Electronic mail, or email, has been around for more than 50 years. For quite a long time email was used mainly by the office worker. Lay people didn’t frequent the realm of email. Email is an evolution of the fax; it has always been a rather lackluster visual. Today, it still isn’t anything robust and beautiful, however you will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t have an email address. It is now an essential part of online life. Communication is endless now a day with cell phones, Facebook messenger, being able to direct message on social media platforms, etc., but try signing up for any of those without an email.
Email shouldn’t be complicated. There are hundreds of options available to use as your email host and that can seem overwhelming. Most email is free and browser based, but that doesn’t mean you should just use the first one your come across. We are going to take a look at 4 of the top free email services.
Google Mail
Google Mail, more commonly known as Gmail, launched in 2004. Gmail has made itself very well known through constantly evolving their system and is likely the most popular email system on the web. The free version of Gmail includes 15 gigabytes of online storage and can be shared with your personal Google Drive and Docs accounts. If you feel you need more space that can be purchased separately through Google Drive. Gmail is a fast web mail service with a large amount of free storage space and is the choice among tech gurus.
Mail.com
Mail.com is another great option if you don’t want to go with Gmail. This service is an independent company based out of Germany and offers free, ad-supported model as most of the other large email companies, but there are a few features that do help separate it from others. One of those options is the lack of personal information required to set up a new account. You won’t find integrated instant messaging or video calling with this system though.
Outlook.com
If you are one of the many people who use Windows for your primary computer, you will greatly appreciate the integration it has with Outlook. Outlook can also be accessed via the web and all major platforms.
Outlook’s interface includes a filter for important messages, document sharing with OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive, and built in VOIP communication with Skype.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo mail, also known as Ymail, launched in 1997. Ymail is the largest provider in the United States. Yahoo mail offers a clean, fresh interface and makes excellent use of tabs. Another bonus is getting a preview pane. Ymail also lets you communicate with Windows Live Messenger as well as it’s own Yahoo Instant Messenger.
As with most software, devices, and any technology there are ample opinions and reviews on all the options out there. We have only highlighted a few of the available platforms to use and we encourage you to find something that works best for you.