Free POP and IMAP services for business and personal

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“Have you checked your e-mails yet?“ It is a prevalent question you hear almost every day. E-mail services are offered mostly for free, but the question is: which one would you choose?

Are those e-mail services offered along with slow-loading pages and lots of ads? Of course not, some free e-mail services also offer POP or IMAP access, meaning you can download your messages to any e-mail program. These are some of the best and free POP and IMAP e-mail services that you can choose from:

1. Gmail.com

Gmail is a free web-based e-mail service that allows you to collect all your messages. Gmail is simple but it has a smart, intuitive interface and lets you find them precisely and see them in context without effort. POP and powerful IMAP access brings Gmail to any email program or device. Gmail puts contextual advertising next to the emails you read.

2. AOL Mail

AOL Mail is a free web-based e-mail service with 2 GB of online storage. AOL Mail has very good spam protection and an easy-to-use interface. Although AIM Mail lacks a bit in productivity (has no labels, smart folders, or message threading) it has very functional IMAP access.

3. GMX Mail

GMX Mail is a very reliable e-mail service filtered well of spam and viruses. GMX Mail has 5 GB of online storage you can use not only through a rich web interface but also via POP or IMAP from a desktop email program. It is a smart way to organize your e-mails with the most advanced features.

4. Yahoo! Mail

Yahoo! Mail is your updated email program on the web and mobile devices with unlimited storage, SMS texting, social networking, and instant messaging to boot. Yahoo! Mail is generally joyful to use but free-form labeling and smart folders would be very nice, and the spam filter could catch junk even more effectively.

5. Outlook Live

Outlook Live is a free email service that gives you 5 GB of online storage, fast search, solid security, POP access, and an interface as easy as a desktop email program. Outlook does not go beyond folders. Moreover, its spam filter could be more effective and IMAP access to all online folders would be nice.

6. Zoho Mail

Zoho Mail is a solid email service with ample storage, POP, and IMAP access, and some integration with instant messaging and online office suites. Zoho Mail is aimed at professional users. However, Zoho Mail could be even more helpful in organizing mail, identifying key messages/contacts, and sending oft-used replies.

7. Lavabit

Lavabit is a solid, secure, and privacy-conscious e-mail service that you can access using both POP or IMAP and a rudimentary web interface. It is a pity that Lavabit restricts statistical spam filtering to paid accounts and lacks a fully fledged web interface.

8. FastMail

FastMail is a great free email service with IMAP access, useful features, and a stellar web interface. Unfortunately, FastMail does not offer truly effective spam filtering for free accounts and more storage space for all users.

9. Inbox.com

Inbox.com gives you 5 GB to store your mail online and also a highly polished, fast, and functional way to access it via the web or through POP in your email program. Unfortunately, IMAP access is not supported by Inbox.com, and its tools for organizing mail could be improved with smart or self-teaching folders.

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