Last updated: 21 October 2026
Short answer: The cheapest way to get email on your own domain is Zoho Mail Forever Free: ₹0 for up to 5 users on one domain, with 5 GB each, but no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync. The cheapest paid mailbox among the main providers is Hostinger Starter at ₹29 a month per mailbox before GST, but only on a 48-month term paid upfront, and it renews at ₹69 a month. Google Workspace Base is ₹99 listed per user/month, excl. tax, and Microsoft 365 Business Basic is ₹170 per user a month, paid yearly, GST extra. For 5 users over a year, that is ₹0, ₹1,740, ₹5,940 and ₹10,200 before GST.
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Prices checked 21 Oct 2026 on Zoho Mail pricing, Google Workspace India pricing, Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Hostinger email hosting.
This page compares prices only. To set up the mailbox, follow our step-by-step guide to business email on your own domain. For every Google plan and offer, see Google Workspace pricing in India.
Business email prices at a glance
Price per user (mailbox) per month, before GST:
| Provider and plan | Price (excl. GST) | Billing / term | Renewal | Users / storage | GST statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Mail Forever Free | ₹0 | Free | – | Up to 5 users, 1 domain; 5 GB per user | – |
| Hostinger Email Starter | ₹29 (struck-through ₹149) | 48-month term, sale price | ₹69 | – | “Prices are listed without GST” |
| Hostinger Email Standard | ₹49 (₹199) | 48-month term, sale price | ₹119 | – | Without GST |
| Hostinger Email Premium | ₹79 (₹299) | 48-month term, sale price | ₹179 | – | Without GST |
| Google Workspace Base | ₹99 listed per user/month | – | – | Max 20 users; 20 GB pooled per person | “does not include tax” |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | ₹170 | Paid yearly | Annual subscription, auto-renews | Up to 300 users; 1 TB OneDrive per user | “GST extra as applicable” |
| Google Workspace Starter | ₹270 listed per user/month | – | – | Up to 300 users; 30 GB pooled | Does not include tax |
| Google Workspace Standard | ₹1,080 listed per user/month | – | – | Up to 300 users; 2 TB pooled | Does not include tax |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot | ₹1,955 | Paid yearly | – | Desktop apps; up to 300 users | GST extra |
Source: Zoho Mail, Hostinger email, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Business Basic pricing pages, checked 21 Oct 2026.
Zoho also sells paid Mail Lite and Mail Premium plans; check the current rupee price on Zoho’s pricing page from India. Hostinger also shows a “buy 2 mailboxes, get 1 free” offer.
Google says an annual commitment saves 16%; the page lists the figures above per user/month, excluding tax. Google also shows introductory offers: Base at ₹49.50 for 3 months (4 Nov 2026 – 4 Feb 2027), and Standard at ₹864 for the first 20 users for 12 months, for new customers only (source, checked 21 Oct 2026). Treat offers as temporary.
Rediff and Titan are not compared here; check their current prices with them directly.
Intro price vs renewal: the number most comparisons skip
The headline price is often a first-term sale price. Hostinger shows this clearly:
| Hostinger plan | Sale price | Renews at | Rise on renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | ₹29/month | ₹69/month | ₹40 more a month |
| Standard | ₹49/month | ₹119/month | ₹70 more |
| Premium | ₹79/month | ₹179/month | ₹100 more |
Source: Hostinger email pricing page, checked 21 Oct 2026.
The sale price needs a 48-month term paid upfront: ₹29 × 48 = ₹1,392 per mailbox before GST for four years. After that, Starter renews at ₹69 a month, which is ₹828 a year per mailbox (source, checked 21 Oct 2026).
Microsoft 365 Business Basic is sold as an annual subscription that auto-renews. Google lists the same per-user figure whether you look at monthly or annual billing, and its introductory offers end after a set period.
Worked example: 5 and 10 mailboxes for one year
Yearly cost before GST. The “with 18% GST” column assumes 18% GST applies; each provider says tax is extra, so confirm the final amount on your invoice.
| Provider and plan | 5 users, 1 year | With 18% GST | 10 users, 1 year | With 18% GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Mail Forever Free | ₹0 | ₹0 | Free plan stops at 5 users; a paid Zoho plan is needed | – |
| Hostinger Starter (sale price) | ₹1,740 | ₹2,053.20 | ₹3,480 | ₹4,106.40 |
| Hostinger Starter (renewal price) | ₹4,140 | ₹4,885.20 | ₹8,280 | ₹9,770.40 |
| Google Workspace Base (₹99 listed) | ₹5,940 | ₹7,009.20 | ₹11,880 | ₹14,018.40 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | ₹10,200 | ₹12,036 | ₹20,400 | ₹24,072 |
| Google Workspace Starter (₹270 listed) | ₹16,200 | ₹19,116 | ₹32,400 | ₹38,232 |
Source: Zoho Mail, Hostinger email, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Business Basic pricing pages, checked 21 Oct 2026.
