Quick Summary: Best email for business

Comparison of different business email providers: Tuta Mail, Gmail, Zoho Mail, and Outlook.

Choosing an email provider is not just about convenience or brand recognition. It is about trust, control, and the long-term security of your business communications. While Google and Microsoft remain strong options for large-scale collaboration, privacy focused alternatives like Tuta Mail are setting a new standard for secure business communication.

If you and your company value privacy and complete control over your data, Tuta Mail is the obvious choice. It offers the perfect balance of security, usability, and compliance for modern businesses that cannot afford to compromise on data protection.

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Breaking down the comparison

In order to have a closer look at different business email services and to help you choose the right one, we will compare prices, pros, cons, and accessibility of Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Zoho Mail, and Tuta Mail.

Tuta Mail

Pros

• Open source
• No (costly) AI integration
• Affordable & flexible
• End-to-end encrypted by default
• Good collaboration features, for example, shared mailboxes & calendars
• Sustainable, using renewable energy
• Based in Germany with strict privacy laws
• Open source, free desktop clients for Linux, Windows, MacOS

Cons

• No IMAP support
• No integration with external tools
• Missing some features (in development)

Accessibility

The Tuta Mail app is available on any device, including free desktop clients for macOS, Linux, and Windows in all plans.

• Native Tuta Mail & Tuta Calendar apps available on Android & iPhone.
• Desktop clients for Windows, Linux, & macOS.
• Tuta is also accessible via a web browser.

Tuta Mail (previously known as Tutanota) is a German-based email service that is best known for offering quantum-proof end-to-end encryption by default – without any complex setup for business use. Tuta Mail stands out for its strong focus on privacy and security, while also delivering tools like its Calendar and encrypted drive (coming soon!) that are easy-to-use and allow thousands of businesses around the world to communicate, plan and organize confidentially, like the IAGO GmbH that switched from Exchange to Tuta. Beyond the strict end-to-end encryption, Tuta is fully GDPR compliant, and all data is securely stored in its data centers based in Germany - a country known for stringent data protection.

Prices for business plans

Tuta Mail offers three business plans: Essential, Advanced, and Unlimited. Plan pricing is displayed per user, in euros per month, paid yearly.

Tuta Mail has three business plans, which are customizable depending on your business needs. For example, in Tuta Mail’s Essential business plan, which is perfect for freelancers or those looking for a small business email address, users get 50GB storage, unlimited calendars and labels, 15 extra email addresses, and three custom domains. If a business needs more custom domains or storage, Tuta also offers an advanced and unlimited plan.

For businesses, Tuta Mail offers excellent value for money when it comes to storage and features like aliases and custom domains, especially when compared with Big Tech email providers like Gmail and Outlook which are more expensive, offer less privacy, and are continuously introducing new and unwanted features like AI email writers.

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Gmail in Google Workspace

Pros

• No ads
• Good design
• Supports custom domains
• Meets GDPR compliance requirements
• Easily scalable for growing companies of any size
• Extensive third party & external software integrations
• Seamless integration with the Google Suite (Drive, Docs & Sheets, etc)

Cons

• Based in the US (data at risk because of Cloud Act)
• Cluttered interface
• Closed Source code
• Gemini AI integration
• No end-to-end encryption by default
• Not suited for industries requiring strict privacy (doctors, lawyers, etc)

Accessibility

Gmail only has native apps for Android and iPhone, but it has no apps for desktop use.

• Gmail is accessible via web browser.
• Native Gmail apps available on Android & iPhone.
• No Desktop clients for Windows, Linux, & macOS, but IMAP support.

For businesses looking for an email provider that comes with a wide range of productivity tools that are all integrated, Gmail in Google Workspace can be considered. One of the benefits of Google Workspace is that it’s good for collaboration and built for business use. For example, teams can share files, video call, email, and collaborate all within Google Workspace. However, while Google Workspace is advanced and has a range of tools, it does come with some drawbacks that must be considered.

For business email, the biggest downside to Gmail is that it does not offer end-to-end encryption by default, and even though Google says it’s private and secure, the contents are accessible to Google and thus not truly confidential. Real confidentiality can only be achieved with end-to-end encryption like in Tuta Mail. In addition to the lack of robust encryption, Gmail is not open source, and its parent company, Alphabet, is an American Tech Giant. Companies that use Gmail but are not based in the US must consider that it falls under US jurisdiction, which is more vulnerable to surveillance than companies that are based in Europe, for example.

A more recent, increasing worry is that Google has become a big player when it comes to developing its AI. It’s developing an AI mode for Google search, and introducing Gemini AI into all its products – including Gmail, which raises concerns over a business’s data privacy and compliance.

Prices for business plans

For businesses wanting to use Gmail, Google offers it as a package available in Google Workspace. Depending on a company’s needs, there are four different Google Workplace plans to choose from: Starter, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise. Plan pricing is displayed for one user, in euros per month, paid yearly. Screenshot: Google Workspace.

Google Workspace’s most basic plan, Business Starter, starts at €6.80 user/month, and this includes 30GB storage, custom domains, video meetings up to 100 participants, and more. It’s worth noting that this paid business plan also includes the Gemini AI assistant in Gmail which could be an issue for business compliance and data protection. For bigger organizations, Google offers other mid and higher-tier plans which offer many tools and features but can be expensive.

