Gmail has over 2.5 billion users globally with almost 4 million business account users. Despite its popularity, Gmail users often face challenges such as lack of collaboration features, privacy concerns, spam, and more.

As your business grows, relying solely on Gmail can start to slow you down. Teams struggle with switching between chat, email and calendar tools. What worked for a small team often stops working as things get more complicated.

In this article, we’ll review popular Gmail alternatives, their features, and use cases.

What challenges do users face when using Gmail?

While Gmail is a popular email platform, it comes with its fair share of challenges that can affect productivity and user experience. Here are some common issues users face:

• Email threading problems: Gmail's conversation view groups emails with the same subject line into a single thread, even if they belong to different discussions. This can make it difficult to track specific conversations in professional settings.
• Privacy concerns: Gmail’s targeted ads have raised privacy questions. Ads sometimes appear based on email content before a message is even sent, leaving users uneasy about how their data is being used. Google’s data collection practices, including scanning email content to serve ads, have been criticized for compromising user privacy.
• Recipient confusion: It's not immediately clear whether you were a direct recipient or just CC’d on an email, which can lead to misunderstandings in team communication.
• No read receipt feature: Gmail lacks a built-in read receipt option for personal accounts.  

• Spam filtering issues: Legitimate emails often end up in the spam folder while actual spam sneaks into the inbox.  
• Storage limitations: With a 15 GB storage limit shared across all Google services, many users quickly run out of space, especially if they receive large attachments or use Google Drive extensively.
• Search functionality issues: Gmail’s search tool sometimes brings irrelevant results or fails to locate important emails.
• Attachment size limitations: Gmail’s 25 MB cap on attachments often forces users to rely on external file-sharing services for larger files, adding extra steps to their workflow.

These challenges highlight why some businesses and individuals are exploring alternatives to Gmail. Next, we’ll explore seven other tools that might work better for your business.

Related: How to set Gmail auto reply with your own knowledge.

Top 7 Gmail alternatives as email service

1. Tanka

Tanka is an AI messenger with its AI long-term memory and the ability to integrate with other tools, including Gmail. It remembers your team’s conversations, understands context, shared history, and assists you in communication with colleagues and customers.  

Key features of Tanka

• Long-term memory. Tanka remembers past conversations, customer history, and shared knowledge—so every message feels connected.  
• Fast and accurate AI smart replies. With real-time, context-aware suggestions, Tanka helps teams respond quickly and clearly—on email, chat, or any connected channel.
• Built-in knowledge sharing. Tanka creates a shared Team Wiki and stores key info from documents, messages, and calls. Agents get instant access to what they need—like product details or case history.
• Smart automation with a quick setup. Once configured, it summarizes conversations, translates messages, and handles follow-ups automatically—saving time and reducing errors.
• Secure communication. Tanka uses end-to-end encryption and strict access controls to protect customer and business data.

Read also: AI Communication Tools for Effective Collaboration

How Tanka solves common Gmail challenges

• Privacy concerns: No intrusive ads or data mining practices. Tanka provides a secure communication environment that respects user privacy.
• Spam filtering problems: Users can use Tanka’s Block button to stop unwanted emails from specific senders in the Tanka email channel.
• Knowledge management: Tanka centralizes communication across platforms and organizes it into a searchable knowledge base.
• Limited collaboration tools: Tanka offers advanced tools like shared wikis, task setting from conversations, and AI-powered scheduling assistance.

Related: Inbox Zero Gmail: How to Master Your Emails With AI

Use case of Tanka

Tanka offers more than just an alternative to Gmail, it’s a complete solution for managing communication complexity. It's an ideal tool for companies working in industries like SaaS, e-commerce, human resources, marketing, travel, Edtech, and other areas where speed and alignment are critical.

How Tanka helps teams:

• Keeps communication unified across departments with AI-powered memory.
• Gets AI-generated summaries of missed messages and threads.
• Tracks all client conversations and preferences in one place.
• Maintains ongoing conversations tied to specific tasks and milestones.
• Tanka’s AI long-term memory helps teams preserve collective knowledge, best practices, and key decisions—so nothing gets lost, even when people leave or switch roles.
• Tanka makes onboarding smoother, collaboration faster, and day-to-day work more efficient by turning conversations and shared documents into structured, searchable insights.

2. Microsoft Outlook

Outlook is an email app designed for people who use Microsoft products. It brings together your emails, calendar, contacts, and tasks all in one place, making it easier to stay organized. It also has helpful features like automatic spell check and grammar suggestions. Plus, Outlook works with other Microsoft tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive, allowing you to access and share files directly from your inbox and collaborate on documents without having to switch between different apps.

Key features of Microsoft Outlook

• Centralized workspace: Lets you view emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks all in one place.
• Account integration: Allows you to connect personal, work, and other email accounts, like Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo!, and iCloud, on both desktop and mobile.
• Message composition: Helps you write clear messages with spell check and grammar correction.
• File access and sharing within the Microsoft ecosystem: Makes it easy to send, edit, and view documents. You can open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files from your inbox and access files stored on OneDrive.

Note: Tanka integrates directly with Outlook.

Use case: Ideal for businesses deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem.

