When I was searching for a cost-effective email provider, I noticed that most providers bundle a single mailbox with strict storage limits. As someone starting a new venture, I didn’t want to mix personal emails with business ones, and I wanted the flexibility to create separate mailboxes for different apps and domains right from the beginning.
My Journey Before Purelymail
- Self-hosted email: I tried this route, but most ISPs block outbound ports to fight spam. AWS also requires opening a support ticket, providing justifications, and waiting for approval. In short—too much hassle.
- Zoho Mail: They once offered 5 free mailboxes, but that plan is gone for new users. Even then, the 5 GB storage and mailbox cap quickly felt restrictive.
- Mainstream providers (Google Workspace, GoDaddy, Hostinger, etc.): All are overpriced and inflexible for startups. Paying per mailbox gets ridiculous when you want multiple admin addresses.
Why Multiple Emails Matter
I prefer compartmentalization. For example:
- bizops@domain.com for operations
- clouds@domain.com for infrastructure
- vault@domain.com for sensitive data
- finance@domain.com for bookkeeping
- marketing@domain.com for campaigns
- social@domain.com for social platforms
This way, if one account gets compromised, the rest of my business isn’t automatically exposed.
Enter Purelymail
Purelymail offers a simple, transparent pricing model:
- \$10/year for infinite mailboxes.
- Pay-as-you-go billing once you cross certain thresholds (storage, sending/receiving limits).
- Full support for IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, meaning you can configure it in Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.
- You can also use their own webmail client (though, honestly, the UI is quite outdated).
Here’s a snapshot from my monthly usage report:
- Cost this month: \$0.65
- Under advanced pricing, it could have been even lower.
- Storage: practically free unless you hoard huge attachments.
- Sending & receiving costs: negligible.
The best part? Unlimited domains and unlimited users. This is a dream for startups that want flexibility without breaking the bank.
Downsides (the reality check)
- Single-person operation: From what I’ve read on Reddit, Purelymail is largely run by one individual. That’s impressive, but also risky if the bus factor = 1.
- UI/UX is barebones: Don’t expect the polish of Gmail or Outlook. It’s functional, not pretty.
- Not mainstream: No huge brand recognition or corporate backing. If reliability and long-term continuity are a concern, always keep backups of your emails.
- No big ecosystem: Unlike Google or Microsoft, you don’t get extras like calendar, storage, or docs. This is just email.
Verdict
If you’re a startup, indie hacker, or small business that just needs cheap, reliable, custom-domain email with multiple mailboxes, Purelymail is unbeatable in terms of cost.
If you need enterprise-grade support, integrations, or guaranteed longevity, you might still prefer Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
For me, Purelymail has been a hidden gem. It’s not flashy, but it just works—and for \$10/year, that’s hard to beat.
👉 Check it out here: https://purelymail.com
About me: I’m Quazi, with 5 years of experience in AWS Cloud, IT & Infrastructure, DevOps, and DevSecOps. I enjoy exploring cost-effective tools and sharing honest reviews to help startups, solo founders, and small teams make better tech decisions. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-quazi/
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