Webmail: Ratings of Sources
Total of 28 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Top 10 Free Email Services
by Heinz Tschabitscher
Our Assessment
Heinz Tschabitscher, About.com's guide to email, reviews and rates over 20 free online email services. Users are also invited to post ratings and reviews for each one, but most email providers have… accumulated reviews from only a handful of users. The reviews here summarize pros and cons well, but it's not clear that they're fully current. Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.
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Email software roundup
by Simon Pickstock and Mark Wilson
Our Assessment
This U.K. magazine, which focuses on the Internet, reviews quite a few email services and desktop email clients, rating each one for features, performance and ease of use as well as giving each an overall score. Of the three best-known webmail providers, Gmail gets top ranking. However, GMX.com gets a perfect 5-star rating on all counts, outranking even Gmail.
Offline Gmail review
by Karl Hodge
Our Assessment
This review of the new offline version of Gmail finds that it sometimes pauses when sending or updating email, but tests here find that it really does synchronize "seamlessly" between offline and online… use. A longer review of Gmail in April 2008, by Nathan Alderman, gives it a rating of four "mice" out of a possible five, testing it with AppleMail and Thunderbird. Alderman rates Yahoo! Mail slightly lower, since getting the best features requires stepping up to the paid version. Hotmail gets a brief mention in a Jan. 8, 2009 news article, but we didn't find a full review of it here.
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Yahoo Mail's Makeover Gives It the Webmail Edge
by Scott Dunn
Our Assessment
This review compares Gmail with both the paid and free versions of Windows Live Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail. The chart comparing their features seems up-to-date and useful. Top rating goes to the Yahoo! Mail… Plus. Second ranking is shared by the free version of Yahoo! Mail and the paid version of Windows Live Hotmail. The latter wins praise for its attractive and customizable interface. Gmail ranks last because of privacy concerns and an awkward interface -- but this reviewer notes that it's definitely the fastest.
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Head to Head: Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail
by Judy Sohn
Our Assessment
This comparison review is somewhat outdated, but highlights the most important pros and cons of the three most popular webmail providers. For "web workers" who are generally tech-savvy, the reviewer says Gmail definitely comes out on top. Windows Live Hotmail loses points for taking too much space with ads, while to get the best features with Yahoo! Mail requires stepping up to the paid version.
6. Which.co.uk
May 18, 2007
Which? Report: Webmail
by Editors of Which?
Our Assessment
Which? -- the British equivalent of Consumer Reports -- chooses the current and classic versions of Yahoo! Mail over all other competitors. The magazine's choice actually predates some new features that Yahoo! has added since, including unlimited storage and integrated instant messaging.
Years in the making, powerful Yahoo! Mail worth the wait
by Walt S. Mossberg
Our Assessment
Walter S. Mossberg, personal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, takes a close look at Yahoo! Mail. Testing it on both a PC and Mac, he ranks it higher than Windows Live Hotmail -- which in turn ranks higher here than GMail. This detailed review discusses the features of all three email services, praising Yahoo! Mail for special features but noting a few drawbacks as well.
Yahoo! Mail
by Michael Muchmore
Our Assessment
Yahoo! Mail earns an Editors' Choice award here, based on a rating of 4.5 on a 5-point scale. Editors like Yahoo! Mail's preview pane, drop-and-drag functionality, tabs that allow users to open several… messages at once and a clean interface despite multiple features. The service also leads others in integrating SMS text, instant messaging and email messages. Separate reviews and ratings at PCMag rank Hotmail, which also earns an Editors' Choice rating, just slightly lower, followed by Gmail and AIM. Readers disagree, favoring Gmail and giving Yahoo! Mail an average rating of only 2.
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9. CNET
Updated July 17, 2007
Pick the best Web mail-Email services from Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and AOL are getting richer and faster.
by Elsa Wenzel
Our Assessment
In addition to this summary chart comparing web-based email services from AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo!, CNET editors provide full reviews of each one. Though editors rate only two of the four services,… an ample number of users rate all four. Editors seem to prefer Windows Live Hotmail, but users rate Gmail higher. Even the user-ratings seem old here, and some of the data is obsolete. We'd rank this review higher if it were more current. The July 2008 CNET review of MobileMe, while unenthusiastic, is at least more recent.
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Free Webmail Services Comparison
by Editors of SweBee.com
Our Assessment
This review compares five webmail services, including Lycos Mail and AOL Mail as well as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live Hotmail. Each service is rated for specific factors in three categories:… features, security and usability. GMail earns top ranking here, followed by AOL Mail. Yahoo! Mail seems to lose a lot of points here for poor spam filtering, but this has been improved since this review was written. We'd rank this review higher if some of the comparisons -- for spam filtering, for example -- were better documented.
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Gmail on Course to Surpass Hotmail Users This Year
by Matthew Humphries
Our Assessment
This brief review comments on Gmail's success compared to the competition, noting that if current trends hold, Gmail could overtake Windows Live Hotmail this year, and eventually even catch Yahoo! Mail in… terms of popularity. The reviewer notes that Gmail's "conversation" threads (that keep related emails together) are quite different from most email programs, but "once you start using it you realize how much sense it makes." He adds that "It took me quite a while to even look at Gmail for handling e-mail, but when I did it is hard to consider using anything else."
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The Best E-Mail Program Ever: How Gmail destroyed Outlook.
by Farhad Manjoo
Our Assessment
Technology columnist Farhad Manjoo reviews the new Gmail option to work offline, based on his own tests. He finds it fast, convenient and easier to use than Microsoft Outlook. This review also praises Gmail for integrating features like video, voice, text-messaging to cell phones and monitoring calendar and Google Docs from email.
