How to Create a Free Email Account: Gmail, Outlook, & More

With the huge variety of email providers out there, it’s easier than ever to create a free email address. We’ve made a list of some of the most popular free email providers, along with instructions for how to set up accounts with them. Most of these email clients are web-based, but many offer apps that you can use to manage your email on your Mac or Windows computer, Android device, iPhone, or iPad.

Making a Free Email Address

Create a free email address through Gmail, Outlook, or Proton Mail. Some email services offer free features, like AOL’s unlimited storage or Mail.com’s custom email domains. Ask your school or workplace if they offer free email accounts to students and staff.

1

Get Gmail for a versatile webmail account.

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Gmail is free and simple to use. You can sign up for Gmail and use it in any web browser, or download the Gmail app for your iPhone, Android phone, or tablet. Making a Gmail account also gives you access to Google Drive and Google Photos. To create a Gmail account, visit accounts.google.com/signup.^{[1]
X
Research source} From there:
- Enter your first and last name.
- Enter your birthdate and gender.
- Choose or create your email address.
- Enter your password, then type it again in the Confirm box. Your password must be at least 8 characters long and contain a mixture of letters, numbers, and other symbols.
- Enter your phone number for verification.
- If you like, enter a recovery email address and phone number in case you get locked out of your new email address. These steps are optional.
- Review the terms and services and click I Agree.

2

Try Outlook to integrate with Microsoft apps.

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Anyone can get a free Outlook email account. Outlook is a desktop-based email app that is part of the Microsoft Office suite. There’s also a web app version that you can use in a browser.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source} Or, if you prefer, you can download the mobile app on your Android or iOS phone or tablet.^{[3]
X
Research source} To sign up for a free email address through Outlook, visit Microsoft’s Outlook page and click Create free account to get started.
- Follow the prompts to enter your desired email address, password, first and last name, country/region, and date of birth. You’ll also need to complete a brief Captcha challenge to prove you aren’t a bot.
- When you enter your desired email address, you can choose either an outlook.com or a hotmail.com ending from the dropdown menu.
- One advantage of Outlook is that it coordinates with other Microsoft apps. You can even edit Word documents and other Office files in your Outlook inbox.

3

Use Proton Mail for extra privacy.

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Proton Mail doesn’t require you to enter your personal information. Proton is an extra-secure web-based email client that also offers Android and iOS apps. The free version of Proton Mail includes 1GB of storage and lets you send up to 150 emails per day. It also comes with a calendar and allows you to sync with Proton cloud storage and connect to a Proton VPN plan.^{[4]
X
Research source} To sign up for a free Proton email address:
- Visit proton.me/mail.
- Click Get Proton Mail in the upper-right corner.
- Choose the free plan from the pricing menu.
- Enter your desired username and password. You can also select either a protonmail.com or a proton.me ending for your address from the dropdown menu.
- Click Start using Proton Mail now to finish signing up.

4

Sign up for AOL to get unlimited storage.

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AOL is an older email client, but it’s still popular for a reason. It’s one of the few free email options that offer unlimited inbox storage, so you can save as many messages as you like. Like Gmail, AOL offers web-based email that you can use in any browser. To sign up:^{[5]
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- Visit aol.com/ in your web browser.
- Click Mail in the upper right corner.
- Click the Create an account button in the Sign in box on the right side of the screen.
- Enter your information on the next page. This includes your name, your desired email address, your new password, your phone number, your birthdate, and your gender (optional).
- Click Continue and follow the directions to finish setting up your account.

5

Use Yahoo.com for great personalization options.

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Yahoo Mail also offers plenty of storage. The free version of Yahoo Mail includes 20 GB of storage, so you can save tons of old messages. It’s also great for organizing your messages and attachments and personalizing the look and feel of your inbox. Yahoo is another web-based email client you can use in a browser, though you can also download an app for Android or iOS devices. To sign up for a Yahoo mail account:^{[6]
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Research source}
- Go to yahoo.com.
- Click Mail in the upper-right corner.
- Click Create an account in the sign-in box on the right-hand side of the screen.
- Enter your full name, your desired email address and password, and your birth year.
- Click Continue and follow the prompts to finish setting up your account.

6

Try Zoho if you need a business email address.

