Gmail
Google's free webmail and mobile mail app, and the email service most people already have.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
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About Gmail
Gmail is Google's email service and the default inbox for a huge share of personal and work accounts. The web app and the Android and iOS apps handle search, spam filtering and automatic sorting into tabs such as Promotions and Updates well, and it ties directly into Google Calendar, Drive, Meet and the Gemini assistant. Personal accounts are free and supported by ads, with storage shared across Gmail, Drive and Google Photos; more space comes from a Google One plan. Businesses get Gmail on their own domain through Google Workspace, a per-user subscription that removes ads and adds admin controls, more storage and support. The trade-offs are privacy and lock-in: Google processes your mail on its servers, there is no end-to-end encryption for ordinary messages, and the interface is built around Google's own labels rather than folders. Gmail also works with other clients over IMAP, so many people keep the account but read it in a different app.
Best for: Anyone who wants a free, dependable inbox that works with Google's other apps.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free account with fast search and strong spam filtering
- Deep integration with Calendar, Drive, Meet and Gemini
- Works with almost every third-party mail client
Why people leave
- Free storage is shared with Drive and Photos and fills up
- Ads in the free inbox and no end-to-end encryption
- Label-based model feels odd to people used to folders
Top Gmail alternatives
See all 6- 1
Microsoft Outlook66.5The other big free webmail, a better fit if you already use Microsoft 365 or Windows.
- 2
Proton Mail62.6End-to-end encrypted email based in Switzerland for people leaving Google over privacy.
- 3
Fastmail59.6Paid, ad-free email with your own domain and a fast web app, without Google scanning your inbox.
- 4
Zoho Mail57.2Ad-free business email with a free plan for small teams on their own domain.
- 5
Tuta55.3Encrypted, open-source email with a free tier for people who want to leave Big Tech.
Why people left Gmail
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Gmail: common questions
Is Gmail free?
Gmail has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Gmail open source?
No, Gmail is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Proton Mail and Tuta.
What platforms does Gmail run on?
Gmail is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Gmail?
The highest-ranked Gmail alternatives right now are Microsoft Outlook, Proton Mail and Fastmail. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.