MultiHub Forum

I'm setting up hosting for a small business client and I'm debating whether to go with a plan that includes email hosting included or to handle email separately.

Some hosting providers bundle email hosting included with their packages, while others charge extra or don't offer it at all. For a small business that needs maybe 5-10 email accounts, is it better to have everything in one place with email hosting included, or should I recommend separate services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?

What are the pros and cons of having email hosting included with your web hosting versus using dedicated email services?

I generally recommend against having email hosting included with web hosting. The email systems bundled with hosting are usually basic and lack features businesses need.

For professional use, separate services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 are worth the extra cost. They offer better spam filtering, collaboration tools, and reliability. Plus, if your website hosting has issues, your email stays up.

It depends on the business needs. For very small businesses or personal projects, email hosting included can be convenient and cost-effective. You manage everything from one place.

But for businesses that rely heavily on email, the limitations become apparent quickly. Limited storage, basic webmail interfaces, and poorer spam protection are common issues with bundled email hosting included.

Security consideration: Email hosting included with web hosting often has weaker security features. Dedicated email services invest more in security, spam filtering, and compliance features.

If you handle sensitive information via email, I'd definitely recommend a separate professional email service over basic email hosting included with hosting.

For bloggers, email hosting included can be fine initially. Most bloggers just need a professional email address for contact purposes, not heavy business use.

But if you start doing newsletter campaigns or need advanced features, you'll outgrow basic email hosting included quickly. Start separate if you can afford it, but basic included email is okay for starting out.