6 Best Email Vendors for Small Business
Email is not just a useful tool for small businesses. It’s an essential part of daily operations and brand identity. Professional address and reliable hosting are your biggest priorities.
You need to partner with a reliable email vendor to achieve a certain level of professionalism. The question is how to find the best alternative for a reasonable money. Keep reading and learn about the top 6 providers available!
Why a Reliable Email Vendor Matters?
Email is the main channel of communication for small businesses. It is essential for interactions with clients and managing internal tasks. So, the choice of a trustworthy email vendor is a necessity.
Here are some reasons why it’s so important.
Professionalism
Every small business needs a professional email domain. It helps you establish trust with clients and partners. Reliable vendors offer you the tools to set up custom domains effortlessly.
This will help you make a strong first impression. As Kevin McCarthy, Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, said
“My belief is you have one chance to make a first impression.”
A polished email presence makes you appear more legitimate.
Consistent Uptime
Downtime can disrupt workflows and damage customer relationships. A dependable provider ensures high uptime rates. This means your communication channels will always be accessible. This reliability is important when managing critical business operations.
Scalability
A good email provider supports your business’s growth. They’ll ensure seamless expansion when you’re
- Adding new employees;
- Integrating with CRM tools;
- Upgrading to accommodate higher volumes of communication.
Security for Sensitive Data
You’ll often need to handle sensitive customer data or financial information. A trustworthy vendor provides strong security features, like
- Encryption;
- 2FA;
- Spam filtering, etc.
It’s important because a security breach can result in lost trust and legal issues.
Advanced Collaboration Tools
Modern vendors offer more than just email management. They also provide features like task management, cloud storage, and much more. These tools are especially valuable for small teams that need to handle multiple responsibilities.
Top 6 Vendors for Small Business
You already know why finding a reliable email vendor is so important for small businesses. It allows you to maintain professional communication and ensure data security.
Finding the best provider can be hard, with so many alternatives available. So, we gathered the best options here to help you make a decision.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace is one of the most popular productivity and email platforms for different businesses.
It offers custom email addresses with Google’s reliable Gmail platform. Also, it has built-in spam filtering and advanced email organization tools, like
- Labels;
- Filters;
- Priority inbox.
Plus, this platform is known for its security features, like 2FA and phishing protection. They offer 99.9% uptime for email and other services.
Beyond email management, Google Workspace has advanced collaboration tools and integrated video conferencing. It offers 3 pricing plans. So, you can easily pick the one that suits your budget.
Microsoft 365
This platform is perfect if you’re already using Microsoft Office in your operations.
It allows you to create a custom email with Outlook. It provides a professional address using your business domain. Plus this platform offers advanced email features, like
- Focused inbox;
- Calendar integration;
- Strong spam filters.
You can easily work with your contacts, calendars, and tasks in one place. Plus, this platform offers intelligent reminders and strong security.
Microsoft has different plans for all needs, starting at $6 per user/month. It easily scales as your business grows and provides 24/7 support for any issues.
Zoho Mail
The next option we want to highlight is Zoho Mail. It is a popular choice for small businesses that want a professional and budget-friendly email solution.
Some of the features it can offer you are
- Custom domain emails;
- Hosting for multiple domains;
- Routing and email sharing;
- Offline access;
- Shared calendars;
- SecurePass code for messages, and much more.
The best thing about Zoho Mail is that it has a free plan with most of these features available. Plus, you can pick between two other subscriptions that offer more storage and even higher security.
Fastmail
Fastmail is a reliable and privacy-focused email vendor. It’s less showy than some competitors. Yet, it excels in simplicity and protecting user data.
This platform has a user-friendly interface. So, you can easily manage all emails, contacts, and calendars. Plus, it works great on desktop and mobile devices.
Fastmail puts an emphasis on user privacy. It does not serve ads or track user activity. Your data is yours and remains safe all the time.
This platform offers simple and affordable pricing plans starting at $3 per user per month. Depending on the subscription you choose it includes
- From 6 GB of storage per user;
- Custom domain support;
- Shared calendars;
- Integration with third-party apps;
- Email retention archive, etc.
