Free E-mail Autoresponders

In this category, FreebieList.com takes a look at the Internet's best free e-mail autoresponders and form mailers. If you're regularly away from your desk, an autoresponder is an invaluable tool to have. Working in a similar fashion to a telephone answering machine, these services will send an "away" message to whoever has contacted you. Any e-mail messages that are collected are then stored in your inbox, ready for when you return. Here, we also review the Internet's best free form mailers, which allow Webmasters to set up a feedback form on their Web site and have visitors send in their comments. If you happen to stumble across an outdated link, we'd very much appreciate it if you could report it.

Freedback.com - Here's another free feedback form service. Freedback.com allows you to create a HTML form, even if you have no knowledge of HTML. Their form wizard will guide you through the process, and in no time at all you'll have a free and fully functioning form. You may also specify an unlimited number of questions for your visitors to answer. All forms available here can receive unlimited submissions.

Response-O-Matic - Response-O-Matic "free" edition lets you create online feedback forms quickly and easily (and you needn't have any HTML knowledge whatsoever). In around 8 minutes, you'll have a fully functioning contact form that you can cut and paste into your Web site. Submissions are e-mailed to you every time a visitor submits a form, and they can also be customised with your own message, check boxes and radio buttons.
> Response-O-Matic has a built-in spam blocker that helps to prevent form-based spam from entering your inbox.
> You may ask your visitors as many questions as you like in whatever style you like. Once set up, your form will handle an unlimited number of submissions.
> Once a visitor has submitted a form they can be forwarded to a Web page of your choice (i.e. a "thank you" page). The "free" package displays an advert each time your form is submitted, but this can be removed by upgrading to a commercial one.

SendFree - Does exactly as the name suggests. SendFree is an excellent marketing tool that saves you time by automating the process of delivering commonly requested material to your customers and prospects. The service also allows you to exchange auto responder adverts and run targeted e-mail advertising. They also provide handy tips on marketing and sponsorship adverts.

Memo To Me - This rather simple, but friendly site can be a useful tool when you've got a busy schedule. Once configured, it will send you a reminder via e-mail and notify of any important dates, birthdays, appointments, anniversaries, events, etc., in your diary. Registering at Memo to Me is a fast, straight-forward process and navigating the site is very much the same.

Free Auto Bot - Automatically sends e-mails to everyone who requests further information from your Web site. You can customise the service to send messages at different intervals such as every day, week or month. FreeAutoBot.com does not use advertisements in the e-mails it sends out. FreeAutoBot.com is also totally free and certainly recommended by all those who have used it.

FormSmarts - A free Web site form service that allows you to create, customise and then implement feedback forms on your site. FormSmarts, with its neat and user-friendly interface, allows users to create a fully functioning form within minutes thanks to their online form builder. You needn't have great technical knowledge and spam (junk mail) protection is available as standard.

Remember It - Offers reminder services in the form of an e-mail note and is ideal for remembering birthdays, anniversaries, special events or even doctors appointments. This can sometimes be better than a diary, but is no use if you don't regularly check your e-mail account. Once registered with the site, you can obtain your free membership and gain access to your Remember-It control panel.

Free E-mail Software

In this category, FreebieList.com takes a look at the Internet's best free e-mail programs. We review e-mail freeware that allows you to collect, send and organise your e-mail messages, and also feature anti-spam programs (to combat those irritating junk-mail messages). If you happen to stumble across an outdated link, we'd very much appreciate it if you could report it. Please send us details of any other free e-mail programs you encounter by suggesting them. You may also be interested in visiting our Free E-mail Services section, for Web-based e-mail freebies, including free e-mail accounts.

Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0 - A lightening fast and reliable free e-mail program from Mozilla. FreebieList.com has been using this quite a lot lately. In fact, so much so that it has become our favourite e-mail client. The program boasts tons of features, including a spell checker, newsgroup support, reliable junk-mail filtering options and a customisable interface. Thunderbird is free from adverts and makes a great companion to Mozilla Firefox.
> The latest version of Thunderbird is more stable and features an improved visual theme. Enhanced search and folder view options have been included, along with new e-mail notification alerts. Functions on Windows Vista.

eM Client - Do you find Microsoft Outlook too cumbersome a program to handle? If so, you should check out 'eM Client', a lightweight version of Outlook. All the popular features are still included: calendar, address book, spam filter, and task manager. The program also integrates with various instant messengers and has a widget system for Twitter, LinkedIn and others.

Eudora - A popular and reliable free e-mail program with tons of useful features. A small advertising message is shown on the main free version (to cover costs), although you can have it removed for a small contributed fee. Other features include automatic address book addition, newsgroup options, Outlook importing tool, drag and drop attachments, in-line spell checking, customisable toolbar, etc.
> Eudora's spam (junk mail) filtering feature, "SpamWatch", is restricted to "paid" versions of the package.
> Eudora provides three versions of its program: "Paid mode", "Sponsored mode" and "Light mode". Eudora Light has few features, but contains no advertising messages unlike the feature-rich Eudora (sponsored).

