Best Reviewed
Webmail
- Best free webmail service Gmail *Est. $0
- Customizable webmail Windows Live Hotmail *Est. $0
- Unlimited email storage Yahoo! Mail *Est. $0
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Best free webmail service
- Fast
- Free IMAP and POP support
- Attachments up to 25 MB
- Updated frequently with new features
- Unusual interface -- tags, not folders
- No full preview pane
- Storage ample but not unlimited
Reviewers praise Gmail for its speed, ease of use and excellent organization. You can assign multiple color-coded tags to emails, and Gmail automatically organizes the inbox in threads to keep related messages together. Text ads appear above the inbox and next to received email, not on email that's sent. Gmail also earns kudos for continually adding new features -- making it possible, for example, to work offline, recall sent mail, see multiple inboxes, etc. Offline Gmail allows users to read previously received emails and to create emails that will be sent automatically when you have an Internet connection. Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook allows users to work offline, synchronizing email, contact information and calendar events with Outlook the next time you're online. The unusual interface gets mixed reviews; if you'd rather use webmail that looks like most desktop email programs, you might prefer Yahoo! Mail -- despite its more obtrusive ads.
The email guide at About.com compares Gmail with about 16 other webmail providers -- more than any other comparison review site we found. Web User focuses on Gmail's features, performance and ease of use. Business Computing Lab highlighted Gmail Labs (the webmail service's experimental playground) in their review.
Our Sources
1. About.com
Heinz Tschabitscher, About.com's guide to email, reviews and rates 17 free online email services. Users are also invited to post ratings and reviews for each one. The reviews here summarize pros and cons well, and the interaction among website visitors in user reviews is lively. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Gmail Review -- Free Google Email and Chat Service, Heinz Tschabitscher
2. 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. Gmail earns praise for "superb search" and overall ease of use, but this site seems to more wholeheartedly endorse GMX.
Review: Google Mail, Simon Pickstock, Feb. 2009
British IT blog provides a comparison of the three big webmail service providers. Robert Bravery reported that Yahoo! Mail had 256 million users as of fall 2010, making it the leading webmail service worldwide. The blogger favored Gmail and highlighted Gmail Labs (the webmail service's experimental playground) in his review.
Review: Gmail vs. Yahoo! Mail vs. Hotmail, Robert Bravery, Sept. 6, 2010
At least 32 webmail providers get at least one review at this site, which publishes user-written reviews and ratings. Gmail earns top ranking, with mostly positive ratings from 80 users. Yahoo! Mail is a close second, with a slightly lower overall rating. Windows Live Hotmail has also accumulated several ratings, but their average ratings are lower. Many of the webmail services listed here aren't known as well nationally or internationally and get far fewer reviews.
Review: Email Providers, Contributors to RateItAll.com
More than two dozen users review Gmail at this user-review site, giving it a near-perfect rating, on average. By contrast, Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail have ratings from only a handful of users. According to reviews, Gmail's pros include the large storage space, the quality of the spam filter and the ability to send large attachments.
Review: Gmail Reviews, Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Editors review 10 free online email services on this comparison website. The most popular email sites still get top ranking here (Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo!, in that order) but seven others also get ratings and full reviews. The comparison chart lists a lot of relevant features, making it easier to pick a free webmail service that provides the exact services you care about most. It's a bit confusing that the service that's ranked fifth actually gets better ratings than the services that are ranked second, third and fourth on the list. We'd give this review a stronger rating if it were not for this concern.
Review: 2011 Free Email Services Review, Editors of TopTenReviews.com
Webmail Runners Up: