10 Best Free Email Accounts for 2023

Never reveal personal information in your email address (the part before the @), such as your home address or phone number. It’s common for addresses to be a name with a couple of numbers, or a word or phrase that means something.

Free email accounts may seem like a dime a dozen, but some free services stand way above the rest. This article guides you through the best free email accounts and the features that make them great.

02

of 10

Outlook.com

What We Like

• Clean interface that’s easy to use.

• Works closely with other Microsoft services.

• Organizes mail automatically.

• Multiple account aliases hide your actual email address.

What We Don’t Like

• Sometimes takes a while to load.

Outlook.com vs. Gmail

Outlook.com is Microsoft’s free email service that—like Gmail—has a solid interface that’s easy to navigate. It’s easily second to Google’s service or even tied as the best free email provider.

The website is intuitive; it’s as easy as right-clicking an email to find further options that include moving and deleting messages and searching for every email from that one sender.

Outlook supports mail rules, which means you can set new messages to move to a specified folder automatically, be categorized, flagged, or forwarded if certain conditions are met. You can also connect directly to Skype through your email and use add-ons such as PayPal and DocuSign.

Your email address can end with @outlook.com or @hotmail.com.

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03

of 10

Yahoo Mail

What We Like

• Tons of email storage space.

• Lets you make hundreds of free disposable email addresses.

• Includes a built-in GIF database.

• Using Yahoo Calendar from the email area is easy.

What We Don’t Like

• Not as many filters/rules as other email providers.

Yahoo Mail is notable because each new user gets 1 TB of free storage for email.

The compose window is similar to Gmail, but one helpful difference; it’s easy to switch between inline image attachments and regular file attachments.

This is probably the best email service when it comes to alternate identities or aliases. You can create disposable Yahoo addresses linked to your inbox without revealing your actual address. This feature is helpful when you sign up for accounts and don’t want your regular inbox spammed or filled with useless email; delete the disposable address if the spam becomes too overwhelming.

You can also insert GIFs from a built-in GIF collection, use themes that change the background and color scheme of the website, and import contacts from a file on your computer and other accounts like Facebook or Outlook. You can also use a built-in notepad, attach files from Google Drive or Dropbox, access the online calendar app, and connect external accounts so you can use one interface to manage email.

You can set up your email address to end in @yahoo.com or @myyahoo.com.

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Android

04

of 10

AOL Mail

What We Like

• A calendar and to-do list are easily accessible from the email page.

• Selection of themes to choose from.

• Can check spelling before sending every email.

What We Don’t Like

• It’s easy to accidentally open the news section instead of your email.

• Lots of ads.

• Some features require a paid AOL Desktop Gold subscription.

AOL Mail is another free email account option. The main page includes top stories from AOL.com, which can be viewed as a pleasant addition or seem cluttered, depending on your preferences.

Like most email providers, you can filter your messages to only show unread or read emails or flagged or unflagged messages. With AOL Mail, you can block mail senders and set up filters.

Your AOL.com account comes with a calendar and to-do list that are accessible from the inbox. However, some features, such as a chat room, require a paid AOL Desktop Gold subscription.

The IMAP and POP server settings no longer appear in the AOL settings, but if you need them to use your email with other clients, you can get them here: AOL IMAP settings and AOL POP settings.

An AOL email address gives you an email like [email protected], but you can also receive mail if someone messages [email protected].

What was AOL Instant Messenger?

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05

of 10

Proton Mail

What We Like

• Relies heavily on encrypting email data.

• Send encrypted emails to anyone, even if they don’t use Proton Mail.

• Choose when an email will expire.

What We Don’t Like

• Limited to 1 GB of storage.

• Free account limited to 150 messages per day.

• No vacation replies.

• Supports only three folders and labels.

Our Review of Proton Mail

The main difference between Proton Mail and the other email services is that this one is centered around email encryption. The idea is that you can send mail without fear that the people at Proton Mail or anyone else besides the recipient can read the message.

Messages sent to other Proton Mail users are always encrypted. Otherwise, when you’re ready to email a non-user, select that button first. If you encrypt a message, you can set an expiration time so that it’s destroyed and unreadable after the duration you specify.

The maximum expiration time is four weeks (28 days), but you can choose something sooner, like 1 to 6 days or 1 to 23 hours. If you message a non-user and don’t define an expiration time, the message expires in 28 days.

Recipients who receive encrypted messages open the email through a link that asks for the password, where it’s decrypted and displayed in the browser. They can reply through an encrypted channel via the same message they decrypted and don’t need a Proton Mail account.

Here’s why and how to encrypt your email

Another privacy-minded feature is Link Confirmation, which guards against phishing attacks by displaying a pop-up window when you select a link, letting you confirm where it goes before actually going there.

Email addresses can end as @proton.me or @protonmail.com.

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06

of 10

Tutanota

What We Like

• Encrypts email automatically.

• Send encrypted emails to non-users.

• Several domain options for new accounts.

• Requires a strong email password.

What We Don’t Like

• Includes only 1 GB of storage space.

• Some features require a paid account.

Tutanota (Latin for “tuta nota,” meaning “secure message”) is similar to Proton Mail in that it automatically encrypts your emails. However, you can disable end-to-end encryption if you’d like.

One thing that stands out is that you can’t create your account until you make a secure password. Some places urge you to make your password stronger but still accept it: Tutanota requires it.

