Alternatives to iCloud Mail
Apple's hosted email service, with a web client and built-in support on Apple devices. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
iCloud Mail
Apple's hosted email service, with a web client and built-in support on Apple devices.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as iCloud Mail.
Gmail
Google's email service, used on the web and through Android and iOS apps.
Gmail uses a Google account instead of an Apple Account and has full Android support, plus strong spam filtering and AI drafting features.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email, calendar and contacts app for desktop, mobile and the web.
Microsoft Outlook covers email, calendar and contacts on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and the web, tied to Microsoft services and Microsoft 365.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo's free web and mobile email service with inbox organisation and AI-assisted features.
Yahoo Mail is a free web and mobile service that works equally on any device, run by a large advertising company.
Proton Mail
Official Proton Mail apps for reading and sending end-to-end encrypted email on phones, desktops and the web.
Proton Mail adds end-to-end encryption by default with apps on all major platforms, while desktop apps need a paid plan after the trial.
Fastmail
A paid, privacy-focused email, calendar and contacts service with web and mobile apps.
Fastmail is a paid private host with email, calendar, contacts and custom domains, offering EU or USA data residency and no free plan.
GMX Mail
A free email service with webmail, cloud storage, calendar and support for several addresses.
GMX Mail is a free web service with up to 10 addresses, calendar and cloud storage, but its portal shows ads.
Yandex Mail
A free email service from Yandex with a web client, mobile apps and ad-free inbox.
Yandex Mail gives a free ad-free mailbox with mail import and delivery reports, tied to Yandex Disk and Calendar instead of iCloud.
AOL Mail
A free web-based email service from AOL with spam filtering and mobile apps.
AOL Mail is a free web service with spam filtering and mobile apps, with fewer distinguishing features and no tie to Apple devices.
Also worth comparing
These listings name iCloud Mail as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Mail.com
A free webmail service offering addresses on more than 100 domain names.
iCloud Mail requires an Apple Account and works best on Apple hardware, with a web client and freemium pricing.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Apple Mail
The email app built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS for reading mail from several providers.
Airmail
A customisable email client for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
Spark Mail
Smart email client that auto-sorts inboxes and drafts AI-powered replies.
Edison Mail
A multi-account email app that combines all your inboxes into one place, without ads.
