What is webmail?
Webmail means reading and writing email in a web browser. You do not need an app. Your hosting gives you webmail for addresses at your own domain, like name@example.com. A domain is your website address. Common webmail tools are Roundcube and Horde. Your plan may offer one or both.
What is Gmail?
Gmail is Google's email service. A free account gives you an address ending in @gmail.com. It works in a browser and in a phone app.
Main differences
| Hosting webmail | Gmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Uses your own domain | Ends in @gmail.com |
| Who runs it | Your hosting company | |
| Look and tools | Simple | Many features and a strong spam filter |
| Storage | Counts against your hosting plan limits | Has its own storage limit |
| Looks professional | Yes | Less so for a business |
When to use which
- Use hosting webmail for a business or brand address.
- Use Gmail for personal mail and sign-ups.
Best of both: use Gmail with your domain email
You can read your domain mail inside Gmail. Gmail can fetch the mail with POP3 and send with SMTP. These are the rules email programs use to receive and send.
- Open Gmail on a computer. Click the gear icon, then See all settings.
- Open the Accounts and Import tab.
- Find Check mail from other accounts and click Add a mail account.
- Type your domain email address.
- Enter your mail server name, user name, password and port. Find them in your welcome email, or ask Hostvento support.
- Click Add account.
- Choose to send mail as that address too, and follow the steps.
Menu names in Gmail can change over time. Look for similar words if you cannot find them.
Tip: Keep your webmail password safe. Use a different password from your Gmail one.
Need help? Open a support ticket.
Quick recap
- Webmail is email in your browser. Hosting webmail uses your domain.
- Gmail is Google's free service with a gmail.com address.
- Business mail looks better with your own domain.
- You can read domain mail in Gmail if you like its tools.