The web interface is straightforward and provides menu transitions that bring together the mail folders and email settings. When sending messages to non-users, you can make them password protected or keep them unencrypted. If a password is designated, the recipient gets a custom link to open the message; they must enter the password to read and reply.

The best feature is that when the user responds to an email not using Tutanota, the messages are still contained within the temporary account. You can have back and forth communication with any other email service, and the recipient can keep the link open the entire time.

Even though it isn’t as well known as Gmail or Yahoo, Tutanota lets you have an email signature, use up to 1 GB of storage, and automatically add emailed recipients as new contacts. Premium features can be had for a cost.

You can make an account with any of these domains: tutanota.com, tutanota.de, tutamail.com, tuta.io, keemail.me.

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iOS

Android

07

of 10

Yandex Mail

What We Like

• 10 GB of storage to share with email and other Yandex services.

• Lets you sign up with an existing Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail account.

• Reminds you if the recipient doesn’t respond after a specified number of days.

• Includes a built-in translator.

What We Don’t Like

• 2FA requires a special Yandex app (most providers use Google Authenticator).

• Can’t change the 24-hour time format.

Yandex.Mail: The Good and Bad

Yandex is a Russian company that provides many tools and free email accounts, such as 10 GB of online storage, a calendar, and a search engine. Like Google, your Yandex email makes it possible to access these services using one login.

The interface is friendly. It’s easy to read and provides a simple layout while still keeping all the necessary tools intact. Like most other providers in this list, this one supports email filters, contact importing and exporting, tasks, and hotkeys.

However, it’s also unique in many ways that make it one of the better ones out there. You can forward multiple messages with ease; they send as file attachments. Delayed messaging is supported, you can be notified when an email is received and reminded later if you don’t get a reply, and the part after @ can be your website domain name (for free). 

By default, all addresses end with @yandex.com.

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08

of 10

Zoho Mail

What We Like

• Works well for teams.

• Supports tabbed email windows.

• Connecting to other Zoho apps is easy.

• The design is clean and minimal.

What We Don’t Like

• All the other interconnected Zoho apps might be overwhelming.

• It’s primarily centered around business use.

Our Review of Zoho Mail

Although Zoho Mail has a free email service, Zoho is an online suite of several apps centered around business use.

When composing a message, the first thing you might notice is the minimal design, which can be a great thing. When you make a new message, you can quickly switch between it and the rest of your mail through the small tabs at the top of the page.

The Streams feature makes it easy to create groups where you and your team members can interact with shared messages and attachments. It works a bit like a private social media site.

All the standard compose tools are included, but you can also add files from Zoho Docs, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and other services and include tables in your messages. It also lets you create new notes and tasks, use keyboard shortcuts, enable filters for auto-management, set up vacation replies, and send custom domains to an allow or block list.

All addresses end as @zohomail.com.

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iOS

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09

of 10

iCloud Mail

What We Like

• Unsubscribing from email lists is easy.

• Includes 5 GB of free online storage.

• Works from a computer or mobile device.

What We Don’t Like

• Not as advanced as some other providers.

Our Review of iCloud Mail

iCloud Mail is an interesting service because many people don’t realize they’re only a few steps away from having one. For this reason that it’s one of the better providers: Most people can set it up in seconds.

It’s free to anyone who signs up for an Apple ID, but it isn’t limited only to Apple products. Anyone can get a free iCloud ID and access iCloud Mail on their computer.

Once you make an account, you can log in from any computer and access a suite of products in addition to your mail, like notes, reminders, photos, iCloud Drive content, contacts, calendar events, and anything else that’s been synced to iCloud from your iOS device.

The email portion of iCloud isn’t super advanced and probably won’t serve you well if you want lots of options. However, it’s effortless to set up, and you don’t have to go through a tedious process of adding your name and choosing a password. All of this works well with your existing Apple ID or a new free iCloud account.

You get 5 GB of free storage for emails and other iCloud files, IMAP support, forwarding options, large file attachment support (up to 5 GB via Mail Drop), and a two-click method to unsubscribe from unwanted emails.

New accounts end with @icloud.com.

Visit iCloud.com

10

of 10

10 Minute Mail

What We Like

• Gives you an address in seconds.

• You can get an account without making a user account.

• Dissolves automatically after 10 minutes.

What We Don’t Like

• There’s a 10 minute limit for every account.

• The addresses are too long to remember.

Top 6 Disposable Email Address Services

10 Minute Mail is one of the best email services if you need an email address right now, temporarily, and without going through the typical user registration steps.

As the name suggests, it’s not a full-fledged email provider, since it gives you an account for only 10 minutes. However, it is included here because it’s perfect for whenever you require a temporary email account.

Instead of providing the primary email you use for everything else, plug in a disposable address from this site. You’ll get emails like you would with a regular account, but it’s not tied to your identity, and when the time is up, you don’t have to worry about closing the account, deleting the emails, or anything—exit the page or let the time expire.

10 Minute Mail is perfect when you’re testing a service and don’t want to get emails in your regular inbox. It’s also helpful when sharing your email address with someone you don’t trust. It’s a valid email account from which you can get verification emails and replies, but it disappears soon after.

You could use it for longer if you need to, but you’ll have to use the button on the email page to reset the clock before the 10 minutes is up.

Visit 10 Minute Mail