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Windows Live Hotmail

Free
Reviewed
July 2011
Email
Windows Live Hotmail

Customizable webmail

Pros
  • Customizable display
  • Drag-and-drop folders
  • Switches easily between email accounts
  • Good integration with Windows Live features
Cons
  • Ads on free version
  • 5 GB storage limit unless you upgrade

Windows Live Hotmail earns kudos for a display that's easy to customize, not only with colors but with placement of the reading pane. You can switch easily among email accounts, and reviews say this webmail service is easy to use. It's especially recommended if you like other Windows Live products, because it includes some built-in integration. A Quick-Add pane makes it easy to search for information you want to add to an email while writing the email. A paid version, Windows Live Hotmail Plus (*est. $20 per year), adds storage and eliminates ads from other companies, though you still receive tips and information about other Microsoft products. For speed and free features, however, reviews generally express a preference for Gmail, despite an interface that some might find hard to use, at first.

As the No. 2 webmail provider, Windows Live Hotmail is covered in nearly all the comparison reviews we found. The reviews and ratings at About.com are undated, but they compare Windows Live Hotmail with more webmail providers than any other resource. PCMag.com awards Windows Live Hotmail the coveted Editors' Choice award, and the webmail service also receives a high rating from Which? magazine, the British equivalent to ConsumerReports.org.

Where To Buy
 
 
Download Windows Live Hotmail from
Microsoft.com
 
 
 

Our Sources

1. 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! Mail -- but a bit lower than Gmail. Windows Live Hotmail earns praise for ease of use plus free POP support. The review says it lacks folders for organizing email, but you actually can create folders to do this. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two do not share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: Windows Live Hotmail -- Free Email Service, Heinz Tschabitscher

2. PCMag.com

Michael Muchmore provides a comparison of four of the major players (Gmail, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and MailChimp) as well as in-depth reviews of each of the free webmail services. Windows Live Hotmail 2011 is selected as the Editors' Choice webmail provider and receives high marks for its "clean, customizable interface."

Review: Email Comparison Chart, Michael Muchmore, Updated for 2011

3. 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. The nifty Quick Views allow users to see unread email from multiple email accounts in Windows Live Mail.

Review: Windows Live Mail 2011 Gets Lassoed By the Ribbon, Preston Gralla, Nov. 8, 2010

4. Which? magazine

Which? magazine -- the British equivalent of ConsumerReports.org -- chooses Microsoft Windows Live Hotmail over its competitors. The site gives the highest rating of 83 percent to Windows Live Hotmail and the lowest rating of 40 percent for Canadian-based Hushmail,

Review: Webmail service reviews, Editors of Which?

Webmail Runners Up:

GMX

1 pick by top review sites.

Facebook Email

1 pick by top review sites.

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