Gmail is the Google approach to email, chat and
social networking. Practically unlimited free online storage allows you to
collect all your messages, and Gmail's simple but very smart interface lets you
find them precisely and see them in context without effort. POP and powerful
IMAP access bring Gmail to any email program or device.
Gmail puts contextual advertising next to the emails you read.
AIM Mail, AOL's free web-based email service,
shines with unlimited online storage, very good spam protection and a rich, easy
to use interface.
Unfortunately, AIM Mail lacks a bit in productivity (no labels, smart folders
and message threading), but makes up for some of that with very functional IMAP
(as well as POP) access.
GMX Mail is a reliable email service filtered
well of spam and viruses whose 5 GB of online storage you can use not only
through a rich web interface but also via POP or IMAP from a desktop email
program.
More and smarter ways to organize mail could be nice.
Yahoo! Mail is your ubiquitous email program on
the web and mobile devices with unlimited storage, SMS texting and instant
messaging to boot.
While Yahoo! Mail is generally a joy to use, free-form labeling and smart
folders would be nice, and the spam filter could catch junk even more
effectively.
Gawab.com is a speedy, stable and very usable
free email service with 10 GB online space, POP and IMAP access as well as many
a web-based goodie.
It's a pity Gawab.com's IMAP implementation does not give you access to labels,
and full message search is missing from the web interface.
Inbox.com not only gives you 5 GB to store your
mail online but also a highly polished, fast and functional way to access it via
either the web (including speedy search, free-form labels and reading mail by
conversation) or through POP in your email program.
Unfortunately, IMAP access is not supported by Inbox.com, and its tools for
organizing mail could be improved with smart or self-teaching folders.
Windows Live Hotmail is a free email service that
gives you 5 GB (and growing) of online storage, fast search, solid security, POP
access and an interface easy as a desktop email program.
When it comes to organizing mail, Windows Live Hotmail does not go beyond
folders (to saved searches and tags, for example), its spam filter could be more
effective, and IMAP access to all online folders would be nice.
BigString.com is a free 2 GB email service that
includes rich secure and certified mail services and lets you password-protect,
expire or edit sent messages, for example.
Unfortunately, BigString.com is not equally well equipped for handling incoming
mail and lacks organizing tools.