Email hosting somewhere between small and massive corporation sized?

[tinpanalley]

I started years and years ago with GoDaddy, then left to Bluehost. Years of getting garbage mail hosting with them led me to ask around which led me to mxroute. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend something else somewhere in between. I don't need features, but I do feel like I may need something that is a little easier for someone like myself who is a bit more of a novice with mail hosting and how to manage it. I find often that despite their willingness to help, one is expected to know more about mail hosting than what I know. Bluehost was constantly trying to sell me things and besides I only had their free email hosting from having web hosting with them and that free option is terrible. I no longer need web hosting.

What I have then is the need to host mail, my two domain names, and the main domain is entirely for personal email. The second domain is one I pay for to keep the name but doesn't get used right now.

Any recommendations would be great, thanks.

 

[tinpanalley]

Hey! For easy email hosting, try Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. If you want something simpler, Zoho Mail or Fastmail are solid.

Thanks. The problem with Google (and I think MS) is that you have to pay for each address and I have three. I'd rather an option that permitted unlimited email addresses.

 

[manly]

When Google threatened to revoke legacy G Suite accounts that had grandfathered terms, I migrated over to Zoho Mail. It was routine, but I don't recall how many free addresses you get with the basic tier.

I just checked; the "Forever Free Plan" includes up to five users. Web mail and free mobile apps, but no IMAP.

Then Google changed its mind, so I reverted back to G Suite.

 

[tinpanalley]

When Google threatened to revoke legacy G Suite accounts that had grandfathered terms, I migrated over to Zoho Mail. It was routine, but I don't recall how many free addresses you get with the basic tier.

I just checked; the "Forever Free Plan" includes up to five users. Web mail and free mobile apps, but no IMAP.

Then Google changed its mind, so I reverted back to G Suite.

Yeah the problem is that I'd have 5 email addresses, 3 on one domain, 2 on another, and that would just cost too much with Google.

 

[manly]

Yeah the problem is that I'd have 5 email addresses, 3 on one domain, 2 on another, and that would just cost too much with Google.

That's why Praj and I suggested Zoho Mail.
However, for free, it's limited to one domain and 5 addresses. Their "Mail Lite" service is a cheap $1/user monthly, although I don't like paying for stuff if I don't have to.

https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html

I see some other free email hosts out there, but the limit is usually 2 addresses.

 

[tinpanalley]

That's why Praj and I suggested Zoho Mail.
However, for free, it's limited to one domain and 5 addresses. Their "Mail Lite" service is a cheap $1/user monthly, although I don't like paying for stuff if I don't have to.

https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html

I see some other free email hosts out there, but the limit is usually 2 addresses.

So perhaps just staying with mxroute is best, unless I find something else significantly better.

 

[manly]

So perhaps just staying with mxroute is best, unless I find something else significantly better.

It's too late now, but their Black Friday deal for Lifetime 5GB seems sensible:

MXroute Black Friday 2024

I clicked through and you can still order the BF Medium plan, only $30 per year. Are you currently paying $49 for their cheapest annual service?

 

[tinpanalley]

It's too late now, but their Black Friday deal for Lifetime 5GB seems sensible:

MXroute Black Friday 2024

I clicked through and you can still order the BF Medium plan, only $30 per year. Are you currently paying $49 for their cheapest annual service?

Yes, I am. I have their small for $49, 10 GB Storage, Unlimited Domains, Unlimited Email Accounts

 

[Red Squirrel]

A shared hosting platform might be the easiest bet, something with cpanel or similar and you should be able to create as many mailboxes and domains as you want. I've used Web Hosting Canada before and don't think there's any limits.

 

[tinpanalley]

A shared hosting platform might be the easiest bet, something with cpanel or similar and you should be able to create as many mailboxes and domains as you want. I've used Web Hosting Canada before and don't think there's any limits.

I only need mail hosting, not web hosting. Or is that the same thing?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I only need mail hosting, not web hosting. Or is that the same thing?

You could still use it just for mail, and not use the web hosting portion. If your web hosting is already taken care of, you may need to set the MX record in the DNS server to your email host's IP though.

 

[manly]

I only need mail hosting, not web hosting. Or is that the same thing?

Even the cheapest web host will cost more than $25 per year. Also, web hosting is relatively simple in most cases. Although email also seems simple for end users, it's actually not trivial to provide managed email well because of the spam problem. For example, MXroute has to have a certain level of "trust" with the major email services, so that you can have reliable outgoing email; and the only way they have that is by being smart and by building it up over time.

IMO if you don't need web hosting, then that is not the smart way to get managed email.
If you're happy with MXroute, try to get one of their Black Friday promos I referred to earlier.

 

[tinpanalley]

Even the cheapest web host will cost more than $25 per year. Also, web hosting is relatively simple in most cases. Although email also seems simple for end users, it's actually not trivial to provide managed email well because of the spam problem. For example, MXroute has to have a certain level of "trust" with the major email services, so that you can have reliable outgoing email; and the only way they have that is by being smart and by building it up over time.

IMO if you don't need web hosting, then that is not the smart way to get managed email.
If you're happy with MXroute, try to get one of their Black Friday promos I referred to earlier.

I'll see what they say about those promos. Although I wasn't offered one last year.
MXroute may be the way to go then. I have reached out to Zoho and Fastmail. Fastmail is going to be way more expensive than what I spend now. Perhaps I won't find anything with unlimited users and domains and 10GB of storage for the same $50 a year that mxroute gives me.