Yahoo Mail Chases Gmail with IM and SMS Features
by Adam Ostrow
Our Assessment
This review discusses new instant-messaging and phone text-messaging features now added to even the older version of Yahoo! Mail, noting that AOL Mail provides similar features. Despite this, the reviewer ranks Gmail as the best webmail provider, saying "the Gmail team simply gets user experience in a way that its competitors do not." Gmail's new offline email feature earns special praise.
Gmail Goes Offline
by Editors
Our Assessment
This review of Gmail's new offline option describes how to set it up and use it, but recommends combining Gmail with a standard email client on your computer(s) instead -- because you can store an extra copy. A Nov. 2007 review at this site explains how IMAP works, and why Gmail's integration of IMAP gives it a big advantage.
Gmail Grew 43 Percent Last Year. AOL Mail And Hotmail Need To Start Worrying.
by Erick Schonfeld
Our Assessment
Over 130 readers add their own comments to this discussion of statistics showing Gmail's fast rate of growth. Yahoo! Mail is still way ahead when it comes to user numbers, but underdog Gmail is on a… trajectory to catch up with AOL and Windows Live Hotmail. A random sampling of the comments shows that most are Gmail fans. A Feb. 2007 comparison review at this site, by Michael Arrington, ranks Gmail higher than the Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live Hotmail.
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GMX Global Mail Exchange Beta
by Joanna Stern
Our Assessment
The beta version of GMX gets a glowing review here, with the 5 GB storage limit the only drawback noted. Reviewer Joanna Stern calls the service "a compelling alternative" to the Internet giants of GMail, Microsoft Live Hotmail and Yahoo! mail.
Windows Live Hotmail August 2007 Update Review
by Paul Thurott
Our Assessment
This update notes further improvements to Windows Live Hotmail, expanding on an exhaustive two-part review published the preceding May. The reviewer concludes that Yahoo! Mail, Gmail and Windows Live Hotmail are equals, but he recommends Hotmail after testing it in IE and Firefox -- and even, on a Mac, Safari. This review is a great resource for anyone who wants tips on using Hotmail.
Yahoo Mail Gets More Social, But the Price of Admission Is Too Steep
by Michael Calore
Our Assessment
This review covers the new social networking feature being added to Yahoo! Mail. The main drawback is the time required to add the profile information required, but the reviewer praises the way a user can then display only emails from friends.
Review: Gmail
by Pat Fortino
Our Assessment
Writer and web designer Pat Fortino explains why he's switched to Gmail after using Yahoo! Mail for seven years. He finds the Yahoo! Mail interface much simpler, but says the IMAP capacity of Gmail makes it worth the switch.
GMX Global Mail Exchange takes on Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Windows Hotmail
by Arnold Zafra
Our Assessment
This article discusses GMX features, praising it for providing POP3, IMAP, SMTP and mobile support, but noting that 5 GB of storage space is small by current standards. The reviewer concludes that GMX doesn't offer anything better than the major players, especially Gmail, his favorite.
Gmail vs. Hotmail vs. Yahoo! Mail
by Manoj Jasra
Our Assessment
This brief comparison review by a search engine consultant favors Gmail over Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail, but doesn't give much explanation. The handful of readers adding comments also favor Gmail, though one notes that Yahoo! Mail often unlimited storage and makes it easier to write replies.
Yahoo Mail Innovates, Gmail Stagnates
by Adam Pashd
Our Assessment
Over a hundred readers add comments to this Sept. 2007 comparison of Gmail and Yahoo! Mail. Though the reviewer favors Gmail for his own use, he notes that Yahoo! Mail is adding useful features faster --… such as unlimited storage and integrated RSS feed. A random sampling of the tech-savvy comments here shows that most favor Gmail. The Lifehacker site also publishes lots of tips on making the most of Gmail and other webmail applications.
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Comparison of Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and Gmail
by Mahesh Mohan
Our Assessment
This comparison review includes some outdated information, but still highlights the main pros and cons of the top three webmail providers. Browser compatibility is well covered. Although the three services aren't rated or ranked, Gmail has the best ratio of pros to cons.
There's a new Gmail in town and it's rooting tooting fast!
by Mark O'Neill
Our Assessment
This is a comprehensive review of the new Gmail 2.0 on a blog dedicated to all things Google. Reviewer Mark O'Neill says the new Gmail is faster and better organized than the older version, with great improvements in handling contacts. This site includes loads of tips on making the most of Gmail, but doesn't even pretend to compare it objectively with other webmail providers.
AIM Mail
by Davis Janowski
Our Assessment
This single-product review recommends AIM Mail for its simple interface. The free IMAP and SMTP access, which makes it compatible with most desktop and mobile applications, is another big plus. The main drawbacks are large ads and an autofill feature that sometimes gets in the way.
Email Providers
by Contributors to RateItAll.com
Our Assessment
At least 20 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 over 60 users. Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live Hotmail have accumulated over 50 reviews, but their average ratings are lower. Most of the webmail services listed here aren't known as well and get far fewer reviews.
Gmail Review
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Our Assessment
Over a dozen users review Gmail at this user-review site, giving it a near-perfect average rating. By contrast, Windows Live Hotmail gets much lower ratings here, though from only a handful of users. Yahoo! Mail doesn't get separate reviews here.
Free Email Services Review
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
Our Assessment
Editors here do indeed review ten different free online email services. The most popular email sites still get top ranking here (Gmail, Windows Live 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 service that provides the exact services you care about most. Unfortunately, though the review is dated 2009, not all the feature listings are accurate. Also, it's a bit confusing that the service that's ranked fifth actually gets better ratings than the services ranked second, third, and fourth. We'd rank this review higher if it were not for these concerns.
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