Top Email Hosting Services Compared

If you received an email from a potential supplier that was using a generic, free email provider such as Yahoo or Gmail, what would your first impressions be? Unprofessional would probably be at the very top of your list. As such, it is highly fundamental that you utilize an official business email address that is connected to your company's website. However, unlike the aforementioned free email providers, there is actually a lot more to consider when looking for an email hosting service for your business.

This covers core features such as having the ability to check work emails outside of the office, enhanced security features and of course, having sufficient space to deal with your long-term storage obligations. Furthermore, the amount of email accounts included within your package is also something that you need to think about. Whilst most providers offer unlimited addressesthat can be attached to your email domain, not all do.

Not only this, but you also need to consider what email client you are going to be using. For those unaware, an email client is the interface that you will be using to send and receive emails. Popular examples include Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird and Lotus Notes.

Alternatively, you also have the option of using a webmail protocol, which essentially allows you to check your emails online, without needing any specific software. With all this being said, let's explore four of the best email domain providers for your business needs!

Office 365

If your company makes full use of leading Microsoft applications such as Word and Excel, then it might be worth utilizing the Office 365 premium bundle for your business's email domain needs. The package offers up to 50GB of mailbox storage per email account, as well as up to 300 individual email address.

If your business falls under the remit of small-to-medium sized, then 300 addresses is most probably more than sufficient. On top of having the capacity to access hugely useful Microsoft apps as part of your package, you can also rest easy in the fact that you are using a highly established organization.

The only potential pitfall with the Microsoft Office 365 option is that its anti-spam filtering system is at times somewhat overly cautious.

G Suite

Unlike Microsoft Office 365, Google's G Suite email domain service operates via its online webmail platform. In fact, the layout is virtually identical to that of a standard Gmail inbox. If your business has a preference for cloud-based storage, then the G Suite is potentially ideal for your email hosting needs.

When you subscribe to the G Suite email hosting service, you'll automatically receive 30GB of storage, per account. If you need more than this, premium accounts are available. As expected, you'll also get full access to the entire fleet of collaborative Google tools, including but not limited to Google Sheets, Docs, Slides and Hangouts.

Whilst the range of office-based G Suite tools are just as intuitive as its Microsoft counterpart, it is important to recognize that the vast majority of your employees are likely to feel more comfortable with the latter.

Rackspace

If your company is seeking email hosting, and nothing but email hosting, then it might be worth considering Rackspace. In a nutshell, Rackspace focus exclusively on providing email hosting services, and as such, do not offer the same tools as other providers such as Microsoft 365 and G Suite.

You'll still be able to obtain a seamless email hosting package, as well core features such as the ability to link company contacts and calendars. Moreover if you're prepared to upgrade to the higher tier package, Rackspace offers instant messaging and cloud storage. Basic plans start with 30GB of storage, which is increased to a meaty 100GB when upgrading to the higher plan.

IceWarp

If your company has an ongoing requirement to set up email accounts for your clients, then we would suggest taking a look at IceWarp. Once such example that springs to mind is an agency that has a high turnover of employees. IceWarp makes it really simple to manage your email hosting needs across multiple domains.

On top of this, IceWarp have a heap of useful business features available, which includes awell-presentedcalendar, instant messaging, video conferencing and file editing. If you go for the basic plan, you'll get an impressive 50GB of storage. This increases to a whipping 200GB for the higher tier plan, which also gets you 24/7 customer support. It is also worth noting that you have the choice of accessing your inbox via a dedicated desktop app, or alternatively, via their webmail protocol.

Author Bio

CloudM are leaders in cloud migrations and cloud management software, including G Suite and Office 365 migrations.