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Outlook in Microsoft 365

Pros

• Custom domain support
• Meets GDPR compliance requirements
• Scalable for small to large businesses
• Integrates with a wide range of external tools
• Includes the full Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams, etc)

Cons

• Expensive
• Closed source
• Based in the US (data at risk because of Cloud Act)
• Owned by Microsoft
• Copilot AI integrations
• End-to-end encryption requires complex set up
• User interface can be complex to navigate

Accessibility

The Outlook Mail app is available on Android and iPhone. Outlook is accessible via web browser, and in some plans, users can get the desktop app for Windows and macOS.

• Native Outlook Mail apps available on Android & iPhone.
• Desktop clients for Windows, & macOS (not available in cheaper business plan)
• Outlook is also accessible via web browser.

Outlook is an email and calendar tool that was released in 1997, making it a popular name among mail users. For business use, Outlook comes included in Microsoft 365, an all-round suite which includes collaboration tools like Word, Excel, and Teams, among others. Outlook does come with advanced security features like spam and malware filtering and link safety features, but even for business use, Outlook does not offer end-to-end encryption by default. If you’d like to get E2E encryption for company mail, it can be set up, but this can be time consuming and rather technical.

While Microsoft 365 offers good collaboration features for teams and professional use, it is a pricey suite. If you only need basic email hosting for business, Outlook can be overly complex and heavy to use. Additionally, if you are working in a small team, the interface and setup can feel complicated at times.

Similar to Google Workspace, the use of Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot for deep integration across apps and its introduction of features like Recall is controversial in terms of data security and privacy.

Prices for business plans

For businesses wanting to use Outlook, Microsoft offers it as a package available in Microsoft 365. Depending on a company’s needs, there are two different Microsoft 365 Workplace plans to choose from: Basic and Standard. Plan pricing is displayed for one user with Teams, in dollars per month, paid yearly. Screenshot: Microsoft.

Microsoft 365 Business’s most basic plan, Business Basic, starts at €5,60 user/month, and this includes ITB cloud storage, custom domains, video meetings in Microsoft Teams, and more. It’s worth noting that this paid business plan does not allow users to use the native Outlook desktop app, and it includes a “Secure AI chat,” which could be an issue for business compliance and data protection. For bigger organizations, there are higher-level Microsoft 365 plans. It’s also noteworthy that Microsoft ended support of custom domains for personal plans and Microsoft ended its free offer for non-profits..

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Zoho Mail

Pros

• Affordable plans
• GDPR compliant
• Supports custom domains
• Integrates with Zoho Workplace
• Offers collaboration tools (Writer, Sheets, WorkDrive, etc)
• Good collaboration features in email, for example, shared mailboxes

Cons

• Located in India - which does not have a good privacy reputation
• Closed source
• Developing an AI Assistant, Zia
• No real end-to-end encryption by default
• Lacks ease-of-use, can be a steep learning curve to use
• Limited third party integration (compared to Gmail & Outlook)

Accessibility:

Zoho Mail only has native apps for Android and iPhone, it’s accessible via web browser, and in some plans, users can get the desktop app for Linux, Windows and macOS.

• Native Zoho Mail app available on Android & iPhone.
• Zoho Mail is accessible via web browser.
• Desktop clients for Windows, Linux, & macOS (not available in cheapest business plan).

Zoho Mail is a business email hosting service from India, well-known for is affordable pricing and range of collaboration integration, making it a good choice for teams and companies looking for an affordable email solution with extra tools and a productivity suite like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, but at a lower price.

The potential downsides that need to be considered before choosing Zoho Mail is that for business users, the interface is not user-intuitive and it might take some time to get used to. ZohoMail does offer relatively good security for email users, but like Gmail and Outlook, it doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption by default, which is necessary for confidential and secure communications.

Prices for business plans

For businesses wanting to use Zoho Mail, Zoho offers it as a package with other features. Depending on a company’s needs, there are different Zoho plans to choose from: Workplace Standard, Mail Lite, Mail Premium, Workplace Professional, and Workplace Enterprise. Plan pricing is displayed for one user, in euros per month, paid yearly. Screenshot: Zoho.

Zoho Mail offers the most affordable email for business. Zoho’s most basic plan, Workplace Standard, starts at €2.70 user/month, and this includes 30GB email storage, custom email domains, office suite, and more. It’s worth noting that this paid business plan does not allow users to use the native Zoho Mail desktop app, and it includes its AI assistant, Zia. For bigger companies, Zoho also offers mid and higher level tiers with more storage and features, which are cheaper compared to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.

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What you need to know

Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoho Mail appear attractive when it comes to user-friendly design and collaboration features. However, these providers are behind in terms of privacy, data control, and cost effectiveness. Another disadvantage is that since these business email providers are deeply tied to their own ecosystems, your business could have less flexibility and independence and get tied into only using one company’s products.

Tuta Mail stands out and is the best for businesses that want true privacy and security for their data and communication. Overall, Tuta Mail provides businesses with unrivaled privacy, thanks to its automatic quantum-proof encryption. That is why it is often used by lawyers for confidential communication. Tuta provides strong business functionality, transparent data policies, and fair pricing. Tuta Mail is designed for users and companies that want full control over their communications without compromising usability. Unlike Gmail, Outlook, and Zoho Mail, even in its free personal plans and lowest business plans, Tuta Mail offers native mobile apps for Android and iPhone, it’s accessible via web browser, and it has free to use native desktop apps available for macOS, Linux, and Windows.