plainmailGoogle Workspace alternatives for email
Prices checked November 8, 2026
Workspace bills per user, $7 to $8.40 a month, and alias domains all land in one inbox. If you need separate inboxes on several domains, flat-rate hosts cost a fraction: Plainmail is $5 a month for 50 domains and 100 mailboxes, Purelymail about $10 a year, Migadu from $19 a year.
Why people leave Workspace for email
- Every separate inbox is another seat. Seven mailboxes cost $49 to $58.80 a month.
- Secondary and alias domains are set up one by one, and alias mail mixes into one inbox.
- They only use Gmail, not Docs, Drive or Meet, so most of the bundle goes unused.
The alternatives
| Price | Best for | DNS setup | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainmail | $5 a month, 50 domains, 100 mailboxes | Many domains, agent access through MCP | Written for you on Cloudflare, Vercel, Porkbun |
| Purelymail | About $10 a year | Lowest price, no frills | By hand |
| Migadu | From $19 a year (20 sends a day); $90 a year for 100 | Low senders who want an independent host | By hand, help on request |
| Zoho Mail | About $1 per user a month, billed yearly | A few people who want a suite | By hand |
| Cloudflare Email Routing | Free | Receive-only forwarding | One click on Cloudflare |
How to choose
- Need Docs, Drive and Meet for a team? Stay on Workspace.
- Mostly project addresses (hello@, support@) across many domains? A flat-rate host: Plainmail if you want DNS done for you and agent access, Purelymail if price is all that matters.
- Only need to receive? Cloudflare Email Routing, free.
Moving off Workspace
- Add your domain in Plainmail and create the same addresses you have today.
- Copy your old mail over with your mail app or any IMAP migration tool. Both sides speak IMAP.
- Let Plainmail write the new MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, or copy them at your DNS host. New mail starts arriving at Plainmail within minutes to a few hours, depending on DNS caching.
- Cancel the old plan once nothing new arrives there.
Questions
What is the cheapest Google Workspace alternative for email?
Purelymail, at about $10 a year for many domains. Plainmail costs $5 a month and adds DNS written for you, a web inbox and an MCP server for AI agents.
Can I keep Gmail as my mail app?
Yes. The Gmail app on iPhone and Android can add any IMAP account, so a Plainmail mailbox shows up next to your Gmail.
Will I lose my old mail?
No. Copy it over with your mail app or an IMAP migration tool before you cancel Workspace.
Get started$5 a month for up to 50 domains and 100 mailboxes