Custom domain email without Google Workspace
Five ways to get [email protected] without paying for a full office suite, what each one gives you, and which fits a small business best.
Google Workspace is good software. It's also a lot of software, priced per person, and many small businesses use only the email part. If that's you, paying for calendar, documents, video calls and storage you never touch isn't a bargain.
You have other routes to a professional address. Each one trades something away.
First, what do you actually use?
Open your last week of work and note what you really opened. A rough sorting:
- Only email. You send, receive, reply from your phone.
- Email plus a shared calendar. Meetings are invited and accepted.
- Email plus documents. People edit the same files together.
- All of it, and video calls too.
The first row doesn't need a suite. The last does.
Option 1: a mail host
A mail host gives you mailboxes on your domain and nothing else. You read mail in a browser or in any email app over IMAP and SMTP. Aliases and forwarding are usually included.
Good for: teams that need email and use separate tools for everything else.
You give up: integrated calendar, documents and chat.
This is what Mailions is. A domain gets its own DKIM key, a checklist of DNS records and a one-click check against live DNS, then mailboxes you can open in the browser or any app. Webmail composes plain text today, so if you rely on rich formatted messages, check that works for you.
Option 2: Microsoft 365 and similar suites
Another full suite, with Outlook, Teams and Office documents. It suits organisations already on Windows and Office.
Good for: teams that live in Word and Excel.
You give up: simplicity and, again, per-person pricing for features you may not use.
Option 3: email bundled with your registrar or web host
Many registrars and web hosts include mailboxes with the domain or the hosting plan. It's the least effort to start.
Good for: a very small setup that needs one or two addresses.
Watch for: tight storage caps, shared sending IPs that other customers have misused, limited authentication help and weak support. Check whether you get a per-domain DKIM key and clear SPF and DMARC guidance. What an SPF record is and what DKIM does tell you what to look for.
Option 4: forward a custom address to your existing Gmail
A forwarding service receives mail for [email protected] and passes it to your Gmail account. You read it in Gmail and can send as your domain address with Gmail's Send mail as option.
Good for: someone who wants a professional address with the least cost and changes nothing about how they read mail.
Watch for: forwarding can trip authentication checks, as the sender's SPF no longer lines up at the forwarding step. The sending side is also tied to Gmail's SMTP or your provider's. We explain the pieces in using a custom domain email in Gmail and aliases vs mailboxes vs forwarding.
Option 5: run your own mail server
You get total control. You also get blocklist hunting, patching, backups and 3 a.m. alerts. For most small businesses it's the most expensive option once you count your time. Unless you enjoy running servers, skip it.
Comparing them
| Mail host | Big suite | Registrar mail | Forwarding | Own server | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | Low | Low | Lowest | Low | High |
| Calendar and docs | No | Yes | Rarely | Via Gmail | No |
| Control | Medium | Low | Low | Low | Total |
| Ongoing work | Little | Little | Little | Little | A lot |
| Deliverability help | Usually yes | Yes | Varies | Weak | All yours |
Questions to ask any provider
- Does each domain get its own DKIM key, and can I see the records to publish?
- Can I read mail in any email app over IMAP and SMTP, or only in their app?
- Are aliases and forwarding included?
- What happens to my mail if I leave? Can I keep the same addresses?
- Is there a person I can reach when mail isn't arriving?
- How do they handle spam and abuse from other customers?
Our recommendation
If you only need email, start with a mail host on a domain you own. Because the domain is yours, you can switch later without changing any address anyone knows. If your team grows into shared documents and calendars, add a suite then.
To try Mailions for your domain, contact us with the domain and the number of mailboxes you need, and we'll agree a trial. The overview of the whole process is in setting up professional email on your own domain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a custom domain email address for free?
Some registrars and web hosts include basic mailboxes or forwarding with a domain or hosting plan, and forwarding to an existing inbox is often free. Full mailboxes with good spam filtering and support usually cost money, and the domain always has a yearly fee.
Can I move from Google Workspace to another provider without losing email?
Yes. Copy existing mail with an IMAP migration tool or the new provider's import feature, then switch the MX record. Keep the old account until the new one has received mail for a few days, and update SPF and DKIM for the new sender.
What should I look for in a business email provider?
Support for your own domain with DKIM signing, standard IMAP and SMTP access, aliases and forwarding, clear storage limits and a way to export your mail. Ask how support works and what happens to your mail if you leave.