How to make a business email address ([email protected])
A business email uses your own domain instead of @gmail.com. It looks more trustworthy, it is easier to remember, and it stays yours if you change providers.
Buy a domain (about $10 to $20 a year for a .com), pick an email provider, verify the domain and add the provider's DNS records. The two big choices are Google Workspace (Business Starter: $8.40 per user per month, or $7 with a yearly plan) and Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7 per user per month yearly, $8.40 monthly). Zoho Mail has a free plan for up to 5 users.
Free tool: test your domain's records with the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.
Step 1: Get a domain
Your domain is the part after the @. Keep it short, easy to spell and, ideally, a .com. If your business name is taken, try adding your town or trade (baysidedentalfl.com). A .com usually costs about $10 to $20 a year at registrars such as Spaceship, Namecheap or Cloudflare.
Step 2: Choose an email provider
| Provider | Price per user | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $8.40/mo monthly, or $7/mo on a yearly plan | Gmail with your domain, 30 GB per user, Meet, Drive |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7/mo paid yearly, $8.40/mo monthly | Outlook with your domain, Teams, 1 TB OneDrive (prices rose July 1, 2026) |
| Zoho Mail Forever Free | $0, up to 5 users (not offered in every region) | 5 GB each, one domain, web and Zoho apps only |
| Proton Mail Essentials | About $7/mo billed yearly | Encrypted email, 15 GB, up to 3 domains |
| Spaceship Spacemail | from about $0.79 a month (billed every 2 years) | Low-cost email at your domain registrar |
| Namecheap Private Email | about $14.88 a year for 1 mailbox (first-year discounts are common) | Low-cost, basic |
Which to pick? If you already like Gmail, choose Google Workspace. If your team lives in Word, Excel and Teams, choose Microsoft 365. If money is tight and you have only a few people, Zoho's free plan or a registrar's email plan will do.
Prices were checked on each provider's site in October 2026 and can change; promotions are common.
Step 3: Verify your domain and add DNS records
Every provider walks you through this. You will be asked to add a few records at the company where you bought the domain:
- A verification record (usually TXT) to prove you own the domain.
- MX records, which tell the world where to deliver your mail.
- SPF and DKIM records, which prove your emails are really from you.
- DMARC, which tells receivers what to do with fakes. Start with
p=none.
Copy each value exactly from the provider's setup screen. Changes usually work within an hour but can take up to 48.
For example, these are the standard records for the two biggest providers (always use the values your own setup screen shows):
| Record | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| MX | smtp.google.com, priority 1 | Shown in the Microsoft 365 admin center, priority 0 (newer domains use an address ending in .mx.microsoft; older ones end in .mail.protection.outlook.com) |
| SPF (TXT) | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all | v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all |
| DKIM | Generated in the Admin console (selector google) | Two CNAME records (selector1 and selector2) |
| DMARC (TXT at _dmarc) | v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected] to start | |
Check your work: once the records are in, test them with the free MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC checker.
Step 4: Create your addresses
Add a mailbox for each person, then aliases for shared roles (hello@, billing@) that deliver to the right person, which saves paying for extra users. Google Workspace allows up to 30 aliases per user. Need ideas? See business email name ideas.
Step 5: Test it
- Send an email from your new address to a personal Gmail or Outlook.com account, and reply back.
- Check it did not land in spam. In Gmail, open the message, click the three dots, then Show original: SPF, DKIM and DMARC should all say PASS.
- Add the new address to your phone (Gmail app for Workspace, Outlook app for Microsoft 365).
- Update your website, email signature, invoices and business listings.
Moving from an old address
- Set your old address to forward to the new one for a few months.
- Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both include tools to import old email from Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo and other accounts.
- Send a short "new address" note to regular contacts.
Can I use Gmail for a business email for free?
You can open a free Gmail account with your business name ([email protected]), but it will not use your domain. A cheap workaround is free email forwarding (Cloudflare Email Routing is free) to receive at your domain, but replying "as" your domain from free Gmail is fiddly and can hurt delivery. For anything customer-facing, a paid plan is worth it.
Already own a domain and just want the cheapest setup? See free email with your own domain.
Questions people ask
- Can I get a business email without a website?
- Yes. You only need a domain. The website is optional.
- Does GoDaddy include email with a domain?
- GoDaddy sells Microsoft 365 email plans separately from domains. You can also use any provider above with a domain registered at GoDaddy by adding their DNS records.
- How long does setup take?
- Usually under an hour of work. DNS changes often take effect within an hour, but can take up to 48 hours.
- How much does a business email cost?
- From free (Zoho, up to 5 users) to about $7–$8.40 per user per month for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 Business Basic, plus about $10–$20 a year for the domain.
Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)