Canny Picks / Business email
Cheapest business email that doesn't look cheap
A you@yourbusiness.com address costs about $7 a person. Going cheaper is possible. Going with a free Gmail address costs you more in lost trust than it saves.
Prices checked October 5, 2026 on each company's own pricing page. Written by Canny Software, Palm Desert.
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Google Workspace Starter, $7 per user
It is $7 per user a month on an annual plan, or $8.40 month to month. Everyone already knows how Gmail works, so there is nothing to teach. One caution: on the annual plan you can add people but cannot drop seats until renewal.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic, $7 per user
Same price with Teams: $7 on an annual plan, $8.40 monthly. Without Teams it drops to $5.40. Pick it if your office lives in Word and Excel. This plan gives you the web and phone versions only, not the desktop apps.
Fastmail Basic
The $3 to $4 plan looks like the bargain, but it cannot use your own domain, which is the whole point. Fastmail Standard at $5 to $6 can, and it is a fine service with no office apps attached.
What five people actually pay
| Tool | Entry price | Five people | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace Starter | $7 annual, $8.40 monthly | $35 to $42 a month | Annual plan locks your seat count until renewal. |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7 annual with Teams | $35 to $42 a month | Web and mobile Office only. Prices rose in mid 2026. |
| Zoho Mail | Free for up to 5 users | Check the current paid price | Free plan has no IMAP or POP, so no Outlook or Apple Mail. Paid mail plans are annual only. |
| Fastmail Standard | $5 annual, $6 monthly | $25 to $30 a month | No documents, spreadsheets or video meetings. |
Per-month prices in US dollars before tax. Annual-billing prices are shown as the monthly equivalent where the company lists them that way.
How to decide in two minutes
If you have no strong preference, buy Google Workspace Starter and move on. If your team sends Excel files all day, buy Microsoft.
Truly broke? Zoho Mail's free plan gives five people addresses on your own domain. You read mail in the browser or the Zoho app only.
Common questions
Can I use my own domain with free Gmail?
No. A custom domain needs Google Workspace or another paid host. Our website plan includes the domain, and we can help you point email at whichever provider you choose.
Is annual or monthly billing better?
Annual saves about 17% at Google and Microsoft. Choose monthly if your headcount changes a lot, because annual seats cannot be removed mid-term.
Will switching lose my old email?
Not if it is migrated. Both Google and Microsoft have import tools, and a careful move takes an afternoon for a small office.
Paying for more than one of these?
List everything on the stack audit page and see a free draft of what to cut.