery, HTML compatible.
- It also has a limited beta version, named Windows Live Mail, that offers 2GB storage, and some good features.(see How to Get a Windows Live Mail Account to learn how to sign up)

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Mail.com

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Mail.com Is a straight-forward and easy to use email. Offers 3GBs of storage and attachment sizes up to 10MB.
- There are hundreds of personalized addresses to choose from which makes them unique among all the other free email providers.
- Has recently been re-designed. Pop-ups have been removed, storage space has been increased, new anti-spam technology added, there is a ton of new content, it's starting to look a lot like a news portal, which is great if you like that sort of thing.
- They do have some nice features. Notepad, calendar, address book, pop3, email forwarding, SMS email (costs money), games...
- Overall, it is a good email program but still has room for improvement.
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Lycos

1
Lycos Offers 5MB of storage, spam fighting tools, HTML composer, domain and address blocking.
- It is a little harder to understand and use, but it is usable. It has banner ads and blinking lights, but if you don't mind these, it is alright.
- It can automatically send an email to anyone who sends you an email. To upgrade to the better version will cost you.

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Question

What is a good starter email for someone who is computer illiterate?

Community Answer

Outlook and Gmail are both very user-friendly and easy to set up, you simply follow the instructions, it takes about two minutes.

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Question

I've been told that Hotmail is old school now (I have a Hotmail account). What am I supposed to change to? Will that become "old school" in a couple of years?

Moonmodule1998

Top Answerer

It's true that Hotmail is not as popular as it used to be, and that what is or isn't popular changes with time. But as long as the email service still works and isn't causing problems, you shouldn't have to change it. Hotmail is still a widely-known email service provider. That being said, if you're still looking for a more popular, newer email service provider, Gmail is your best bet.

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How much does it cost to get an email account?

Community Answer

It doesn't cost anything to get an email address.

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All of the email programs are tested and have the information provided by the web site and the tests. Feel free to add some information yourself if you feel it is wrongly put forward.

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This article does not contain information on pay-to-use email programs.

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