Choosing an email provider is a critical choice for any business owner. 

It might seem like a straightforward decision, but it's worth taking your time — a lot hinges on which email provider you entrust with your business communications. 

In short, the best email providers sync with many other business tools you may use, optimize the time and energy you spend working through your inbox, and streamline your communications. But the right choice is about what's best for you, as well as what's best. Avoid too steep a learning curve, as it can distract you from running your business and ultimately decrease your efficiency.

What are some business email features to look for?

Before exploring email providers that support businesses, think about your expectations for your professional email. What features are a must? What features are just nice to have? And what overall experience are you looking for? 

If you're not sure where to start, consider the following criteria and examples: 

• Design: Customization, intuitive navigation, and an overall pleasant user experience can turn combing through emails into a simple to-do list. 
• Integration: Business email providers that seamlessly integrate with other tools — like your calendar or contact list — improve your team's efficiency.
• Limits: The number of emails you can send and the amount of available storage can make a difference for many businesses, especially those experiencing accelerated growth. 
• Scalability: Room to expand within the current business email provider can prevent issues with migration and re-training efforts. 
• Cost: A return on investment is important, and the best email providers will deliver clear value and impact.
• Security and privacy: Respect clients' and customers' privacy with advanced security measures, such as two-factor authentication and encryption.
• Support: Speaking to a live person and receiving timely assistance can be vital. 

Most email providers will cover these features to some degree. However, you will find that the best email providers — especially for business — deliver on all of them and more. They offer exclusive features that can provide distinct competitive advantages for high-performing businesses.

Top 6 business email providers of 2024

• Superhuman
• Google Workspace
• Microsoft Outlook
• Zoho
• Neo
• Proton Mail

Superhuman

Superhuman is the fastest email experience ever made, and it's the perfect tool to help your team streamline inbox management. From Snippets, Follow-Up Reminders, and Split Inbox features to Superhuman AI, which allows you to write entire emails with just one line, Superhuman saves teams over 10 million hours every year. 

Work through your email inbox twice as fast, and be responsive to what matters most. Superhuman is built for teams using Gmail and Outlook to help you be more productive, get valuable time back, and be less stressed. 

In Superhuman, you can even see when people read your emails — and on which device — so that you can follow up effectively. You can also snooze emails for later, fix errors as you go with autocorrect, and schedule events right from your email inbox. 

Plus, Superhuman is SOC 2 compliant, and we never share or sell your data. Superhuman is hosted fully on Google Cloud, and we use their existing infrastructure security to encrypt data at rest. Where appropriate, we also use an additional layer of application-level encryption to reduce the risk of data being exposed.

Google Workspace

Much more than just Gmail in a business suit, Google Workspace provides custom, branded business email hosting with the same intuitive features you're used to if your email address ends in "@gmail.com." Google's business email provider connects with its native cloud-based suite of collaboration tools and integrates with other project management platforms such as Asana, Salesforce, and Notion. 

As long as you've selected a domain, you can sign up for Google Workspace in just a few minutes. 

Depending on the plan that best suits your team, you can access anywhere from 30 GB of shared cloud storage space to 5 TB with the Enterprise plan. The basic plan also includes a daily cap of 2,000 outbound messages, 500 of which are limited to external recipients. Users can set up 30 email aliases to direct communications to the appropriate inbox. 

You can manage almost anything from the Admin Console, but entry-level plans limit live support to administrators. As you upgrade plans, you capture more of Google Workspace support’s attention, as you might expect. On top of inherent scalability, this email hosting provider also offers built-in phishing and spam protection to keep your data safe. 

Other Google Workspace features to note include adding Gemini (an AI chatbot) to any business email, internal chats driven by Google Currents, and Google Vault's ability to archive data to prevent loss and comply with legal requirements. Gemini's Smart Compose busts through email writer's block. Google Currents fosters interactive workplace culture, and Nudge asks for updates from recipients so you don't have to. 

Microsoft Outlook

Like Google, Microsoft Outlook's business side presents a more polished look, with advanced security features, custom domains, and more email storage. Indeed, basic plans offer a vault of 1 TB of cloud-based storage. Although learning how to use Microsoft Outlook can require a learning curve and a fair share of bandwidth from your computer, countless business owners have come to rely on Microsoft Outlook business email service for their most critical communications. 

Microsoft Outlook wouldn't be complete without access to Microsoft Office, Skype, PayPal, OneNote, Facebook, and Trello. This email provider also integrates with Asana, Grammarly, WiseStamp, Slack, LinkedIn, and Zoom. If you work in Salesforce, you can easily copy those tasks to Outlook, which can automatically create, read, sync, update, and delete tasks. 