3. Proton Mail

Proton Mail is an email service focused on privacy. It's based in Switzerland, which has strict rules to protect data. Proton Mail uses end-to-end encryption, meaning only you and the person you're emailing can read your messages. It also offers extra features like password-protected emails and messages that can automatically delete themselves after a certain time. However, the layout of Proton Mail might feel a bit less smooth or user-friendly compared to more popular email services.

Key features of Proton mail

• Privacy and encryption: End-to-end encryption ensures email content remains secure. Includes options like password-protected emails and self-destructing messages.
• Proton scribe: An AI-powered writing assistant for drafting emails privately on your device.
• Open source: Transparency in its code allows security experts to review it for vulnerabilities.

Use case: Proton mail is ideal for individuals or businesses prioritizing privacy and security.

You might be interested in: AI Email Responder: Automate Your Inbox Easily

4. Yahoo Mail

​Yahoo Mail offers a user-friendly interface with customizable themes and layouts, it allows users to personalize their inbox. It also provides 1 TB of storage and has advanced AI features.

Key features of Yahoo mail

• Priority inbox: Automatically places important emails at the top of the inbox based on relevance.
• Dedicated tabs: Separates emails into categories: Offers, Newsletters, Social, and All.
• AI-powered message summaries: Generates short summaries highlighting key points of an email for easier reading.
• One-click unsubscribe: Detects subscription emails and shows an unsubscribe link at the top for quick removal.
• Advanced search filters: Offers detailed search options by sender, recipient, subject, date, attachments, and more to locate specific messages efficiently.

Use case: Best suited for users dealing with large quantities of promotional or categorized emails.

5. Mailbird

Mailbird is an email app that works across both Windows and Mac platforms. It allows users to manage all their email accounts in one place. It also integrates with popular apps.

Key features of Mailbird

• Centralized email management: Combines messages and contacts from multiple email accounts into one application.
• Unified inbox: Merges all incoming messages into a single inbox view.
• Email tracking: Shows when recipients open your emails and how often.
• Third-party app integration: Lets users access tools like Slack, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Asana, and Instagram.
• AI email writing: Uses ChatGPT to assist with drafting professional emails.
• Email search: Filters messages by keywords, date, sender, and other metadata.

Use case: Ideal for users juggling multiple email accounts while relying on integrated productivity tools.

Read also: Slack Auto Reply Made Easy with Tanka AI

6. iCloud Mail

iCloud Mail is a simple and secure email service for Apple users. It works smoothly across all your Apple devices and doesn’t display ads or scan your emails for marketing. Features like privacy protection, phishing filters, and smart search help keep your inbox safe and organized. It also automatically generates link previews in emails, so you can quickly see what’s inside.

Key features of iCloud mail

• Apple ecosystem integration: Works across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Syncs mail, folders, and settings automatically across Apple devices.
• Ad-free interface: No ads are shown, and email content isn’t scanned for advertising purposes.
• Mail privacy protection: Hides your IP address and prevents senders from knowing when or where you open an email.
• Spam and phishing protection: Filters spam and uses domain authentication to reduce fraudulent or phishing emails.
• Smart search: Helps users locate specific messages using keywords, senders, or content.
• Links: Automatically displays link previews inside emails for easier context.

Use case: Best suited for users within the Apple ecosystem looking for privacy-focused features.

7. Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail offers built-in privacy and security with encryption and optional S/MIME support. It's especially useful for teams thanks to its admin console and Streams—a tool that turns email threads into chat-like conversations. It’s a solid option for businesses already using Zoho tools.

Key features of Zoho mail

• Security and encryption: Offers end-to-end data protection with encryption at rest and in transit, plus optional S/MIME support.
• Admin console: Centralized panel for IT admins to manage users, configure settings, monitor usage, and set up policies.
• Streams (Internal collaboration tool): Lets users comment on emails, tag teammates, manage tasks, and share files—replacing long email threads with a social-media-style feed.
• Offline mode: Allows users to read and compose emails without an internet connection.
• Calendar and to-do integration: Built-in tools to manage schedules, set tasks, and plan meetings directly from the inbox.
• Zoho Ecosystem Integration: Connects with Zoho CRM, Calendar, Contacts, and other productivity tools within the Zoho suite.

Use case: Perfect for businesses already using Zoho’s suite of productivity tools.

Read also: AI Email Reply Tools: The Best Solutions for Effective Communication

Comparison of all email providers

Conclusion: Which tool should you choose?

Each Gmail alternative has something different to offer, whether it’s tighter integration with existing tools, more advanced privacy features, or better inbox organization. But if you’re looking for something that brings it all together, Tanka is a smart next step.

Tanka is more than just an email replacement. It combines the power of AI with real-time messaging, a user-friendly interface, context-aware assistance, and deep integration with the tools your team already uses, like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and WhatsApp. It remembers past conversations, tracks project details, and helps your team stay aligned without repeating the same info over and over.

It’s built for small and medium-sized businesses that need to stay fast, organized, and on the same page, especially in remote or hybrid teams. Whether you're managing multiple inboxes, jumping between apps, or trying to get your team on track, Tanka gives you a single place to handle it all with built-in privacy and AI that learns as you work.

Tanka will transform the way you manage emails and communication—try it for free!