Webmail: Reviews

Updated July 2011

Webmail companies continue to innovate and one-up each other, offering larger storage and better organization features at every turn. Computing experts test these services not just based on these features, but also on security and speed. We also looked at user reviews, as they offer detailed feedback after using a service for an extended period of time.

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Best free webmail service

Gmail

Free Learn More

Gmail gets great reviews for its speed, ease of use, unobtrusive text ads and excellent free features. Users can assign multiple colored labels to individual emails, and Gmail automatically organizes related messages into… expandthreads. Reviews also say the search function is excellent; Gmail is designed for people who handle loads of emails a day. You can use Gmail when you are offline, or access it through desktop email software such as Outlook, Windows Mail or Apple Mail. Reviewers say the Gmail interface takes some getting used to, but it isn't hard to master. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

About.com: Heinz Tschabitscher, About.com's guide to email, reviews and rates 17 free online email services.

WebUser: This brief review of Gmail (called Google Mail in the U.K., where Web User is based) gives the webmail provider a mostly positive review on three different factors: features, performance and ease of use.

Business Computing World: British IT blog provides a comparison of the three big webmail service providers.

RateItAll.com: At least 32 webmail providers get at least one review at this site, which publishes user-written reviews and ratings.

Viewpoints.com: More than two dozen users review Gmail at this user-review site, giving it a near-perfect rating, on average.

TopTenReviews.com: Editors review 10 free online email services on this comparison website.

Customizable webmail

Windows Live Hotmail

Free Learn More

Reviews praise Windows Live Hotmail for the ease of customizing the display. You can choose colors and move the reading pane according to personal preference. Reviewers also like the way Hotmail makes it easy to switch… expandamong different email accounts. Like Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail offers a full preview of email -- something Gmail doesn't do. A paid version, Windows Live Hotmail Plus (*Est. $20 per year) bumps up storage and attachment sizes and removes ads, though you'll still receive tips and product information from Microsoft. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

About.com: Though Windows Live Hotmail seems to rank 10th on this list of the best free email services, it actually earns the same rating (4 on a 5-point scale) as Yahoo!

PCMag.com: Michael Muchmore provides a comparison of four of the major players (Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo!

PC World: This article about Windows Live Mail 2011 highlights features related to accessibility and integration, including the conversation view, photo albums and Quick Views.

Which? magazine: Which? magazine -- the British equivalent of ConsumerReports.org -- chooses Microsoft Windows Live Hotmail over its competitors.

Unlimited email storage

Yahoo! Mail

Free Learn More

Yahoo! Mail is the only one of the three major webmail providers to offer unlimited storage (free), though Gmail and Hotmail both offer ample storage. For users looking for the drag-and-drop folders included in most email… expandsoftware, Yahoo! Mail is the way to go. Reviews say the image ads and the animated ads on the site can be annoying, however, and you can avoid them -- and get some of the features Gmail offers free -- by upgrading to Yahoo! Mail Plus (*Est. $20 per year). The upgrade adds POP support, so you can download emails to a desktop program. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

About.com: Yahoo! Mail earns a slightly lower rating than Gmail in this full review by Heinz Tschabitscher, About.com's guide to email.

WebUser: This British review of Yahoo! Mail praises its unlimited storage but adds that users aren't likely to need even 5 GB. This site ranks Gmail higher, especially for performance and features.

Epinions.com: In more than 500 consumer reviews, contributors to Epinions.com praise Yahoo!

GMX

1 pick by top review sites.

Facebook Email

1 pick by top review sites.