Titan Email
Another option we want to highlight is Titan Email. It is an emerging email service created for small businesses.
It offers all kinds of tools to build impactful connections with your clients. Here are some of the features this platform has:
- Read receipts;
- Scheduled sends;
- Email templates;
- Shared calendars;
- Integrated contact management, etc.
Titan email has different partners that offer diverse pricing plans for all kinds of budgets.
ProtonMail
This alternative is an email provider that mostly concentrates on privacy. It is an ideal choice for small businesses that focus on data security and compliance.
ProtonMail allows you to set up custom email addresses just like all the previous options. It offers a clean and intuitive interface that is accessible on different devices.
Your data will be protected by strict privacy standards, and all the emails are encrypted. Plus, this platform has advanced filtering tools that can prevent unwanted emails and spam.
This platform offers three pricing plans for businesses. They differ in storage limits, number of domains, and protection measures.
Below, we created a table comparing all the options we described to help you evaluate each one.
| Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 | Zoho Mail | Fastmail | Titan Email | ProtonMail | |
| Starting Price/ month | $6 | $6 | Free | $3 | Depends on a partner | $7 |
| Security | 2FA, phishing protection | Advanced threat protection | Spam filtering, encryption | Privacy-focused, no ads | Spam filters, encryption | End-to-end encryption |
| Collaboration Tools | Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar | Outlook, Teams, Office apps | Mail, Calendar, Docs | Shared calendars | Email templates, calendars | Basic (focus on privacy) |
| Best For | Teams needing collaboration tools | Businesses using Office Suite | Budget-conscious startups | Privacy-focused individuals | Small teams on a budget | High-security requirements |
How to Choose a Perfect Email Vendor
You should approach the selection of email vendors for your business responsibly. There are many options available, even beyond those that we described.
So, now you probably want to know which points to consider before deciding. Here are the steps you have to take.
Evaluate Your Business Needs
Any decision should start with the assessment of your needs and goals. You have to understand what will benefit your business most before comparing the options. So, determine what your company requires from an email service:
- Custom domains;
- Advanced collaboration tools;
- Possibility for scaling;
- Strong security, or something else.
Consider Key Features
Next, you have to look at the features each vendor offers and decide which one will be the most useful for you. First, ensure they have enough storage capacity.
Also, consider the security features and quality of support they offer. Try to pick platforms with intuitive interfaces that all team members can easily use.
Prioritize Integration Capabilities
A good email vendor should integrate easily with other tools you use, like
- CRM software for managing customer relationships;
- Productivity tools (calendars, cloud storage, and project management apps);
- Marketing platforms for email campaigns, etc.
This aspect is really important as proper integration ensures your workflow will be smooth.
Review Your Budget
The next important point is how much you’re ready to spend. Evaluate your current budget and decide which part you can allocate.
Remember that free options may fulfill your basic needs, but they often lack advanced features. The paid plans we described above offer stronger functionality and better support.
Test the Service
Having a feel of email service will make the decision-making process easier. It allows you to use it in practice and evaluate if it meets your expectations.
Most email vendors offer free trials or demos. We recommend you use them to
- Evaluate the interface and ease of use;
- Test unique features of each platform;
- Assess the quality of customer support, and more.
It will give you an understanding of whether the vendor is worth your attention and investments.
Read Reviews
It may seem obvious, but we definitely recommend looking through the feedback of other users. Focus on recommendations from other small businesses to find a vendor faster.
It will help you understand the benefits and drawbacks of each provider. Plus, you’ll get to see the success stories of others and estimate if the solution will bring the same results to you.
Conclusion
Every small business needs a reliable email account and strong management. This channel is responsible for most communication within and outside the company. So, finding a reliable email vendor is a necessity.
Before making a decision, you need to clearly outline your needs and estimate your budget. Also, evaluate all the features and security measures each provider can offer.
Hope that our guide was helpful! Learn more about the vendors we described, and maybe you’ll find a perfect partner!