Custom email domains look more professional than ‘@gmail.com’ or ‘@aol.com.’ Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of free email providers with a custom domain feature. This can be an issue for those using unmanaged server hosting (Cloud Server Hosting or Bare Metal Dedicated Hosting) but needing email hosting as well.
server hosting managed by
cpanel includes a working mail server by default. and it is easy to migrate email between cpanel servers. just transfer a server backup or drag and drop using thunderbird. however, unmanaged linux server hosting is a barebones operating system. therefore, if you want to receive email while using an unmanaged linux server, you will have to make an important choice between two options:
- set up a mail server within that unmanaged server to host your email
- use a paid or free email provider (preferably with the option to use a free email domain) personalized email)
If you choose the latter option, you should wisely research your options for a few key features.
security and privacy. think about the amount of information you share in email communications that could be valuable to a cyber attacker. since you wouldn’t be securing that data yourself, read about the email provider’s history of cyberattacks and how they responded to them. Read their setup guide and check if they provide Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) DNS records for email authentication. big kudos for domain-based message authentication and conformance (dmarc). And don’t forget to read their terms of service for how they might be using your data and for compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
Even if you’re not in the European Union (EU) or California, many companies extend those features to all customers because it’s easier on their internal infrastructure.
high availability (ha). You don’t want an email provider that constantly can’t let you log in or check for new email quickly. check reddit and other trusted forums for feedback on constant downtime reports.
ease of use. everyone has preferences for an optimal user experience (ux). many prefer a dark contrast mode for working night shifts. some need larger text for better web accessibility. others may want the email interface to be responsive enough to still be used in half the screen real estate. In short, look for screenshots and video tutorials.
imap and pop3 access. some free email providers do not allow remote access to manage email. this avoids offline email composing, making it a difficult step for many. it also means that you may need to migrate contact lists, calendar schedules (caldav), and task lists elsewhere to adjust your workflow.
customer support. if you need help, could you contact someone directly or look for guides and support forums? more importantly, are the support options available to the email provider sufficient for the problems you anticipate and their level of urgency? quick way to test this: ask their support team a question.
return on investment (roi). all of the above equates to how valuable a free email provider will be to you. you don’t want to end up with a bad product with great marketing. You don’t want to sign up for a service with the mantra of “if you don’t pay for the product, you are the product.” Additionally, there are many paid email providers that allow you to use custom email domains. Notable examples include protonmail and mailfence. if you’re paying for an email provider, all of the above is much more important. Make sure you understand the email provider’s cancellation and renewal policies.
Below, we’ll cover some reputable free email providers that allow you to use a custom email domain.
- gmail
- zoho
- your linux server hosting
gmail
google workspace (formerly g suite) is a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have the resources to build their own infrastructure. but requires a monthly payment. therefore many opt for the free google account, point the mx records to gmail and forward the email there. this is easier with cpanel managed server hosting because you need to create an email account with that custom domain somewhere else first.
There are requirements to set up a custom gmail address with your domain.
advantages:
- well known company
- full documentation for common issues and use cases
- seamless integration with other google apps
- many people including android users already have a google account and experience
- excellent uptime
- excellent spam protection
- will probably be the first mail provider email in integrating brand indicators for message identification (bimi) for visual email authentication
- pop3 and imap access
cons:
- there are concerns about what google does with user information
- high security leads many to a false sense of security online and mobile against cyber attacks
zoho
zoho is well known as an alternative customer relationship management (crm) suite to google. A lesser known feature of Zoho CRM is the ability to use a custom domain for external email hosting. all you need to do is create a zoho account and follow the setup process which includes dkim, spf and dmarc records for email security against phishing and spam.
advantages:
- mature and reputable company
- easy setup process with checks to ensure security dns records added to your server are correct and propagate
- high uptime
- easy to learn interface
- grants access to a variety of CRM and collaborative applications
- responsive email customer service
cons:
- the free plan does not allow access to imap or pop3
your linux hosting server as a free email provider
Finally, you can consolidate your data by duplicating your linux web server as your mail server. You will need the following types of applications to host your own mail server:
- mail transfer agent (mta), or outgoing mail server, uses simple mail transfer protocol (smtp) to communicate with other mail servers (postfix, exim or sendmail)</li
- mail delivery agent (mda), or local delivery agent (lda), uses imap or pop3 to pull mail from the mta and send it to a mailbox (usually dovecot or courier service)
- mail user agent (mua) manages email from a local machine (for example, mail client thunderbird email) or directly on the web server (roundcube, horde, etc.)
- ssl certificate manager to encrypt email communications (e.g. certbot free, let’s encrypt ssl)
advantages:
- data stored on your own server
- data limits and custom email domains determined by your server hosting plan
- you will only have the software and available protocols you explicitly installed
- you might be able to find free vps hosting
cons:
- can be difficult for less experienced linux terminal users
- you should protect your own mail server with at least a web application firewall (waf), antivirus scanner (av) and a backup plan
- must keep up to date on recent mail server attacks
learn more about email server security in our vps security ebook.
many old lists include yandex and migadu. As of 2021, Yandex only allows custom domains with Yandex.Mail for Business or Yandex.Connect (in select countries). migadu is a great email provider, but now I pay with a free trial.
Are there any free email providers with the ability to use custom email domains that we haven’t seen? let us know in the comments below.