The Zoho Mail Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Zoho Mail in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Zoho Mail
The Insider’s Guide
Ad-free business email hosting with calendar, tasks and notes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Zoho Mail’s own pages.
Made by Zoho Corporation · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Zoho Mail’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Zoho Mail’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 47 of the 51 other email apps we grade
Zoho Mail is a hosted email service for organizations that want addresses on their own domain. The inbox comes with a calendar, contacts, tasks, notes and bookmarks, and Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, drafts replies and summarizes threads. It is sold as Mail-only plans and as Zoho Workplace bundles that add WorkDrive file storage, office apps, Cliq chat and Zoho Meeting. A free plan for up to five users is offered in some data centers.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Zoho Mail, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for email on your own domain from $1 a head
If you just want a free personal inbox, look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $1 per user / month, billed annually (Mail Lite, 5 GB).
- 3
There is a free plan
Forever Free Plan: email hosting for one domain and up to 5 users, with 5 GB of mail storage each. IMAP, POP and ActiveSync are not included, and it is available only in select data centers.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
Email on your own domain
Addresses at your company's domain with group addresses and email and domain aliases. SPF, DKIM, DMARC and BIMI are built in.
- 6
Calendar, tasks, notes and bookmarks
A calendar, contacts, ToDo, notes and bookmarks sit inside the mailbox, so events and tasks are handled in the same window as mail.
- 7
Streams and shared drafts
Streams lets a team comment, assign tasks and post announcements around email. Drafts, single emails and whole folders can be shared for review or delegation.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 47 of 51
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Zoho Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Zoho Mail at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $1 per user / month, billed annually (Mail Lite, 5 GB)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of the highest edition, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Zoho Corporation
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.6 on the App Store, 8,005 ratings
The report card
Best for email on your own domain from $1 a head
Zoho Mail is hosted email for addresses on your own domain, from $1 a person a month billed yearly, with a calendar, tasks and notes in the same window. You have to point a domain at it before mail arrives, the free plan for 5 people has no IMAP or POP and isn't offered in every data centre, the cheapest plans are yearly only, and the phone app draws complaints. If you just want a free personal inbox, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Mail Lite is $1 a person a month, billed yearly, where the low quarter of this category starts at $4 and the middle is $8. Even Workplace Standard, with the office apps and chat in it, is $3. Mail Lite has no monthly option, though. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free for up to 5 people on one domain, which is unusual, but the walls are close: 5 GB each, no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync, so no Apple Mail, Outlook or Thunderbird, and Zoho only offers the plan in some data centres, so you may not be able to get it at all. |
| Features | B | Mail on your domain with SPF, DKIM, DMARC and BIMI, a calendar, tasks, notes, shared drafts, Streams for commenting on an email, an admin console and a free migration tool. Retention, eDiscovery and S/MIME sit on the $4-and-up plans. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.6 from about 8,000 App Store ratings, a notch under Gmail's and Outlook's apps. Short of top marks because there's homework first: you point your domain at Zoho before any mail arrives, and reviewers find settings split between inbox and admin screen. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with paid plans readable in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird over IMAP. It plugs into Zoho CRM, Projects, WorkDrive and Cliq, and there's Zapier. The free plan has no IMAP, so it's Zoho's own apps only. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Zoho Mail is for
- Fits if you run a small business and want addresses on your own domain for $1 a person a month
- Works for teams already on Zoho CRM or Projects, which plug into the inbox
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you just want a free personal inbox, because Gmail and Outlook need no domain and no setup
- Not for you if you want Apple Mail or Outlook on the free plan, which has no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync and isn't in every data centre
- Tight if you never delete anything, as Mail Lite gives each person 5 GB, or 10 GB for $1.25
- Watch out: Mail Lite and Mail Premium are yearly only, and retention, eDiscovery and S/MIME start at $4 a person
- Watch out: the phone app gets reports of missing emails and a delete button that misbehaves
Good to know
Good for
- Small businesses that want low-cost email on their own domain
- Teams that already use other Zoho apps such as CRM or Projects
- Organizations that want to choose the country their mail is stored in
Worth knowing
- The free plan covers one domain and 5 users, has no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync access, and is offered only in select data centers.
- Mail Lite and Mail Premium are sold on yearly subscriptions only. Monthly billing exists only for the Workplace plans.
- Email retention, eDiscovery and S/MIME are limited to Mail Premium and Workplace Professional.
- Zoho states 24x7 support by email, phone and live chat for paid plans, and guided migration by a dedicated agent only for companies with more than 50 users.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Zoho Mail has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1 per user / month, billed annually (Mail Lite, 5 GB).
Mail Lite has no monthly option, though.
Forever Free
$0
One domain and up to 5 users with 5 GB of mail storage each. No IMAP, POP or ActiveSync access; offered only in select data centers.
Mail Lite
$1
per user / month, billed annually (no monthly plan)
Custom-domain email with 5 GB of mail storage per user, or 10 GB for $1.25, plus calendar and tasks. No file storage.
Workplace Standard
$3
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
30 GB of mail storage per user plus WorkDrive, the office apps, Cliq, Meeting and Vault. File storage starts at 100 GB per team.
Mail Premium
$4
per user / month, billed annually (no monthly plan)
50 GB of mail storage and 50 GB of retention storage per user, with email retention and eDiscovery, S/MIME and mobile access management.
Workplace Professional
$6
per user / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly)
100 GB of mail and 100 GB of retention storage per user, 1 TB of team file storage, the Premium compliance tools and Zoho Connect.
Workplace Enterprise
Custom
Custom limits across the Workplace products, with Active Directory cloud sync and endpoint controls. Priced through Zoho sales.
