Zoho Mail vs IONOS Mail
On privacy it's IONOS Mail. On price it's Zoho Mail. On features it's Zoho Mail. Here's everything side by side, last checked 22 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- Zoho Mail suits you best if you want the lower price ($1 per user a month, yearly); to try it free first; and 5 GB of storage.
- IONOS Mail suits you best if you want more years of history: it started in 1988.
| Feature | Zoho Mail | IONOS Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Privacy | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| Price | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| Cheapest plan | Mail Lite $1 per user a month, yearly | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) |
| Free plan | Yes, up to 5 users, 5 GB, own domain | No |
| Storage | 5 GB | 2 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | India | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | EU (Amsterdam, Dublin); UK data centre announced for 2026, not confirmed live | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed |
| Founded | 2008 | 1988 |
| Free trial | 15 days free, and a free plan for small teams | Unknown |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | No |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | Unknown | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 22 October 2026 |
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How Zoho Mail and IONOS Mail differ
- Cheapest plans: Zoho Mail Mail Lite, $1 per user a month, yearly. IONOS Mail Mail Basic, About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed).
- For free, Zoho Mail gives you a free plan (up to 5 users, 5 GB, own domain), and IONOS Mail no free plan.
- Zoho Mail comes with 5 GB of storage and IONOS Mail with 2 GB of storage.
- Data location: EU (Amsterdam, Dublin); UK data centre announced for 2026, not confirmed live for Zoho Mail, UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed for IONOS Mail.
- Zoho Mail is based in India and IONOS Mail in Germany, so different privacy laws apply.
Zoho Mail and IONOS Mail: your questions
Which is more private, Zoho Mail or IONOS Mail?
IONOS Mail scores 2.5 out of 5 for privacy and Zoho Mail 1.5.
Which is cheaper, Zoho Mail or IONOS Mail?
Zoho Mail is cheaper. Its Mail Lite plan is $1 per user a month, yearly, against About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) for IONOS Mail's Mail Basic. Zoho Mail also has a free plan. Check the renewal price before you pay, as some first-year prices go up.
Do Zoho Mail and IONOS Mail work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. Zoho Mail: Yes. IONOS Mail: Yes.
Where do Zoho Mail and IONOS Mail keep my email?
Zoho Mail keeps it in the EU (Amsterdam, Dublin); UK data centre announced for 2026, not confirmed live. IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed.
Price changes and news
No price changes for either since 22 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: Zoho Mail news · IONOS Mail news.
Alternatives to Zoho Mail and IONOS Mail
- mailbox.org4.5 out of 5 overall
- Proton Mail for Business4.0 out of 5 overall
- Tuta Business4.0 out of 5 overall
Zoho Mail vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · Zoho Mail vs Proton Mail for Business · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail for Business · Zoho Mail vs Tuta Business · IONOS Mail vs Tuta Business
Switching between them
Moving to Zoho Mail · Moving from Zoho Mail. Or see all my switching guides.