What to look for
Pricing model. Per-user pricing can be deceptive for small teams. If three people need access to support@, you are paying for three seats even though only one mailbox is involved. Flat-plan pricing usually fits small teams better because it prices by mailbox count or tier, not by the number of people logging in.
Shared inbox support. This is the main differentiator. Most email hosts give each user a private mailbox. Shared inboxes, where multiple team members see and respond from the same address, are either missing or require a second product. If your team handles support@, sales@, or hello@ from day one, check whether that works natively or requires bolting on something like Missive or Front.
Domain flexibility. Most providers support custom domains. The differences show up in how many domains are included and whether adding more domains costs extra.
Admin simplicity. Small teams rarely have a dedicated IT person. How easy is it to add a mailbox, set up DNS, or manage access? The less friction here, the better.
SHIPMAIL: shared inbox built into the email host ($4/mo)
SHIPMAIL is the only email host in this list with shared inboxes built in. The Solo plan ($4/mo) covers 3 mailboxes. The Pro plan ($9/mo) covers 10 mailboxes and up to 5 team members with shared inbox access. The Team plan ($29/mo) scales to 50 mailboxes with unlimited team members.
The pricing model is flat, so adding a second person to a shared inbox does not increase the bill. That makes it a strong fit for small teams running role-based addresses.
Every plan includes calendar, contacts, catch-all, automatic email authentication, and API access with TypeScript and Python SDKs. There is no document editor, no video conferencing, and no cloud storage. If you need those, you pair SHIPMAIL with other tools.
Google Workspace: the full suite at $7/user/mo
Google Workspace starts at $7 per user per month. A five-person team pays $35/mo before adding any shared inbox tool. The shared inbox problem is the main gap: Google Workspace does not handle support@ collaboration natively. Most teams end up adding Missive or Front, which pushes costs to $125/mo or more.
Google Workspace makes sense when the rest of the suite (Docs, Drive, Meet) is central to how the company operates. For email-only teams, it is expensive for what you get.
Zoho Mail: cheapest per-seat option at $1/user/mo
Zoho Mail is the cheapest per-seat option at $1 per user per month. Three users cost $3/mo. Ten users cost $10/mo. At that price, it is hard to argue with the value for basic inbox use.
Zoho offers Streams for some team collaboration, but it is not a true shared inbox in the way most small teams need. The product also sits inside the larger Zoho ecosystem, which can feel cluttered if you only want email.
Best for teams that need the cheapest possible per-seat email and do not need shared inboxes.
Fastmail: best individual email experience at $5/user/mo
Fastmail costs $5 per user per month and is well-regarded for speed, privacy, and a clean interface. It supports custom domains and aliases. There is no shared inbox feature.
Fastmail is a good pick for individuals or small teams where everyone works from their own mailbox. It is not the right tool when team collaboration on shared addresses is part of the daily workflow.
Proton Mail Business: end-to-end encryption at $6.99/user/mo
Proton Mail Business starts at $6.99 per user per month. The main selling point is end-to-end encryption. For teams in regulated industries or with strict privacy requirements, Proton is one of the few options that provides encryption by default.
There is no shared inbox support. The interface is more limited than some competitors, and the encryption model means interoperability with standard email clients can be tricky. Best for teams where encryption is non-negotiable.
Migadu: flat pricing for many domains at $9/mo
Migadu uses flat pricing ($9/mo for the Micro plan) and supports unlimited domains, which makes it unusual in this space. The catch is that Migadu focuses on simplicity and does not include shared inboxes or much in the way of collaboration tools.
Migadu is a solid choice for someone managing many domains who just needs basic mailboxes and forwarding. It is not built for teams that need to collaborate inside a shared address.
Best for your situation
You need shared inboxes from day one. SHIPMAIL is the only email host that includes shared inbox support in the core product. You do not need a second tool.
You already use the Google suite. Google Workspace makes sense if your team depends on Docs, Drive, and Meet. Just be aware that adding shared inbox collaboration means paying for a second product.
Your budget is the top priority and you only need basic inboxes. Zoho Mail at $1 per user per month is the cheapest option. It works well when shared inboxes are not part of the workflow.
Privacy and encryption come first. Proton Mail Business is the clear pick for teams that need end-to-end encryption by default.
You manage many domains and just want basic email. Migadu's unlimited-domain model and flat pricing make it a good fit for portfolio setups.
You want a fast, clean individual email experience. Fastmail is one of the best options for personal productivity, but it is not built for team collaboration.