A free Gmail address can work when you are starting out. An address at your own domain gives your business a consistent identity and lets you choose where its mail is hosted. Neither choice guarantees that messages reach the inbox.
Choose the service around the work you do
- Free personal Gmail: useful for a solo project with no need for a custom address or centrally managed staff accounts.
- A standalone domain mailbox: useful when you need email, webmail and an email app, without buying a collaboration suite.
- Google Workspace: useful when your team needs Gmail at its domain alongside Docs, Calendar and Meet.
Modusdom mailbox plans include 5 GB per mailbox. See current monthly and annual plans for the price and included features. Domain registration and website hosting are separate purchases. Google lists Business Starter at $7 per user/month with an annual commitment or $8.40 on a flexible plan, with 30 GB of pooled storage per user. Prices checked September 30, 2026; compare commitments, storage and the apps you need before buying. Google Business editions.
Do you need a mailbox or forwarding?
A mailbox stores messages and supports sending and receiving. Forwarding redirects incoming messages to another inbox; it does not by itself give you an authenticated way to send from your domain. Decide whether you need a separate inbox, an alias to an existing mailbox, or a shared address that several people can manage.
You can keep your existing domain and website
You do not have to transfer a domain to buy email. Start with the existing-domain email option, then finish setup in your account. You need access to the authoritative DNS settings. Website records and mail records serve different purposes: preserve the website's A, AAAA and CNAME records while setting the mail provider's MX and authentication records.
A practical setup checklist
- List the addresses and aliases you need, including staff who need separate logins.
- Check storage, billing interval, export options and the email apps your provider supports.
- Create the mailbox before pointing incoming mail at it. Keep the old service available during migration.
- Publish the provider's MX records. Merge authorized senders into one SPF record, enable DKIM and review DMARC before enforcing a restrictive policy.
- Send and receive test messages with an unrelated provider. Inspect authentication results in the received message, then test replies and your phone.
DNS records are only part of the check. A DKIM record does not prove that outgoing messages are signed, and SPF alone does not prove DMARC alignment. Google requires SPF or DKIM for all senders to personal Gmail and adds requirements for bulk senders. See Google's sender guidelines.
Which option fits you?
Choose a mailbox-only plan if email is the job. Choose a suite if shared documents, meetings and staff administration are part of the job. Stay with your existing provider if it already fits; a DNS issue often needs repair rather than a new subscription.
Already using domain email? Start with the free DNS check. For help reviewing the actual setup, see email setup services and the sample completion report.
