Custom-domain email without Google Workspace
You do not need Google Workspace to use email on your own domain. If you mostly want addresses like you@yourdomain.com, hello@yourdomain.com, support@yourdomain.com, or billing@yourdomain.com, Shipmail gives you those mailboxes without Docs, Drive, Meet, or per-user workspace seats.
Email-only custom domains, not a suite
Choose Shipmail when a solo founder or small team needs @yourdomain.com email. You get hosted mailboxes, shared role addresses, IMAP and SMTP, and DNS instructions, without paying for a workspace you will not use.
Set up custom-domain emailLast updated
What you need instead
You need an email host, DNS records, and the addresses themselves. Shipmail is the host. It shows you the exact MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to add, then you create the mailboxes your team needs.
- Use MX records to route incoming mail to Shipmail.
- Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate outgoing mail.
- Create real mailboxes for addresses that need their own inbox and replies.
Mailbox, alias, forwarding, or shared address?
A mailbox is a real inbox that sends and receives. An alias delivers into an existing mailbox. Forwarding sends a copy somewhere else. A shared address lets several teammates work one inbox. For the details, read the mailbox vs alias vs forwarding guide.
Why free forwarding hacks are tempting
Cloudflare Email Routing, Gmail forwarding, and send-as SMTP recipes look close to free. They are fine for a hobby project or a temporary move, but none of them gives you a hosted mailbox. If you use Cloudflare today, read the Cloudflare Email Routing vs email hosting guide.
Replies get awkward
Receiving mail is easy. Sending as hello@ or support@ from every mail app is where forwarding setups break.
Authentication still matters
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC have to match how you send. With one host, that setup lives in one place. With forwarding plus SMTP, it is spread across several services.
Admin visibility is limited
For an address your business depends on, you want mailboxes, access, and DNS status on one screen, not filters buried in someone's personal mail app.
Where this beats buying Google Workspace
Google Workspace makes sense when your team wants the whole Google suite. If you only need email on a domain, compare cost, setup, and how role addresses work instead. For other ways to get email without a suite, see the guide to simple business email without a workspace suite. For more providers to consider, see our Gmail alternatives for business email. If you want to replace Docs and Drive too, compare the full-suite options in our guide to Google Workspace alternatives for small business.
| Need | Shipmail | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Custom-domain email hosting, and nothing else | A productivity suite with Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, and admin tools bundled in |
| Pricing shape | $4/mo for 2 mailboxes, $9/mo for 4 mailboxes, without per-user suite seats | Business Starter starts at $7/user/mo with annual billing, so every person who needs a seat changes the bill |
| Setup complexity | Add the domain, copy the mail DNS records, then create the addresses you need | Set up a Workspace tenant, users, admin settings, Gmail routing, groups, and the same MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC records |
| Role addresses | Create real mailboxes for hello@, support@, and billing@ | Usually handled with groups, aliases, delegated inboxes, or extra seats |
| Groups and shared inboxes | Share a role mailbox when several people answer one business address | Google Groups can receive mail, but replying to clients from a group is clumsier than from a shared inbox |
| Free forwarding hacks | Real inbound and outbound mailboxes with DNS authentication guidance | Many people try forwarding plus a send-as workaround before paying for Workspace |
| Best fit | Solo founders and small teams that mainly need @yourdomain.com email | Teams that use Docs, Drive, Meet, and the suite's admin features every day |
Switching from Google Workspace
Plan the addresses first, then change DNS.
- List the people and role addresses you need. Mark which are real mailboxes and which are aliases.
- Export any data you want to keep.
- Add the domain to Shipmail, update MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and wait for every verification check to pass.
- Create the matching mailboxes and aliases.
- Import your old mail and send a test to each address.
- Keep the old provider active until a catch-up import is complete.
If your team depends on Google Docs, Drive, Meet, Vault, or detailed admin policies, keep Google Workspace. If you are paying suite seats for a handful of email addresses, Shipmail is simpler. If you are moving an existing domain, use the Google Workspace split-stack migration guide to separate the mail cutover from Google identity, Drive, OAuth, and billing. For the direct product comparison, readShipmail vs Google Workspace.
Common setups
One founder, one domain
Use you@yourdomain.com for direct replies, hello@yourdomain.com for website forms, and billing@yourdomain.com for receipts without buying a seat for each address.
Small team role addresses
Create support@, sales@, hello@, and billing@ as real mailboxes. Share access with teammates when more than one person needs to answer.
Client or side-project domains
Add more domains as the work grows. Each domain keeps its own mailboxes, and you manage them all from one Shipmail account.
Next steps
Google Workspace split-stack migration
Move mail without confusing MX changes with Google identity, Drive, OAuth, or cancellation.
Pricing
Compare Solo, Pro, and Team mailbox limits.
Security and trust
How Shipmail protects mail and account access.
Custom domain setup guide
Add a domain, configure DNS, and create your first Shipmail mailbox.
DNS setup
MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup by provider.
Google Workspace comparison
When Shipmail is a better email-only fit, and when Google still makes sense.
Migadu pricing comparison
Compare Shipmail with Migadu Micro for custom-domain email and shared inbox needs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use custom-domain email without Google Workspace?
Yes. You need an email host that accepts mail for your domain, and DNS records that point your domain's email at it. Shipmail gives you the mailboxes, sending, receiving, and DNS instructions. No Google Workspace needed.
Do I still need a Google account?
Not for Shipmail email hosting. You may still need your Google account or Workspace license for Drive, Docs, identity, or apps you log in to with Sign in with Google. Moving MX records neither keeps nor cancels those services, so check each one before you change the Google account.
Is forwarding enough for professional email?
Forwarding works if you only receive a little mail. It breaks down once you need to reply from the same address, share a role inbox, sign mail with DKIM, or see who has access. Use a real mailbox for business email.
Why not use Cloudflare Email Routing plus Gmail send-as?
Forwarding can be free, which is why people try it. But a chain of forwarding and SMTP settings is not a hosted mailbox. Sending as your domain, DKIM alignment, shared access, and knowing who to ask for support are all easier when the address is a real mailbox.
Can multiple people use one shared address?
Yes. Create a mailbox such as support@yourdomain.com, then share access with the people who need to read and reply from it.