Best free email providers?

[windy]

Just about to end my current ISP and don't want to be tied into a new one indefinitely. I'm conscious of the fact I will likely switch providers (& email address) after the contract period with the new one ends in a further 18 months.

 

So what's the best free email provider currently available?

[Stuart]

I use Yahoo via Mozilla Thunderbird. No ads no other crap and usually works very well.

[Steve (sdh2903)]

Can't complain about Gmail.

[XTR2Turbo]

Why not just register a proper business domain and point emails to that.  It won't be free to buy but you are only looking at around £20 - £5o for a basic domain, email and web hosting package.

 

Have a look at names.co.uk

[Lawrie]

Can't complain about Gmail.

I would.  Mainly because of the limitations of an internet based system.  Its as good as you'll get

 

The problem is usually the email client - the application that displays the emails.  Windows versions (Outlook Express/Mail/Live Mail/Mail v2) just seem to get worst, and I must try Thunderbird, as its the usual alternative

[Kit Car Electronics and Essex AO]

Why not just register a proper business domain and point emails to that.  It won't be free to buy but you are only looking at around £20 - £5o for a basic domain, email and web hosting package.

 

Have a look at names.co.uk

 

Or for £11.99 p.a. our very own Tigger's hydrahost http://hydrahosts.com/

[XTR2Turbo]

Or for £11.99 p.a. our very own Tigger's hydrahost http://hydrahosts.com/

Yes good point. 

[Terry Everall]

I have switched to gmail and it's fine for me

[Blatman]

Been a Yahoo mail user for years. Recent password hack reports notwithstanding It's been 100% reliable for what I need for nearly 2 decades.

I also have a couple of Gmail accounts because I'm a Chrome user and have Android phones. Again, no issues for many years.

[windy]

Thanks for the replies. At this stage I'm wanting a personal email for my own stuff so I can stop using the ISP's email.

[Quinten]

Nothing simpler than registering for a free .gmail.co.uk address. If you use Apple gear, you may already have an Apple email address too?

[Blatman]

Thanks for the replies. At this stage I'm wanting a personal email for my own stuff so I can stop using the ISP's email.

Yahoo/GMail/Outlook are "personal". They are not ISP dependent and you can access them wherever you have access to the internet.

If you want to use the Outlook application that is part of Microsoft Office then I know that Yahoo and GMail POP/SMTP/IMAP servers can be added to Outlook so that you can continue to use it to send and receive emails if you want.

Or as mentioned previously you can buy your own domain-name which will come with email forwarding. 

[tolf]

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I have been with Yahoo for years too, and although there have been a couple of down periods of late, generally it's okay. I also use Hotmail/Outlook, Gmail, and plus.com - all for historic reasons. An email client is handy to preserve emails on your own hard disc, provided you set it to leave the originals on the server to be accessible on another machine. Originally Outlook Express did the job but as I moved to newer machines it became supplanted by Windows Livemail. Now even that is discontinued in favour of Mail for Windows 10 and it's rubbish. Having dabbled with a couple of other clients I am persevering with Mail for W10 but since you chaps have suggested Mozilla's Thunderbird I may try that. If that's no better then I'll go webmail only I think.