the Price of Email

In the past, it was necessary to pay for email services. However - there is no longer any reason to pay for separate email accounts. From this provider and others, there are many options for hosted email accounts. You can have an account using the providers domain name, or, for a separate fee (payed to a separate domain register, typically 6.95/month or so), you can have your own private domain name.

Excellent - uptime has been 100% as when I have tried to use it. The web interface is very powerful. I was particularly interested in this since I often access my email from several different computers at home, as well as on the road. Email is easily located by searching, as well as keywords that can be added to messages (similar to folders in traditional email applications). Settings are easily accessed and configured, including created aliases (so you can have multiple, and even disposable, email addresses that are forwarded to your primary account).

Be sure to choose a service that has the features you need, whether that is a web interface, POP, or IMAP access. Some providers only offer some of these services. Other providers offer email forwarding to mobile devices. If you are setting up your own domain name, you will need to manage that through a separate domain name registrar. Configuring the domain name registrar to use your email hosting account may require some technical knowledge and understanding.