When you sign up for an Internet service provider, you are usually given access to free email. However, you are not obligated to use it, just as you are not obligated to pay a lot of money for a quality email service. You have the opportunity to choose.
The email service you like will reward you with a multitude of bonuses: almost unlimited storage, an effective spam filter, a fast and ergonomic web interface, the presence of a desktop and mobile application, and much more. If necessary, you can even use email with an increased level of protection.
Yandex Mail
Yandex Mail offers a rich, functional and versatile email service with a powerful website, mobile app, unlimited storage and access to POP and IMAP (the most common Internet protocols for email). The mobile app for iOS and Android allows you to use email at any time.
Some of the features of this email service make it extremely effective, including the ability to create email templates and also reminders if you have not received a response to a specific email within a certain time frame.
But not everything is so smooth. Text templates and machine learning could further improve the process of writing letters and creating templates. And the filter for incoming messages could also be more versatile, since it sometimes misses obvious spam.
But with a set of convenient keyboard shortcuts, using mail becomes much easier, and built-in e-cards add a bit of fun to this service.
Outlook Mail
Outlook Mail boasts an excellent web client that works via both types of protocols, as well as the presence of Exchange ActiveSync (a program for synchronizing emails, calendar, to-do list and contacts).
The web interface of this service is very clean and functional. Outlook Mail can not only automatically sort important emails, create catalogs of newsletters, bills and photos, but also allows you to create your own folders and custom labels. Special filters will show only the letters you need and help keep your mailbox clean.
Another advantage of this service is the ability to use it as a central link in a whole network of different mailboxes. With its help, you can use both POP and IMAP accounts. In addition, it is possible to significantly expand the basic functionality using extensions. For example, creating catalogs, scheduling emails, or saving text online.
Gmail
Gmail automatically sorts all emails into tabs (Primary, Social, and Promotions) and provides the user with a powerful search tool that is several times more convenient than the filter system. In this regard, Gmail has no equal. Its spam filter is incredibly accurate thanks to interaction with Google analytics services.
Gmail's web interface lets you view messages in the immediate context of their conversation. And with contextually relevant snippets, it also helps you come up with responses to them.
Integration with POP and IMAP protocols allows you to access your mailbox from any device or program. Unfortunately, Gmail itself only retrieves mail from accounts running on the POP protocol. Therefore, despite all the functionality, its capabilities as a central link in a large mail system are quite limited.
ProtonMail
ProtonMail provides free access to secure and anonymous email using a powerful mobile app and an equally powerful web interface.
Using encryption technologies will keep your emails safe from snooping, but it also means you won't be able to quickly export them or access them using POP or IMAP.
Luckily, the ProtonMail web client and app themselves offer a solid amount of functionality: hotkey management, rich text formatting options, and a good spam filter. With the cryptographic features, you can even set up a time limit for automatically blocking access to the contents of emails.
However, a wider functionality of filters, templates and snippets would make interaction with the service even more productive. In addition, many functions related to the content of the mail cause problems for ProtonMail, since working with them is possible only in a browser and a special application.
iCloud Mail
iCloud Mail – is a free email service from Apple, created for users of their products (for example, for iPhone or Mac users). It has a fairly large storage, IMAP access and a functional web application. iCloud Mail focuses on the simple things and ensures that they work perfectly, while the absence of ads makes it even more convenient.
The interface has no shortcuts or other, more advanced tools for improving productivity and organizing mail. In addition, interaction with other mail services is not supported. By the way, there is access only through IMAP, and POP is missing. But using it, you can configure iCloud Mail to work with almost any mail client on any computer or phone.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail – the most respected email service. Time-tested, it contains many well-proven features: almost unlimited storage, as well as custom folders and filters that automatically sort emails.
While the service is a pleasure to use, it could do with smart folders, free labeling of emails, templates, and automatically suggested responses to messages.
Speaking of replies, Yahoo! Mail's text input has rich formatting options that are far more attractive and useful than bland text filled with useless emojis and emoticons.