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Gilbert Zhang / 8.29.2023Home / Email Security

Email better than Gmail—the top solution reviewed

If you need an email better than Gmail, read this article to discover an excellent option that helps maximize your productivity while keeping your data safe.

With over 1.8 billion users, Gmail is the most widely accepted email service and has been the industry leader for years. Still, many users want an alternative, especially in light of the growing cybersecurity concerns.While Gmail has several advantages—a free plan, clean user interface, and access to Google Workspace—it’s not particularly secure. A recent misuse of its Sender Verification System left the entire user base exposed to security risks, and it’s only one of the many ways hackers have taken advantage of the platform’s vulnerabilities.Besides security issues, Gmail also comes up short when providing storage space. You get 15 GB with the free plan, which isn’t much compared to other Big Tech providers—especially since you use the same storage for Google Drive and Google Photos.Whether you’re looking for an email better than Gmail for the above reasons or have encountered other specific issues, this article will give you a few options to consider. Before exploring them, it’s worth explaining what makes a good email provider in the first place.

Upgrade to a secure and user-focused email solutionSkiff Mail's advanced encryption and intuitive design create a safe and effective email environment

What makes emails better than Gmail?

Your Gmail alternative should have all the things you love about Google’s solution, minus the drawbacks. Specifically, there are five factors to consider when choosing your next service:

Design and user experience
Feature availability
Integrations
Cross-platform support
Security

Design and user experience

There aren’t many complaints about Gmail’s user interface (UI). You get a relatively clean, minimalistic design without obstructive elements and complex features. From this perspective, Gmail is certainly better than some of its main competitors, like Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Mail.Still, the UI isn’t perfect. Your inbox becomes home to paid ads and promotions, which most Big Tech platforms include in their free solutions to monetize them in some way. They’re placed in the Promotions tab in Gmail, so they’re not too obstructive, but they’re still an unnecessary distraction.

Source: Gmail screenshotComposing an email also leaves room for improvement. Gmail has a potentially frustrating drawback of opening an immovable window in the bottom-right corner for a new email, which blocks a section of your inbox from view.As you explore alternatives to Gmail, look for a solution that provides a smoother email experience by not bothering you with ads or design flaws. While a platform’s esthetic appeal is largely subjective, every provider worth considering should follow proper UI design practices and help maximize your productivity.

Feature availability

One of the main reasons for Gmail’s popularity is access to the various useful features that come with the free plan, most notably:

Confidential Mode
Custom labels
Access to the productivity tools from Google Workspace

When switching to another provider, find a solution with a broad scope of features that cater to all your needs. Some of the main features to look for include the following:

Advanced email organization through filters, folders, and labels
High attachment limits (Gmail’s limit is only 25 MB, but you can send larger attachments using Google Drive)
Malware and phishing protection
Custom domains (especially important if you’re a business user)

Many providers place the above features behind a paywall, but there are still prominent services that include them for free.

Integrations

Despite Gmail’s flaws, credit should be given where it’s due—native and third-party integrations are excellent, and many Big Tech providers can’t compare to Google’s solution from this perspective.Besides Google Workspace apps, you get a rich library of add-ons, and Gmail works seamlessly with various productivity tools like Slack and Dropbox.Few commercial email providers offer such extensive integrations. Outlook and Apple Mail mostly operate within their closed native systems with only a handful of third-party add-ons, while Yahoo has virtually no integrations at all.As you explore potential alternatives, it’s also worth checking how well the email client handles add-ons in terms of performance. There’s not much point in finding an option that supports numerous integrations but gets bogged down once you install them.

Cross-platform support

Gmail supports all major browsers and has dedicated Android and iOS apps. There are no desktop apps, though, which might be frustrating for some users. If your browser slows down while you’re working, you may not want to overwhelm it with another web app.Your Gmail alternative should fix this issue and ensure a seamless workflow between different devices. Besides app availability, this is achieved through several features, such as:

Real-time auto-syncing
Offline mode for mobile apps
User-friendly interfaces on all platforms

The main point of cross-platform support is consistency, so find an email service that makes switching between devices feel natural. The key features should be available on all the devices/versions you use without disrupting your workflow.

Security

No feature is worth committing to an email platform that can’t keep your correspondence secure and private. This is Gmail’s weakest point as Google is notorious for invasive privacy practices and basic security.Alphabet, Google’s parent company, underwent scrutiny in 2022 due to commercially motivated email scanning. Even the possibility of having their emails read by Google is enough for many users to consider a more private email platform.Gmail has also fallen victim to numerous cyberattacks, so it’s not the best platform for sending sensitive information and attachments. The main reason behind this vulnerability is weak encryption, particularly with the free plan.Gmail uses the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol for encryption in transit, which is full of weak points. Google claims data is also encrypted at rest, making users believe their information is safe.This isn’t necessarily true, especially because both encryption in transit and at rest rely on using keys created and stored by Google. This exposes users to two significant risks:

Hackers can steal encryption keys from Google’s servers
Google can use the keys to decipher your messages and read plaintext copies of emails

You can get privacy and security only with an email provider offering end-to-end encryption (E2EE). With E2EE, your emails are encrypted on your device using the keys created and stored locally. This means emails reach the provider’s servers in encrypted form, and the service doesn’t have the decryption keys.Gmail doesn’t offer E2EE by default. If you need a provider that does, Skiff Mail can be a far superior option.