The free plan
Forever Free Plan: email hosting for one domain and up to 5 users, with 5 GB of mail storage each. IMAP, POP and ActiveSync are not included, and it is available only in select data centers.
Trying it first
15-day free trial of the highest edition, no credit card required
Read from zoho.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 20% off with annual billing
Zoho's pricing FAQ cites a discount of roughly 20% for annual billing. Workplace Standard is $3 per user / month billed annually against $4 monthly, and Workplace Professional $6 against $7.
Stated on zoho.comNonprofit
Special pricing for nonprofits
The pricing FAQ says non-profit and charitable organizations get special pricing, arranged by contacting Zoho sales.
Stated on zoho.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Standard”, against $3.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | ₺27,99 | $0.57 | 86% less |
| India | ₹ 129 | $1.33 | 67% less |
| Brazil | R$ 15,90 | $3.18 | 20% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 59ribu | $3.30 | 17% less |
| South Africa | R64.99 | $3.93 | about the same |
| Mexico | $75.00 | $4.12 | about the same |
| Germany | 3,99 € | $4.47 | 12% more |
| United Kingdom | £3.49 | $4.61 | 16% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Ad-free business email hosting with calendar, tasks and notes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, AI features, tasks, calendar, email client.
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with paid plans readable in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird over IMAP.
- Email on your own domain
- Addresses at your company's domain with group addresses and email and domain aliases. SPF, DKIM, DMARC and BIMI are built in.
- Calendar, tasks, notes and bookmarks
- A calendar, contacts, ToDo, notes and bookmarks sit inside the mailbox, so events and tasks are handled in the same window as mail.
- Streams and shared drafts
- Streams lets a team comment, assign tasks and post announcements around email. Drafts, single emails and whole folders can be shared for review or delegation.
- Zia AI assistant
- Zia drafts replies and summarizes long threads, and Zoho Mail can be connected to AI apps through Zoho Mail MCP.
- Admin console and compliance
- Role-based access, security policies, audit logs and two-factor authentication for admins. Retention, eDiscovery and S/MIME come with Mail Premium and Workplace Professional.
- Migration tools
- A free automated tool moves email, contacts and calendars from Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or any IMAP provider, with migration specialists available at no extra charge.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Zoho CRM
- Zoho Projects
- Zoho WorkDrive
- Zoho Creator
- Zoho Cliq
- Zapier
Zoho Mail is made by Zoho Corporation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
47/51
Other email apps it is graded above
Zoho Mail's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 47 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 41 of 51) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 4).
Its paid plans start at $1 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 2 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Zoho Mail’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 41 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- BFeaturesAbove 30 of 51
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 51
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 41 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoho Mail is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Zoho Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 47 of the 51 other email apps we grade. It costs $12 a year.
What you could make
- Calendar and tasks: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects and Zoho WorkDrive among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: audit logs and roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Zoho Mail’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Fastmail, Proton Mail and mailbox
The 5 tools Zoho Mail is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Gmail
Free plan · from $7/mo
Google's email service, free for personal use with 15 GB of storage.
- Only Zoho Mail lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Zoho Mail also covers tasks and calendar.
- Gmail also covers inbox filtering.
- 3.6GPA
Microsoft Outlook
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Microsoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web.
- Only Zoho Mail lists a Linux app.
- Microsoft Outlook also covers inbox filtering.
- 2.8GPA
Fastmail
Free trial · from $3/mo
Paid, ad-free email with calendar, contacts and custom domains.
- Zoho Mail has a free plan. Fastmail does not, though it has a free trial.
- Zoho Mail also covers tasks.
- 3.0GPA
Proton Mail
Free plan · from $3.99/mo
End-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland.
- Proton Mail is open source and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Zoho Mail also covers tasks.
- 2.6GPA
mailbox
Free trial · from €1/mo
Paid, ad-free email with cloud storage and office tools from Germany.
- Zoho Mail has a free plan. mailbox does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Mail lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- mailbox is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Zoho Mail free?
Zoho Mail has a free plan. Forever Free Plan: email hosting for one domain and up to 5 users, with 5 GB of mail storage each.
How much does Zoho Mail cost?
Zoho Mail lists 6 plans. Forever Free: $0.
What platforms does Zoho Mail work on?
Zoho Mail is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Mail offer any discounts?
Zoho Mail publicly lists the following: About 20% off with annual billing; Special pricing for nonprofits.
How is Zoho Mail rated?
Zoho Mail's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8,005 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Is Zoho Mail open source?
Zoho Mail is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Zoho Mail work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Zoho Mail integrate with?
Zoho Mail's listing names Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, Zoho WorkDrive, Zoho Creator, Zoho Cliq and Zapier.
Does Zoho Mail have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of the highest edition, no credit card required.
Who makes Zoho Mail?
Zoho Mail is made by Zoho Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Zoho Mail?
The closest alternatives to Zoho Mail in our directory are Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Fastmail, Proton Mail and mailbox.
How does Zoho Mail compare with other email apps?
Zoho Mail's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 47 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 3.
Is Zoho Mail good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Zoho Mail A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 2 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Zoho Mail?
To replace Zoho Mail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Zoho Mail’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on Zoho Mail's home, pricing, features, desktop, mobile, help and what's new pages as of 9 October 2026, its App Store listing and reviews, and Hacker News comments about it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-23.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zoho Corporation. Prices change, so check zoho.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Zoho Mail, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/zoho-mail
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Zoho Mail: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-mail
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Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-mail/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Zoho Mail, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- Thunderbird Insider's GuideFree, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Zoho Mail’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Zoho Mail is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zoho Corporation. Prices and plans change: check zoho.com before you buy.