How these are worked out: price × users × 12. For example, Hostinger Starter for 5 users is ₹29 × 5 × 12 = ₹1,740; with GST, ₹1,740 × 1.18 = ₹2,053.20. Hostinger’s sale price is paid for the full 48 months upfront, so a 5-mailbox Starter order is ₹6,960 before GST at checkout (source, checked 21 Oct 2026).
What you get for the price
Cheaper plans usually cost less because they include less. Compare these before you choose on price alone:
- Office apps: Google Workspace includes Docs, Drive and Meet. Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes web and mobile Office apps, Teams and 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user. Zoho Mail and Hostinger email are mainly email.
- Mail apps: Zoho Mail Forever Free does not include IMAP, POP or ActiveSync, so you use Zoho’s own web and mobile apps rather than Outlook or your phone’s mail app.
- User limits: Zoho’s free plan covers up to 5 users on one domain; Google Workspace Base is for up to 20 users; Starter and Microsoft 365 Business Basic go up to 300.
- Free trials: Google Workspace offers 14 days. Microsoft 365 Business Basic offers one month (credit card required).
- Cancellation: Microsoft says that when a subscription is cancelled, all associated data is deleted, and it has a 7-day prorated refund window. Export your mail before you cancel any plan.
India checks before you pay
- Rupee prices, tax extra: Google, Microsoft and Hostinger show rupee prices on their India pages and say tax is added on top. Budget for the with-GST figure, not the headline price.
- GST invoice: if your business is GST-registered, ask the provider before you pay whether its invoice will show your GSTIN.
- Payment method: check at checkout whether you can pay by UPI, and whether automatic renewal needs a saved card.
- Support: ask how you reach support from India (chat, phone or email) before you commit to a long term.
- Term length: Hostinger’s lowest price needs four years paid upfront; Microsoft’s price is for a yearly subscription. Compare what you pay on day one, not only the monthly figure.
Choose…
- Zoho Mail Forever Free if you have up to 5 people and can work in Zoho’s web and mobile apps.
- Hostinger email if your website is already on Hostinger, you want the lowest paid price, and you are happy to pay four years upfront. Budget for the renewal price. See Hostinger email plans (affiliate link)
- Google Workspace if your team works in Gmail, Docs and Drive and wants shared files and video calls. See Google Workspace pricing in India.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic if your team uses Outlook, Word and Excel, or needs 1 TB of storage per user. Compare in Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace.
Still unsure? Answer a few questions in the business email provider finder.
What users commonly report
Based on public reviews (paraphrased, summarised 21 Oct 2026):
- Zoho Mail: users commonly report low cost, a free custom-domain plan and an ad-free inbox, and many see it as good value against Google Workspace. Common complaints are that DNS setup feels hard for beginners, mobile sync can lag, spam filtering is uneven, and the free plan lacks IMAP and POP.
- Google Workspace: users commonly praise the familiar Gmail screen, easy setup and document collaboration. Complaints focus on rising per-user prices, the cost of extra storage, and difficulty reaching human support on billing.
- Microsoft 365: users commonly praise the full Office apps and Teams. Complaints focus on confusing licensing, scattered admin portals and slow support; plans bought through a reseller are sent back to that reseller for help.
- Hostinger email: email-specific reviews are few. Users like the low price when it is bundled with Hostinger hosting. Some report business mail going to spam and mailbox suspensions after spam reports. Across Hostinger’s services, users also commonly report renewal prices much higher than the first term and support routed through AI chat with slow or generic replies.
- Rediff Workmail: reviews are few. Users mention an Indian provider with rupee pricing, but also a dated app, unclear plan limits and weak support.
What this means for you: if email delivery is critical to your business, weigh reliability and support above a small monthly saving.
FAQs
What is the cheapest business email in India?
Zoho Mail Forever Free costs ₹0 for up to 5 users on one domain. Among paid plans, Hostinger Starter is ₹29 per mailbox a month before GST on a 48-month term, renewing at ₹69 (source, checked 21 Oct 2026).
How much does a business email cost per month?
From ₹0 (Zoho Mail free) to ₹29 (Hostinger Starter, sale price), ₹99 (Google Workspace Base, listed per user/month, excl. tax) (source, checked 21 Oct 2026) and ₹170 (Microsoft 365 Business Basic, paid yearly) (source, checked 21 Oct 2026), all before GST.
Is GST extra on business email?
Google says its prices do not include tax, Microsoft says “GST extra as applicable”, and Hostinger lists prices without GST. For Zoho, check the checkout page.
Is Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 cheaper for 5 users?
Google Workspace Base, at ₹99 listed per user/month, works out to ₹5,940 a year before tax for 5 users (source, checked 21 Oct 2026). Microsoft 365 Business Basic is ₹10,200 a year before GST (source, checked 21 Oct 2026). Microsoft includes 1 TB of storage per user; Base has 20 GB pooled per person.
Do I need to pay for a domain separately?
Yes. These prices are for email only. See our best domain registrars in India.
Sources and checked dates
All checked 21 Oct 2026:
- Zoho Mail pricing: https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html
- Google Workspace India pricing: https://workspace.google.com/intl/en_in/pricing.html
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-basic
- Hostinger email hosting: https://www.hostinger.com/in/email-hosting
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