How to Compare Email Services

Free email services are found in abundance across the Internet. The most commonly used services include Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Gmail, Juno and AOL Mail. When choosing your email service consider the features each service offers.

Types

The first thing to compare from service to service is the type of email service offered. Some email providers are geared more towards business while others are user-friendly for the average person. For example, Hotmail is part of Windows Live. This network is often used by business because it is simple and includes services such as Microsoft Office Live Small Business.

Features

Look at the features available with each provider. For example, Gmail offers you a variety of services outside of email such as Google Notebook, Task Lists, Google Calendar and Google Documents. Yahoo! Mail offers photo sharing with Flickr, Yahoo Calendar, unlimited storage and in-browser chat.

Accessibility

One important thing to look at when comparing email providers is accessibility. A lot of people need to check their email while on the go using smartphones. Some email services do not have mobile applications which makes checking email on a phone frustrating and inconvenient.

References

• PC Magazine: Internet E-mail Service Definition
• Yahoo! Mail
• Gmail
• Hotmail
• AOL Mail

Resources

• Microsoft Office Live Small Business
• Microsoft Press Pass: New MSN Messenger Connect Service Empowers Business...