IncrediMail - IncrediMail's bright and inviting Web site houses one of the Internet's most impressive freeware e-mail clients. IncrediMail takes itself far less seriously than similar software and focuses on providing a fun and feature-rich application with plenty of originality to boot. In particular, it allows users to easily integrate graphics into e-mails, including 3D images, 1000s of emoticons, animations, backgrounds, etc. The kids will love it!

Comodo Antispam - If you're e-mail inbox is drowning in spam, this free program may well be the answer. Comodo Antispam targets unwanted junk mail messages that arrive in your inbox and effectively reduces the amount of unsolicited mail you will receive. What's more, it supports a range of popular e-mail clients (Outlook, Eudora, Netscape and more), and offers live updates, so you remain protected. It is extremely difficult to eliminate all spam, but programs such as this will allow you to take some control back from those pesky spammers.

Spamihilator - Tired of receiving spam (junk-mail) in your e-mail? Download this nifty freeware program and you'll be well on your way to solving the problem. Spamihilator examines incoming e-mails for bogus messages, then filters the spam before it reaches your inbox. The software functions using a "learning filter", which becomes more effective as time progresses. Spamihilator is compatible with Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Mail, etc.

Spamfighter Free - This popular and reliable anti-spam program works in conjunction with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Windows Mail (the e-mail client available on Windows Vista). Spamfighter scans incoming e-mail and then removes bogus messages before they have the chance to arrive in your inbox. What's more, users can report spam that's slipped under the radar to ensure other users do not receive the same message.

ePrompter - If you receive regular e-mails via numerous Web-mail accounts, it can be quite a chore checking for new messages. ePrompter, a freeware e-mail notification tool, can be easily configured to notify users of new e-mail messages on multiple Web-based e-mail accounts, such as Yahoo!, Hotmail and Gmail. Additionally, the program allows users to read, delete and respond to messages at the touch of a button.

Net Mail - This e-mail client is designed to make e-mail exchanges fast and effective. It provides support and administration capabilities to assist you in managing multiple e-mail accounts. You can also import e-mail addresses from other file sources. The "mail merge" option lets you send personalised messages to multiple recipients. Note: this program also includes a "filter spam" option for irritating junk-mail messages.

Free POP3 E-mail Services

In this category, FreebieList.com takes a look at the Internet's best free POP3 e-mail services. If you happen to stumble across an outdated link, we'd very much appreciate it if you could report it.

Gawab.com - Offers free Web-based e-mail accounts with POP3 access and SMTP support. 15MB of storage space is included here, as well as virus scanning and spam filtering options. Users can view Gawab.com in a choice of eight different languages and also choose from twelve different "themes" for their inbox. Addresses provided are: @gawab.com, @alex4all.com, @alexandria.cc.

Lavabit - Lavabit offers two free POP3 e-mail packages, one with 128MB storage space, and another with 1024MB storage space. The 128MB account is completely free with no strings attached, whilst the 1024MB package is advertisement supported, but still free. They also provide virus protection on both accounts. If you require more storage space without the adverts, they offer this for a small annual fee.

Free Web E-mail Services

Welcome to our free e-mail accounts section. In this category we review services that allow you to access your e-mail messages online. One of the great benefits of Web-based e-mail services is that you can access your e-mails from any location with an Internet connection (ideal if you're a regular traveller). As a user, you would simply fire up your Web browser, type in the service Web address and then log in to your account. From there you are able to read, delete, forward and compose e-mails as you wish. Although Web e-mail accounts have numerous advantages, they are not without their drawbacks. Many services, since they are free, rely on advertising to cover their costs and as such, tend to be ad-supported. In addition, you would not expect to find an extensive range of features, such as those available in e-mail client programs, such as Thunderbird or Outlook. Nevertheless, Web e-mail is improving all the time, and with many companies now incorporating spam filtering and anti-virus protection, every person should have at least one Web mail account. If you happen to stumble across an outdated link, we'd very much appreciate it if you could report it.

 My Way Email - This clean and straight-forward Internet portal provides a free online e-mail service, with 125MB storage space, spam prevention tools, stationary and various fonts. There is a 10MB limit on the size of message you may send. What is so attractive about this site is that no banners, pop-ups or other distractions can be seen.

 Zenbe - This free, high quality, Web-based service takes a unique approach to accessing your e-mail. Zenbe allows you to read and organise your mail in one central location. Google Mail, AOL, Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail accounts can all be accessed via the Zenbe interface and better still, the service is free from advertising. There's also a useful calendar and task list here.

 MailBigFile.com - MailBigFile.com's "free" service allows users to send large file attachments (up to 100MB in size) across the Internet. Although their commercial packages are more suited to everyday use, the free edition is great for one-off attachments to an individual recipient, and you needn't even register. The file will then be available to download for 3 days.

