Glossary
What is email hosting?
The short answer
Email hosting is the service that runs a mailbox at your own domain, like you@yourbusiness.com. Most website builders do not include it, so you usually add Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, which both start at $7 per user a month billed yearly. Some builders and hosts include a mailbox free for the first year only.
What it means
Email hosting is the company that stores and delivers mail for your own domain name. Your website and your email both use the same domain, but they usually run on different services.
A free Gmail or Outlook address works, but an address like hello@yourbusiness.com looks more trustworthy and stays with the business if staff change.
How it works
Your domain’s DNS settings act like a signpost. A record type called MX (mail exchange) tells the internet which company should receive mail for your domain. Point it at Google, and Google receives your mail. Point it at Microsoft, and Microsoft does.
A few other DNS records help your mail reach inboxes instead of spam folders. SPF lists which servers may send for you, DKIM adds a digital signature, and DMARC tells receivers what to do with mail that fails those checks. Your email provider gives you the exact values to copy in.
Because email is set by DNS, it is separate from your website. You can switch builders without touching email, as long as you keep the MX records the same.
Why it matters when you build a site
It is a recurring cost most people forget. Here are list prices per user per month from Google’s and Microsoft’s own pages:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $7.00 | $8.40 |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $14.00 | $16.80 |
| Google Workspace Business Plus | $22.00 | $26.40 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7.00 | $8.40 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic, no Teams | $5.40 | $6.48 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $14.00 | $16.80 |
A three-person team on Business Starter billed yearly pays $7 x 3 people x 36 months = $756 over three years. That is why our true website cost always includes email.
Contract terms differ. Google’s help page says the Flexible plan can add or remove users and cancel any time, while the Annual plan only lets you reduce licenses at renewal and charges the rest of the contract if you cancel early.
Ownership. If your email is bundled with your web host and you leave the host, your mailboxes have to move too.
Google or Microsoft? At the entry level they cost the same. Pick the one whose apps your team already uses: Gmail, Docs and Sheets, or Outlook, Word and Excel. Both work with any website builder, because the connection is made in DNS, not on your site.
How the big builders handle it
- Squarespace. Core, Plus and Advanced include one Google Workspace account free for the first year when you register or connect a domain. Basic does not. The price after year one is not stated on the pricing page.
- Hostinger. Premium includes 2 mailboxes per website free for 1 year; Unlimited and Cloud Startup include unlimited mailboxes for 1 year. Premium is $2.99 a month on a 48-month prepaid term, renewing at $10.99 a month.
- Webflow and Framer. No email hosting is listed on either pricing page. Plan on Google or Microsoft.
- Wix, Shopify and WordPress.com. We could not confirm a current email offer from their official pages, so budget for a separate provider.
- WordPress (self-hosted). Email is not part of WordPress. Many hosts bundle mailboxes, or you use Google or Microsoft.
Common mistakes
- Counting a free first year as free forever. Bundled mailboxes renew at a price, or stop.
- Breaking email during a move. When you transfer a domain or change DNS, copy the MX records first. Squarespace’s domain transfer article reminds Google Workspace users to update MX records at the new provider.
- Skipping SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Without them, your invoices and replies are more likely to land in spam.
- Sharing one login. Give each person their own mailbox, or use a shared group address.
Related terms
- Domain registrar: where your MX records are usually set.
- Web hosting: the website side, billed separately.
Questions people ask
Do website builders include email?
Mostly not for the long term. Squarespace includes one Google Workspace account for the first year on Core and above, and Hostinger includes mailboxes for the first year. After that you pay.
How much does business email cost?
Google Workspace Business Starter and Microsoft 365 Business Basic both list $7 per user per month billed yearly, or $8.40 billed monthly.
Can I keep my email if I change website builders?
Yes. Email is controlled by your domain's MX records, not your website. Keep those records the same when you move the site.
What is an MX record?
A DNS setting that tells the internet which company receives email for your domain. Your email provider tells you what to enter.
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Rank Summit Agency builds and looks after websites for US businesses. Full disclosure: Rank Summit runs this site.