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Zoho’s free plan includes 1 free email domain for up to 5 users. Zoho’s email hosting is a great option if you’re a small business owner trying to cut costs. The free email option includes 5GB of storage per user and lets you create 5 email addresses with your business’s domain name. To set it up:
- Go to zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html and scroll down to the Forever Free Plan. Click Sign Up Now.
- Enter your name, current email address or mobile number, and password.
- Click the box next to I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Sign Up.
- Follow the instructions to set up your new email address(es).

7

Opt for iCloud for the best data encryption.

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You can create a free iCloud email if you own an Apple device. iCloud mail is a service available to all Apple users. It’s a great option if you’re concerned about protecting your data in transit.^{[7]
X
Research source} Since it’s cloud-based, any messages you send or receive will be stored in the cloud instead of taking up space on your device. Your mail settings are also synced across all devices where you’re logged into iCloud. However, keep in mind that your iCloud mail storage is shared with whatever else you have in the cloud (such as images or files).^{[8]
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Research source} To get your free email address:^{[9]
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- Make sure you already have a valid Apple ID.
- On an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch:
  - Open Settings, then select Your Name.
  - Tap iCloud, then iCloud Mail or just Mail.
  - Toggle on the
    button next to Use on this iPhone/iPad, then tap Create.
  - Enter your desired email address (e.g., [yourname]@icloud.com), then tap Next. Tap Done to confirm and create your email address.
- On a Mac:
  - Open the Apple menu and click System Settings. On MacOS 12 or earlier, select System Preferences instead.
  - Click [Your Name] or Apple ID (on MacOS 12 or earlier).
  - Select iCloud, then iCloud Mail. On MacOS Ventura, click Turn On after you select iCloud Mail.
  - Follow the prompts to set your new iCloud email address.

8

Choose Mail.com for free custom email domains.

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Mail.com is a great option if you want to create a unique email address. Mail.com is web-based, but it also offers mobile apps for Android and iOS phones and tablets. The free plan comes with 65 GB of inbox space, plus an additional 2 GB of cloud storage.^{[10]
X
Research source} You can choose from hundreds of domains that reflect your job, location, or personal interests (e.g., artlover.com, radiologist.net, or usa.com). To get started:
- Go to signup.mail.com.
- Enter your first and last name, as well as your date of birth.
- Enter your desired email handle and pick a domain from the dropdown menu. Click Check to make sure your address is available.
- Fill out your personal details, including your salutation (Ms, Mr, or Other) and country/region.
- Enter your desired password.
- Enter your cell phone number.
- Check the box by the Security prompt to confirm that you’re human.
- Click I agree. Create an email account now. Follow the instructions to finish setting up your new account.

9

Check if your internet provider offers free email.

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When you sign up for internet service, an email address is often included. ISP email addresses often come with great customer support, and you can use them with a variety of email clients (such as Outlook or Thunderbird). Call your service provider’s customer service number and ask how to get started setting up your email account, or check their website for instructions.
- Keep in mind that there are some disadvantages to using an ISP email address. For example, if you move or switch to a new internet service provider, you’ll probably have to get a new email address.^{[11]
  X
  Research source}

10

Try getting an address from your job or school.

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Some schools and jobs provide free email accounts for students and staff. If you’ve just started a new job or enrolled in a new school, talk to the IT department to find out if you can set up a new address through your organization.
- Many colleges and universities provide a [yourname]@[yourschool].edu address for students.
- If you work in certain industries, you might qualify for an email address with a limited TLD (top-level domain), such as .edu, .mil, or .gov. However, these kinds of addresses are unavailable to most people.
- Most schools or workplaces that provide free emails should do so without you asking, but you may need to confirm with the IT department if you don't hear anything about it during orientation or onboarding.

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How do I make an email address in Microsoft?

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Visit the Microsoft Outlook website to set up a new email address. You can also go to the Microsoft account website and click "Create an account," then click "Get a new email address." This will take you through the process of creating an Outlook or Hotmail email address.

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Is there any difference between gmail and email?

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Gmail is a specific email client/provider that is owned by Google. Email is a general term for any type of electronic mail.

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What are some free email services that don't require a phone number?

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Gmail, Tutanota, and ProtonMail all allow you to sign up without a phone number. They may ask for a phone number to make it easier to recover your account, but it's optional. You don't need to provide recovery information if you can't or don't want to.

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While there are ways to get a variety of custom domains for your email address for free, some types of domains are limited. For instance, you have to be a student or staff member at an educational institution to qualify for a .edu address. There are ways around these restrictions that you can try, but they aren’t necessarily ethical or free.

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