Email on your own domain: what and why
What is email on your own domain?
An email address consists of two parts: everything before the @ (your username) and everything after it (the domain). With a free email service you share that domain with millions of others. With email on your own domain, your own domain name sits after the @, the same name you'd also use for your website.
You need two things for that: a domain name and a place that manages your email (that's called email hosting). You can connect a domain you already have, or have one registered. After that you create addresses like info@, contact@ or simply your first name.
Why do professionals choose their own domain?
The short answer: recognisability, trust and control. Four concrete reasons:
- You come across as professional. An address with your own business name shows straight away who the sender is. A free address quickly looks amateurish and is more often distrusted by recipients.
- The address is yours. Your domain is in your name, so you're not dependent on the whims of a single service. Switch providers and you simply take your address with you. You don't lose it.
- You keep everything in one place. Several addresses (
info@,sales@, one per colleague) all run under the same domain, with one point of management. - You set the rules yourself. Who gets an address, which aliases you use, how privacy and security are handled: you decide, not a service that can suspend your address at any moment.
You'll read more about the trade-off against a free address in professional email address versus a free address.
How does it work in practice?
Your email lives on a server. You read and send messages either via webmail in your browser, or via a mail program such as Thunderbird, Outlook or Apple Mail on your computer or phone. That works with standard protocols (IMAP, POP and SMTP), so you're free to choose what you view your mail with.
For most people webmail is the simplest: you log in and you're right there in your mailbox, without installing anything, on any device. If you do want to use a fixed program, you set that up once. Torn between IMAP and POP? Then read IMAP or POP: which do you choose. For anyone who emails on several devices, IMAP is almost always the right choice.
What does email on your own domain cost?
Two items: your domain name and your mailbox. A domain name is a separate, usually low, annual cost. The mailbox you pay for per unit.
At Mailflux you pay per mailbox per month, billed annually:
| Plan | Price | Storage | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | €4.99 | 8 GB | standard anti-malware |
| Pro | €6.99 | 25 GB | premium anti-malware, calendar, task list, CardDAV & CalDAV |
| Premium | €9.99 | 50 GB (expandable to 100 GB) | premium anti-malware, calendar, task list, CardDAV & CalDAV |
Every plan includes antivirus, anti-spam, anti-malware, backups, optional two-factor authentication, 20 free aliases and POP/IMAP/SMTP. So you only pay for email, not for a full office suite with word processors and tools you may never use. You'll find a detailed calculation in how much does a business email address cost.
Where is your email, and why does that count?
Not every email service keeps your messages in the same place. For many entrepreneurs and organisations that does matter: where your data sits determines which rules it falls under. Mailflux is European email hosting: hosted in Europe and GDPR-compliant, so no one reads along uninvited. Especially if you work with sensitive or personal data, that's a deliberate choice worth making.
Who is this especially interesting for?
Your own domain pays off as soon as email is part of how you come across or work together.
- Starting freelancers. Your first client contact sets the impression. An address like
you@yourbusiness.comlooks more serious right away than a free address. See email for freelancers and the self-employed. - Small businesses and teams. Several colleagues, each with their own address under the same domain, plus shared addresses like
info@orsales@, managed centrally. See email for SMEs and small businesses. - Associations and organisations. Role addresses such as
board@stay with the role, not with the person. When the board changes, the mail history stays with the organisation. See email for your association or non-profit.
Here's how to get started
You're set in three steps:
- Choose or check your domain name. If you already have one, you need access to the DNS settings. If you don't have one yet, Mailflux can register and manage one for you.
- Choose a plan that fits your storage and feature needs (see the table above).
- Connect your domain and create your addresses. Under the hood, a few DNS records for email point your mail to Mailflux; we help you with that.
After that you log in to webmail or set up your mail program once, and you email with your own name after the @.
And at Mailflux
Mailflux is professional email on your own domain, without unnecessary bells and whistles. You get browser webmail that works right away on any device, all common mail programs keep working, and there's real, personal help when you need it. Take a look at the possibilities of a professional mailbox or, if you're self-employed, email for freelancers and the self-employed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a website for email on my own domain?
No. A domain name and email hosting are enough. You can perfectly well email with you@yourbusiness.com without a website on that domain. If you want a site later, that can be done separately.
Can I use my existing domain name?
Yes, as long as you have access to your domain's DNS settings, you can connect it. If you don't have a domain yet, Mailflux can register and manage one for you, so you can start straight away.
What happens to my address if I ever switch providers?
Because the domain is in your name, your address stays yours. You move your mailbox and simply keep you@yourbusiness.com. So you're never locked into a single service.