Cheaper sure... but you get what you pay for. Your hosting provider probably has a very inexpensive email hosting option. Same goes for your domain registrar. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the gold standard for business email hosting. Email is important. Stick with Microsoft or Google. Answer from SkankOfAmerica on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/selfhosted › looking for an alternative to google workspace
r/selfhosted on Reddit: Looking for an alternative to Google Workspace
April 18, 2023 -
Hi!
I'm looking for an alternative to Google Workspace for a small business.
Currently we have 3 workspace accounts. We need 8 more email accounts under our domain but with it being €6,90 a month per account that's already €75,90 a month.
I think we'll just hire some mail server to host the mail but I'm looking for a selfhosted solution for everything else (including a webmail client).
I found nextcloud which seemed promising, but the mail client in it is not good (and the mobile layout isn't good either; it integrates well on Android through WebDAV though). The snappymail and roundcube integrations don't cut it either. I also don't like that calendar invitations are all sent out from the same email address for all users, with only the reply-to address being different.
Zimbra seems good but it's also a mailserver in itself, which I don't want to host myself.
We have at least the following specific requirements:
-Good modern layout
-Proper text editor for mails
-Scheduling a time to send an email
-Adding signatures to emails
-Email templates
-Calendars with shared write access
-Calendar syncable to phones and other applications
-Calendar invitations sent from the user's email (also when being made on a phone)
-Contacts
-Creating and sharing forms (alternative for Google forms)
-File sharing feature would be nice to have but not necessary
-Everything accessible from one place (email, calendar, contacts, etc.)
Top answer 1 of 5
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I know this is self hosted. But calculate the cost of your time. Including opportunity cost. If you get paid 40 an hour you are talking 2 hours a month of your time that you could allocate to hosting this. You've probably taken up 1/8th of that time just posting this if you were quick. And that's not keeping count of what else you could have done with that 2 hours. If your cash poor and time rich then sure. But if I was a betting man I'd bet your time is better spent on more critical parts of the company.
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here is my stack: nextcloud (filesharing, calendar with mobile device sync -> caldavsync) dovecot (IMAP) + postfix (mailrelays) + amavisd-new with spamassain (would try rspamd nowadays) roundcube (webmail) mattermost (Instant messaging) ideally you would setup a comon user directory too(LDAP based). yes, this does not need a lot of ressources and is cheap in terms of hardware ... but dont forget this is fully integrated and you need to invest a lot of time to understand the concepts (especially on the mail setup). DKIM, SPF, Spamfiltering, static IP needs to work otherwise you never get your mail delivered to any big mail provider. its not a question of price, i wouldn't recommend this to anyone who isnt willing to go all the way in terms of knowledge (i have 15yrs experience as Linux Admin, this is no rookie setup!).
Zoho
zoho.com › workplace › google-workspace-alternative.html
Best Google Workspace Alternative - Zoho vs Google Workspace
While we anticipated potential downtime, their meticulous planning, technical expertise, and unwavering dedication allowed them to execute the migration flawlessly within a timeframe of just two days. ... Choose between our Mail-only and Workplace plans, or mix-and-match them under the same bill—the choice is yours. ... Email: 100 GB per userFiles: 1 TB pooled storage (for 3-10 user orgs) + 100 GB for every additional user
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Lifehacker
lifehacker.com › home
These G Suite Alternatives Are Cheaper or Free | Lifehacker
June 9, 2025 - Zoho Workplace offers most of Google Workspace’s features at a much lower price. It lets you use your own domain for emails with 5GB of space for free with no advertising. You can set up an organization on Zoho and invite up to five users ...
Truehost
truehost.com › free-alternatives-to-google-workspace
Free Alternatives to Google Workspace
November 11, 2024 - Neo Mail is one of the best Google Workspace alternatives for small businesses and solo professionals. It helps users set up a custom email address, get a free domain name, and manage everything from email and calendars to customer communication.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/domains › domain and email - alternative to google workspace?
r/Domains on Reddit: Domain and email - alternative to google workspace?
August 4, 2024 -
Hi there,
I have a domain (myname.com) and email ([email protected]) through Google. I bought this domain over 10 years ago and they had a good deal where you could get 10 email addresses for free, which was awesome as I was trying to build my professional / online presence.
Now Google is charging me for this MONTHLY. I am wondering if there are some cheaper alternatives. I just want my domain and email ([email protected]) and thats all.
Are there cheaper alternatives?
For reference, this is what Google is charging me and I think its the cheapest level ===
Google Workspace Business Standard $18.72 license per month but discounted to $15.60 PER MONTH
Any recommendations is appreciated. Thanks
Top answer 1 of 10
3
Cheaper sure... but you get what you pay for. Your hosting provider probably has a very inexpensive email hosting option. Same goes for your domain registrar. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the gold standard for business email hosting. Email is important. Stick with Microsoft or Google.
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You can use cloudflare email fwd with a gmail account.
Spaceship
spaceship.com › homepage › blog › best 3 google workspace alternatives after the price increase in 2025
Best 3 Google Workspace Alternatives After the Price Increase in 2025
March 4, 2025 - In this deep dive, we’ll unpack the Google Workspace price increase, spotlight the best alternatives for 2025 — like Spacemail, Namecheap Private Email, and Zoho Mail — and arm you with a pricing breakdown, user feedback, and a step-by-step ...
