Email hosting for freelancers: professional email on your own domain
You want hello@yourname.com on your business cards, not a Gmail address. SHIPMAIL gives you professional email on your own domain with a calendar, contacts, and all your addresses in one dashboard. $4/month for three mailboxes.
One dashboard for everything
Every mailbox you create shows up in the same place. No switching between accounts or juggling logins. hello@ and invoices@ sit next to your personal inbox. Calendar and contacts are built in, so you do not need separate apps for scheduling and client details.
If you prefer a desktop or mobile app, SHIPMAIL works with Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird, and any standard email client. Use the web dashboard, a native app, or both.
What $4/month gets you
Three mailboxes on your custom domain. A calendar. Contacts. Catch-all so nothing sent to your domain gets lost. Email authentication is handled automatically so your messages reach inboxes, not spam folders.
No storage tricks, no feature gates. Your clients see yourname.com in every email they get from you.
When you need more
Solo works until you bring on help. The moment a subcontractor or virtual assistant needs to reply from hello@ or support@, you want shared inbox. Pro ($9/month) gives you that, plus ten mailboxes and five team members.
Most freelancers who grow into a small team stay on Pro for a long time. The jump from $4 to $9 is small compared to what shared access saves in forwarded emails and missed replies.
When to pick something else
Google Workspace makes sense when you actually use Docs and Sheets for client deliverables. The email comes bundled with tools you depend on.
For sensitive legal or medical documents that need end-to-end encryption, Proton Mail is built for that.
Zoho Mail at $1/month covers the basics if you only need a single mailbox and cost is the only factor.
Core pain points
- +A Gmail address does not match the rest of your brand. Your website says yourname.com. Your portfolio says yourname.com. But your email says @gmail.com. Clients notice, especially when you send a proposal or an invoice.
- +Workspace suites charge you for apps you already have. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 bundle email with docs, spreadsheets, and video calls. If you already use Notion, Canva, and Zoom, you are paying $7/month for software you never open.
- +Most hosts give you one mailbox per payment. A freelancer who wants you@, hello@, and invoices@ on the same domain pays three times on per-user plans. On SHIPMAIL Solo, all three cost $4/month total.
Getting started
- 1Add your domain in the SHIPMAIL dashboard. The setup wizard walks you through every step. Most of the wait is your registrar updating records.
- 2Create your mailboxes. A typical setup: you@yourname.com for clients, hello@ for your website contact form, and invoices@ for billing.
- 3Open the dashboard. All your mailboxes, calendar, and contacts live in one place. You can also connect Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird, or any email app you already use.
- 4When you hire a subcontractor or assistant later, upgrade to Pro ($9/month) and give them access to shared inboxes without sharing your password.
FAQ
Questions worth answering.
Common questions about using SHIPMAIL as a freelancer.
- Is $4/month enough for a real business email?
- Yes. You get three mailboxes on your domain, a calendar, contacts, and catch-all. It covers what most freelancers actually need.
- Can I use Apple Mail or Outlook?
- Yes. SHIPMAIL works with any standard email client. Use the web dashboard, a desktop app, a mobile app, or all of them at the same time.
- What happens when I hire my first subcontractor?
- Upgrade to Pro at $9/month. You get ten mailboxes and can give up to five people access to shared inboxes. They log in with their own credentials and reply from your shared addresses.
- Does SHIPMAIL include a calendar and contacts?
- Yes. Calendar and contacts are built into the dashboard. You can also sync them with apps you already use.
- How long does setup take?
- About fifteen minutes. The SHIPMAIL wizard walks you through each step. Most of the time is waiting for your domain registrar to update.
- How do I set up custom domain email for my freelance business?
- Add your domain in the SHIPMAIL dashboard, follow the setup wizard, and create your mailboxes. A typical freelancer setup (personal address, hello@, and invoices@) takes about 15 minutes. $4/month on the Solo plan.
Internal links
Related
More on SHIPMAIL pricing, comparisons, and how it handles shared inboxes.