Skiff Mail—private, secure, and feature-rich

Skiff Mail is a secure alternative to Gmail that uses strong end-to-end encryption and gives users complete privacy without costs or complicated setups. The platform uses two separate keys to protect your correspondence:

Public key—Encrypts the email on the sender’s device before it’s sent
Private key—Decrypts the message and remains safely stored on the recipient’s device

Keys are created and stored on the user’s device, and Skiff takes no part in managing them. All emails reach the platform’s servers in encrypted form, so you can rest assured nobody but the recipient can read plaintext copies.

Source: SkiffTo further ensure confidentiality and protect you against account takeovers, Skiff Mail offers the following security features:

Zero-knowledge login that lets you sign up without leaving your name, phone number, or other private information
Secure Remote Password algorithm that encrypts your login credentials and other critical account data
Two-factor authentication (2FA) that fortifies your account’s security and uses the Authenticator app to allow you to login without leaving your phone number

Access total email securitySkiff protects your digital identity using top-notch encryption for seamless communication

Advanced features at no cost

Strong security is only one of Skiff Mail’s benefits—you get various features that contribute to a streamlined and pleasant workflow.Despite not storing plaintext email copies, the platform offers lightning-fast email and text search options. You can browse the contents of your correspondence to find all the information you need swiftly. You also get 10 GB of E2EE storage, which is well above the industry standard.Skiff Mail supports comprehensive email organization through labels, folders, and filters. You can manage emails from multiple addresses with four Skiff.com aliases and create a custom domain to ensure a higher degree of professionalism.If you’re a crypto enthusiast, you can leverage Skiff’s integration with several crypto wallets, including:

MetaMask
Coinbase
Keplr

All of the above features are available with the free plan and packed in a beautifully designed user interface that minimizes distractions and helps you stay productive.Skiff Mail is open source, so the codebase is publicly available and has undergone numerous reviews. You can find it on GitHub and read the whitepaper for additional information on Skiff’s security and features.

Source: Skiff

Skiff Mail is a part of the E2EE suite for a secure workflow

Other Google Workspace tools aren’t much more secure than Gmail. Skiff lets users create a safer online work environment through three end-to-end encrypted platforms besides Skiff Mail:

Skiff Pages—Lets you create, edit, and share documents like you would with Google Docs, except your file’s metadata and contents are end-to-end encrypted. Skiff Pages features a rich text editor and invite-based collaboration, so you get everything you need to create a seamless workflow
Skiff Drive—An end-to-end encrypted cloud storage solution that lets you upload and share files of all types and sizes. You can also leverage optional InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) integration to store your files in a decentralized environment
Skiff Calendar—Automatically syncs with Skiff Mail and helps you stay on top of your schedule. The robust calendar app comes with a built-in video conferencing tool to enable easier communication

Skiff offers excellent cross-platform support—it’s available on browsers, iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows. Visit the download page to find the appropriate Skiff version for your device.

Get started with Skiff Mail

Skiff Mail and other E2EE tools are available for free with one account, which you can create in no more than a few minutes by taking the following steps:

Visit the signup page
Choose your username and password
Explore Skiff’s secure product suite

You can then move everything from Gmail using Skiff’s one-click migration. Instead of doing everything manually, you can transfer all important data quickly and efficiently. Skiff won’t store unencrypted copies of your emails, files, or other data, so you can enjoy complete privacy immediately.The free plan is quite generous and should satisfy the needs of an average user. Still, if you need more storage and additional features, you can choose from one of Skiff’s three paid plans:

Plan	Cost
Essential	From $3/month
Pro	From $8/month
Business	From $12/user per month

Additional alternatives worth checking out

If you wish to compare a few other options before finding an alternative to Gmail, the following table presents seven providers to consider:

Provider	Features	Pros	Cons
Yahoo	Customizable folders, group by sender, 1 TB of storage	Free to use, decent organization features, ample storage	Outdated interface, weak security
Outlook	Email scheduling, immersive reader, 15 GB of email storage + 5 GB for OneDrive	Advanced email search, rich organization features, shared calendars	Cluttered inbox interface, no E2EE by default
Proton Mail	Privacy-first and open source, Calendar, VPN, Drive, and Pass apps included, inbox customization	End-to-end encrypted, clean user interface, access to additional apps	Outdated PGP protocol used for E2EE, only 1 GB of storage
Zoho Mail	5 GB of storage, custom domains and signatures, email draft sharing	User-friendly interface, various collaboration features, solid integration	Limited storage, advanced organization features not available with the free plan
iCloud	5 GB of storage, swipe gestures, email aliases	Minimalistic interface, solid spam filtering, no inbox ads	Limited free storage, mainly designed for Apple’s ecosystem
Tutanota	1 GB of storage, end-to-end encryption, encrypted calendar	Decent security and privacy, over 20 supported languages	No custom domains in the free account

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