GMX - This impressive and unique free Web-based e-mail service offers a massive 5GB storage space, virus protection facilities and "unprecedented spam protection". The interface is particularly user-friendly and allows you to drag and drop e-mails into various folders, which you can create at will. GMX also offers an address book and organiser, so you can keep track of all your appointments. Register for an account here and your e-mail address will resemble: you@gmx.com.

Inbox.com - A great free e-mail service, providing a massive 5GB space, with Web mail, POP3 access, spam protection and a host of other useful features. Please note, however, that the 5GB offer is only valid for U.S., Canada and UK residents (2GB is allocated for other locations). Inbox.com also offers a free online calendar service and an online photo album, so you can share pictures with family and friends.

10 Minute Mail - Launched to help protect innocent Internet users from unsolicited e-mail messages, this service provides a free, temporary e-mail address that expires within a 10 minute time period. If you're wary of disclosing your e-mail address to a site that requires a registration, why not use 10 Minute Mail instead? You'll be able to register with no questions asked, and (more importantly) you'll avoid being added to spam (junk mail) lists.

Yahoo! Mail - Yahoo! Mail - Here's a popular and user intuitive free e-mail provider, offering Web-based access and a massive 1GB storage space for free - far too much space for most users! Yahoo! Mail includes an impressive number of features, including a robust spam (junk mail) filtering service and free anti-virus scanning. The mailbox interface here is visually appealing and simple enough for newbies to navigate around.
> Yahoo! have recently made a number of improvements to their e-mail service, most notably the inclusion of a "message pane" (a familiar feature of e-mail client programs, such as Outlook Express). This allows users to read the content of messages without leaving their inbox.
> There is also improved mobile phone support for users wishing to read their e-mail messages on the move.

Freeola 500 - Register at Freeola too choose from a huge collection of free e-mail addresses (over 500). This service provides free e-mail forwarding, free e-mail auto responders, anti-spam and virus protection, and also a Web mail option, so you can access your e-mail from anywhere in the world, provided you have access to an Internet connection. Click the "view all 500 addresses link" for the full selection.

Hotmail - Hotmail from Microsoft is the world's most famous online e-mail service. They provide fast, secure Web mail access from anywhere in the world and include a range of features ideal for managing contacts, so if you use MSN Messenger, Hotmail is the perfect companion. Anti-virus, "mail bomb" and spam (junk mail) filters also contribute to the on-going success of this provider.
> Hotmail provides 25MB e-mail storage space upon sign up, but will increase your limit to 250MB after 30 days. You are now able to send files or photo attachments up to 10MB in size.
> UK visitors may register a "@hotmail.co.uk" address to signify their country of origin.
> Hotmail's junk mail filter is effective but occasionally processes legitimate e-mails as spam. To combat this, enter contacts into your Hotmail address book and check the junk mail folder regularly.
> Hotmail was a pioneer of viral Internet marketing. The small "Get your private, free email address" tagline attached to the bottom of all e-mails sent using the service attracted millions of users across the globe.

Lycos Mail - This free Web-mail service provided by the portal "Lycos" offers free spam (junk mail) protection, 5GB storage space, free virus checking, basic text editing tools (font changer, etc.), and has no limits on file attachment sizes. Another useful feature is the domain and address blocker, ideal for when you wish to prevent someone from contacting you.
> Like most free e-mail accounts, the content of a Lycos Mail free account will be deleted if the owner does not log in and check their messages at least once every 30 days.
> Lycos has now ceased offering its e-mail services to the UK and European region as of 15th February 2009. All existing UK and European accounts (i.e. yourname@lycos.co.uk) will be automatically closed after this date.

HushMail - Provides an online e-mail service with extra security features. You can send e-mail to any person with an address but to take advantage of their high 1024 bit encryption, your recipient must also have a HushMail account. After the recent hiccup with "Hotmail hackers", you should seriously consider this if handling important e-mail. HushMail is robust, solid and reliable.

Cwazy.co.uk - Operated from Gateshead in the UK and provides a free e-mail account on their own server. All accounts here can be accessed via the Web, via POP3 or via IMAP. One thing that distinguishes this mail provider from others very similar is it's totally non commercial, (they provide this service simply because people enjoy using it and not for the profits which could be obtained).

mail2web - This service allows you to securely access your POP3 e-mail inbox from anywhere in the world. Ideal for when you're on the move (or when you need to access your messages remotely), mail2web functions very much like any other Web mail interface, and allows you to send mail, forward, compose and even delete messages on the fly. They also support WAP compatible mobile phone access.

Mail.com - Mail.com (as used to power Lycos and numerous other services) offers a free personalised e-mail service that is private and accessible from anywhere. You can choose from a variety of domain names and because this service is password protected, only you will have access to your account. If you share a computer, their secure log-out function will protect your messages.

Big Foot - "Tools For The Internet". With a free e-mail address, Bigfoot will deliver your messages to any e-mail account you want, regardless of how often you change providers, which provider you choose, or how many accounts you might have. Your account will never expire unlike most other similar services since you have the ability to change where your e-mail is forwarded to.