A few years ago, I chose G Suite to create business email addresses for a specific domain. But last year, they closed the free signup, and now you need to pay for each email account on GSuite.
For those looking for free domain specific email options, you still have a few options like using your domain provider or creating a free email account using cPanel or using Zoho mail.
A few days ago I discovered the free domain email address feature of Zoho Mail, which is indeed a feature you will love. They also have a premium option (with additional features), but if your requirements are up to 10 users, the free version is more than enough for your needs. In this detailed guide, I will show you how to set up your domain email address for free with ZohoMail.
Step-by-step guide to create a business email using Zoho Mail:
The registration and setup process was simple and took me only 7 minutes to complete all the steps. To get started, go to the free email signup page here and enter your domain name email address.
1. Sign up and choose an email plan
Go to zoho.com and create a new account using your email or Google/Microsoft account. Select the 'Try it now' option and click on 'Create Mail'.
Create a message
2. Link and verify your mobile number
Follow the prompts to bind and verify your mobile phone number to enhance the security of your account.
3. Select your email type
Choose whether you want a personal email or a business email. To make it easier for us, please choose a business email.
Email Type
4. Choose a Free Plan
Scroll down and select the free plan. This is especially useful if you're on a budget.
Get free emails
5. Add your domain name
To continue, you need a registered domain. Please add your domain to the settings.
If you do not have a registered domain name, you cannot proceed.
6. Verify your domain ownership
For GoDaddy domains, verification is automatic. However, if you need manual verification, you will need to add a TXT record to your DNS manager. To do this, find the DNS management settings on your domain host - My domain is hosted on AWS. The process of adding a TXT record is simple, follow these steps:
Click "Create Record"
Leave the Record Name blank and select TXT from the Record Type list.
Back on the settings page, copy the TXT value and paste it into the Value box. Leave the TTL value at the default and click Create Record.
Once the record is created successfully, return to Zoho Settings page and click on Verify TXT Record. Verification may take some time, so be patient.
7. Create your email address
After verifying your domain, you can now create domain-based email addresses.
How it looks after a successful creation.
8. Configure DNS mapping
In Mail Settings, skip User and Group Configuration for now and proceed to the DNS Mapping section. Here you will configure basic records such as MX, SPF, and DKIM to ensure smooth email delivery and enhance security. Follow the instructions to add the necessary records to your DNS manager:
For MX records,
Create a new record in your DNS manager, select MX Record as the record type, and leave the record name blank.
Next, return to the Zoho Settings page, copy the MX record value and priority text, and add it to the new record. Once added, create the record.
In AWS, the format for adding an MX record is "[priority] [record value]"
Note: If the MX record fails to verify, try adding a period to the end of the mx record value in the MX record that you created.
For SPF records,
Create a new record in your DNS manager, select TXT Record as the record type, and leave the record name blank.
Next, go back to the Zoho Settings page, copy the SPF record values and add them to the new record. Once added, create the record.
Create SPF Record
Note: If the SPF record is not created, try deleting the initial TXT record created for domain ownership verification.
For DKIM records,
Create a new record in your DNS manager, select TXT record as the record type, and keep the record name exactly the same as Zoho, ie "zmail._domainkey".
Next, go back to the Zoho Settings page, copy the DKIM record values and add them to the new record. Once added, create the record.
DKIM Record
After all the records are added successfully, go back to the settings on Zoho and click on Validate All Records.
Note: If you are using a subdomain instead of the root domain, add "@" as the record name when creating the record. You may also have to wait a while for all records to be verified.
9. Complete email setup
To complete your email setup, skip the "Data Migration" and "Move" sections for now. Once you're done, head to "Checkout Inbox" and you'll be redirected to your mailbox inbox.
A mailbox for your newly created professional email.
To make sure everything is set up correctly, test your email by sending messages to and from Zoho Inbox.
Finally, you will be taken to your dashboard, which you can access at any time. Zoho offers a great solution for business email in its dashboard, including branding, domain aliases, spam filters, and more.
Well, that’s not all because Zoho also offers mobile apps ( iOS and Android ), and I tried their iOS app and it worked brilliantly.
After Google Apps cancelled the free Google Apps account, I have been looking for an app that is as good as Google Apps and Zohomail fits that category perfectly. I will not go into their pro plan but you can check out their pro plan features here .
Get started with free email at Zohomail
If you are an existing Google Apps user, price is another factor that may make you prefer ZohoMail over Google Apps. You can migrate your existing Google Apps account and send mail to it using its migration tool, you can find a help guide here. To access your email, just log in to mail.zoho.com .
You can try out the rest of the features by creating your own free or paid Zoho Mail account, and I bet you won't be disappointed. If you use any other service to get a free business email address , let me know in the comments. Don't forget to share this guide with others on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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