Google's free email service.
About Gmail
Gmail is a free email service launched by Google in 2004, initially as an invite-only beta that made headlines with its then-unheard-of gigabyte of storage. Today it is the most widely used email provider in the world, with well over a billion active accounts, and forms the backbone of Google's wider Workspace suite of productivity tools.
Gmail popularized conversation threading, powerful search and generous free storage, and its spam filtering is considered among the best in the industry. The service is deeply integrated with Google Calendar, Drive and Meet, which makes it convenient for users who are already invested in the Google ecosystem.
The convenience comes with trade-offs. Gmail is operated by an advertising company headquartered in the United States, and although Google stopped scanning inbox content for ad targeting in 2017, metadata about how you use the service still feeds Google's profile of you. Mail is encrypted in transit and at rest, but not end-to-end — Google can technically read your messages.
What critics say
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3.5/5
TechRadar
Mike Williams
“Feature-rich, but the privacy trade-offs are hard to ignore.”
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3/5
Tom's Guide
Anthony Spadafora
“Reliable workhorse that's starting to feel dated.”
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5.8/10
Wired
Lily Hay Newman
“Convenient and capable — and constantly watching.”
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2.5/5
PCMag
Max Eddy
“Great search in your inbox, at the cost of your data.”
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2.5/5
CNET
Rae Hodge
“Ubiquitous, but better options now exist.”
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