Use almost 50 keyboard shortcuts to navigate Outlook quickly and efficiently. Sort emails into folders with filters, and task the AI Builder with creating multiple workflows with numerous steps. Sync your calendar, assign a schedule to a particular room, and create multiple aliases to handle all aspects of your business. 

Outlook allows you to create several custom email signatures, schedule emails, and prioritize which messages you respond to first. It also incorporates templates and quick parts to handle situations where the same or similar text is warranted. Data encryption ensures security and privacy, alongside spam and malware filtering. 

As your business thrives, Microsoft Outlook grows with it via tiered plans. The most advanced plans prioritize security. However, all plans receive technical support each step of the way, from installation to daily use. 

Zoho

Spending five minutes on the computer — or any device — without coming across an ad is challenging. With Zoho, a crisp and clean ad-free interface can turn your time on email into the epitome of efficiency. Zoho also works offline, integrates with many applications, and incorporates numerous valuable apps. 

Initiating your Zoho business email begins with a custom domain suited to your career goals. Select the Forever Free plan to add up to five business email accounts — each with a 5 GB storage capacity — at no charge. Once you've customized your email workspace, you can sync your calendar and contacts from Google, access Google Drive, and link up your CRM. 

Zoho excels at high attachment limits and robust privacy measures. Attach up to 1 GB for outgoing emails, with the option to schedule your email. Emails sent and received are encrypted and HIPAA compliant. 

Zoho's e-Discovery feature retrieves emails you keep on hand to comply with company data standards. Streams lets your employees interact via social media-style messaging. Your Control Panel gives you behind-the-scenes access to most features, which you can explore one-on-one during a thorough onboarding process with a Zoho expert. 

Neo

Starting a business can be intimidating, from choosing a name and checking domain availability to setting up a website and social media profiles. Neo makes getting your foot in the door easy with an intuitive and inclusive offering. Much of what Neo provides comes free of charge, so you can test-drive your new business email and website before committing. 

If you have a domain name, your new Neo business email seamlessly links up for a customized, branded experience. Neo also offers — free of charge — a co.site domain you can customize to fit your name, brand, or messaging. You can also add as many business email addresses as you like, with pricing adjusted accordingly. 

Neo's intuitiveness continues with the customizable one-page site included in your subscription plan. Add contact forms and connect your social media accounts to this page for a one-stop portfolio. Although Neo doesn't have an offline mode, it does offer read receipts, a priority inbox, email templates, a send-later feature, email marketing, appointment scheduling, and automatic follow-up reminders. 

Neo offers several plans, each offering storage and integration with your contacts and calendar. This business email provider ticks several boxes regarding security, from antivirus and data encryption protocols to two-factor authentication and spam filters. The support from Neo technical staff matches this value. 

Proton Mail

When it comes to business email providers, Switzerland's Proton Mail locks your data behind some of the strictest privacy/data laws worldwide. 

Security measures include two-factor authentication, zero-access end-to-end encryption, and HIPAA compliance. In addition to a lack of ads or IP tracking, Proton doesn't require entering your personal information to open a free email account. 

Proton Mail supports over 20 languages and offers a mobile application for Apple and Android users. Users can customize their interface with six colored templates. You can also create a custom signature with business links and logos.

The free Proton business email plan includes 1 GB of storage, sending limits of 150 messages per day, a single professional email address, and up to three folders. Both paid plans cost less than $10 monthly and offer up to 500 GB of storage, 15 email addresses, three custom domains, and unlimited folders and message-sending limits. Proton also offers Calendar, Drive, and VPN, with no long-term contracts required.

Your new @protonmail.com email address can feel clunky, so Proton allows you to shorten it to @pm.me instead. Additional email features include auto-reply, keyboard shortcuts, unwanted sender blocking, and the option to search more than just email content. Optional self-destruct timers also remove emails from the recipient's inbox based on your desired timeline. 

Proton Mail offers SMTP/IMAP support to forward your existing emails to this provider. You can also import contacts and calendars. Proton also offers priority customer support to ensure unobstructed communications with your clients. 

The bottom line

The best email service providers cater to your business needs while providing superb functionality. Streamline your small business communications and leverage advanced features to deliver brand messaging that mirrors your approach to business. 

Are you ready for the most productive email app ever made? Check out Superhuman. Superhuman integrates seamlessly with Gmail and Outlook, and will help your team save 4 hours per person, every single week.