Namecheap
namecheap.com › blog › email-alternatives-to-google-workspace-and-outlook
Email alternatives to Google Workspace and Outlook - Namecheap Blog
February 28, 2023 - Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite) includes Gmail for email, Google Drive for storage and file sharing, Google Calendar for scheduling, and Google Docs for document editing and collaboration.
Lark
larksuite.com › en_us › blog › google-workspace-alternatives
10 Google Workspace Alternatives for Success in 2025 | Lark
See our list of the 10 best Google Workspace alternatives for achieving success in 2025. Explore free & paid options that suit businesses of all sizes.
AlternativeTo
alternativeto.net › software › g-suite
Free Google Workspace Alternatives: Top 10 Mail Servers | AlternativeTo
Kolab is the most popular Linux alternative to Google Workspace. Kolab is Freemium and Open SourceGoogle Workspace is Paid and Proprietary ... Suite for secure email, calendaring, file sharing, chat, and online meetings, offering real-time collaboration on docs, GDPR compliance, customizable branding, renewable energy use, advanced user management, and all data hosted in Switzerland.
ClickUp
clickup.com › home › software › 10 google workspace alternatives in 2025: tools like g suite
10 Google Workspace Alternatives in 2025: Tools Like G Suite
July 28, 2025 - Its software, such as Word, Excel, ... with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It’s one of the more expensive Google Workspace alternatives on this list, though, making it less ideal for small businesses. Microsoft Office apps such as Forms, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and OneDrive · Intelligent ...
Intradyn
intradyn.com › home › blog › 8 workspace (g suite) alternatives you seriously need to check out
8 G Suite (Workspace) Alternatives You Seriously Need to Check Out
September 26, 2024 - Zoho offers an affordable Google Workplace alternative in the form of Zoho Workplace, an integrated online office application suite that includes a word processor, email hosting platform, web conferencing tools, chat functionality and more. Zoho Workplace can gain access to features such as 30 MB email attachments, unlimited organizations and private chat channels, 5 GB file upload for docs and even Workspace integration for free for up to 50 users, making it an excellent choice for small businesses; businesses with over 50 users can access all of these features and more through the Standard or Professional editions.
Gartner
gartner.com › reviews › market › workplace-social-software › vendor › google › product › google-workspace › alternatives
Top Google Workspace Competitors & Alternatives 2025 | Gartner Peer Insights
Learn more about the top Google Workspace competitors and alternatives. Read the latest reviews and find the best Social Software in the Workplace software.
BforBloggers
bforbloggers.com › home › software › 10 best g suite (google workspace) alternatives
10 Best G Suite (Google Workspace) Alternatives (2025)
May 14, 2025 - Google’s Gmail, Chat, and Meet apps are truly replaceable with Office 365 Business’ Microsoft teams application that helps in conducting real-time team meetings with as many people as you require, situated around the globe.
Titan Email
titan.email › home › top google workspace alternatives to cut costs
Top Google Workspace Alternatives to Cut Costs - Email Service Suite for Professionals and Businesses: Try Titan Email
1 week ago - Neo ranks among the best Google Workspace alternatives for small businesses and individual professionals. It allows users to create a customized email address, with a free domain name, and manage everything from email and calendars to communications ...
Neo
neo.space › blog › google-workspace-alternatives
Google Workspace Alternatives (Gsuite) - Gmail, Docs, Chat & Keep
In our journey exploring Google Workspace alternatives, we've seen a variety of options catering to different business needs. Each alternative offers unique features, from specialized email solutions like Outlook and Zoho Mail to comprehensive communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Spike
spikenow.com › home › blog › productivity › google workspace alternatives
Top 10 Google Workspace Alternatives in 2024 | Spike
June 10, 2024 - Zoho Workplace is a great alternative to Google Workspace. It offers many of the same features as Google Workspace, but with a few notable differences. Zoho Workplace has a simple plan that gives you access to basic business email.
IONOS
ionos.com › startup guide › productivity › g suite alternatives
Google Workspace alternatives | Overview of the best alternatives - IONOS
September 12, 2023 - Suitable for companies of all sizes, Microsoft Exchange is a popular email and groupware solution. Microsoft Exchange offers you strong collaboration tools that help streamline productivity.
G2
g2.com › products › google-workspace › competitors › alternatives
Top 10 Google Workspace Alternatives & Competitors in 2025 | G2
... Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in Office 365. It brings together people, conversations and content along with the tools that teams need so they can easily collaborate to achieve more.
Address 100 S Wacker DrSTE 600, 60606, Chicago
Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
Ask HN: Best hosted alternative to Google Workspace for email? | Hacker News
December 28, 2021 - I'm using iCloud+ from Apple. It's cheap at $1/mo for 50GB of space and lets me have my custom domains. $3/mo will get you family sharing and 200GB of space (if you want multiple accounts - I just have one account with multiple domains/email addresses). Apple's email hosting is 22 years old ...
Helpjuice
helpjuice.com › home
The 9 Best Google Workspace Alternatives in 2025 (Updated list)
September 25, 2025 - Microsoft 365 can be an excellent choice for businesses that want advanced features, administrative controls, high storage quotas, and robust security, making it a strong contender in the realm of Google Workspace alternatives.