How to Create a Free Business Email Using Zoho Mail?

In the past, G Suite was my go-to service for creating domain-specific business email addresses. However, they discontinued their free sign-up option last year, requiring users to pay for each email account on G Suite.

Fortunately, there are still a few alternatives available for those seeking free domain-specific email options. You can either utilize your domain provider or leverage cPanel to create a free email account. Another option is Zoho Mail, which offers a free domain email address feature that I recently discovered and found to be excellent. While they do have a premium option with additional features, the free version is sufficient for up to 10 users. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through the process of setting up your domain email address for free using Zoho Mail.

Step by Step Guide to Create Business Email using Zoho Mail

The signup and setup process is quick and straightforward, taking only 5 minutes to complete. To begin, visit the free mail signup page on Zoho Mail’s website and enter your domain email address.

Click on the “Add domain” button and you will be directed to the next page where you need to fill out the sign-up form. Enter any desired email address (for example, “admin“) and provide your name or any other relevant information. Keep in mind that with the free plan, you can add up to 9 additional email accounts.

On the next page, after completing the sign-up process, you will receive a confirmation message confirming your registration for the free lite plan. The confirmation page will provide details about the plan and the features included.

Verifying domain ownership on Zoho Mail

To verify domain ownership on Zoho Mail, click on “Proceed to verify domain ownership” and you will be directed to the verification page.
Zoho Mail offers three options: CNAME, TXT, and HTML file upload. The HTML method is the easiest, requiring you to simply download and upload a file to your root server. Additionally, HTML verification is the quickest method.

To connect to your web server, you can utilize the cPanel FTP manager or FileZilla on your desktop.

Once you have successfully verified your domain using any of the three available methods, you will receive a success message similar to the one shown below. From there, you can proceed with setting up your business email.

Update MX record

One crucial step to enable your business email is updating the MX record. Click on “Change MX record“, which will provide you with the specific MX record to use for enabling it on your website.

For example, if your site is hosted on HostGator, you can log in to your HostGator cPanel, navigate to the MX entry under the mail section, and select the domain name on the subsequent page. From there, simply add the MX record displayed on the Zoho domain email configuration page.

Once you have added the MX record, return to the Zoho domain setup to complete the process.

Upon completion, you will have access to your dashboard, which you can visit anytime. Zoho provides a comprehensive solution in their dashboard for business emails, offering features such as branding, domain aliases, spam filters, and more.

Here is a screenshot of the Zoho Mail control panel:

Well, that’s not all! Zoho also offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms. I personally tried their iOS app, and it surpassed my expectations with its excellent performance and features.

Give it a try yourself and explore the rest of the features by creating your own free Zoho Mail account. I assure you won’t be disappointed. If you have any other recommendations for obtaining a free business email address, feel free to share them in the comments. Don’t forget to share this comprehensive guide with others on Facebook and LinkedIn.