Free Business Email Hosting in 2025 – How to Run Your Own Gmail with Postfix & Zoho Mail
Why Pay for Business Email in 2025 When You Can Run Your Own Gmail for Free?
Bought your dream domain?
Now you want yourName@yourDomain.com — but Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and most web hosts will charge you ₹500–₹1200 per user per month.
If you’re a student, freelancer, or startup founder, that’s burning money for something you can run for free.
Two Ways to Get Free Business Email
1. Zoho Mail (Easy Mode – 5 Minutes)
- Free tier with custom domain support
- Ad-free webmail, 5GB/user, up to 5 users
- Limited IMAP/POP3 in free plan
- Perfect for non-technical users
2. Self-Hosted Email Server (Geek Mode – Full Control)
Your stack:
- Postfix – Mail Transfer Agent (send/receive)
- Dovecot – IMAP/POP3 server
- Roundcube – Webmail interface
- SpamAssassin / Rspamd – Spam filtering
- Certbot – Free SSL
✅ Unlimited accounts
✅ No monthly bills
✅ Own your data
💡 Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to generate your Postfix & Dovecot configs based on your domain and VPS — it’s faster than reading endless docs.
Why Colleges & Startups Should Care
It’s 2025 and many colleges still can’t give yourName@college.com emails.
Startups burn thousands yearly on email subscriptions.
Self-hosting means:
- Branded email for free
- Professional look for resumes & outreach
- Cost savings that can fund other priorities
Deliverability – SPF, DKIM, DMARC
To keep your emails out of spam:
- SPF – Authorizes your sending IPs
- DKIM – Signs emails with a cryptographic key
- DMARC – Tells servers how to handle failed messages
Example SPF record:
v=spf1 mx a ip4:123.45.67.89 ip6:2001:db8::1 -all
Virtual Users – Manage Without System Accounts
Postfix & Dovecot can store mail users in a database:
- Create unlimited addresses instantly
- Use aliases like
sales@yourdomain.com→me@yourdomain.com - No need to touch system-level logins
Hostinger IPv6 Trick – Higher Send Rates
IPv4 limits: ~20–50 mails/hour
IPv6 limits: ~5 mails/minute
If your VPS supports IPv6, enable it in Postfix:
inet_protocols = all
…and enjoy better sending capacity.
Tools to Speed Up Setup
- Mail-in-a-Box – Full stack in one command
- iRedMail – All-in-one installer with admin panel
- Docker Mailserver – Preconfigured containers
Quick VPS Setup Guide
- Buy a VPS – Hetzner/Contabo from ₹400/month
- Install Postfix & Dovecot:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install postfix dovecot-imapd dovecot-pop3d - Configure virtual users & SSL/TLS with Certbot
- Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC in DNS
- Install Roundcube:
sudo apt install roundcube - Test with mail-tester.com until you hit 10/10
Savings Example
| Users | Google Workspace Cost (₹500/mo) | Self-Hosted VPS Cost (₹400/mo) | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | ₹30,000 | ₹4,800 | ₹25,200 |
| 10 | ₹60,000 | ₹4,800 | ₹55,200 |
Roundcube – Your Gmail Alternative
- Responsive UI
- Plugins for calendar, contacts, PGP encryption
- Works on desktop & mobile browsers
Turn This Into a Side Hustle
Students & freelancers can:
- Set up domain-based email for small businesses
- Charge ₹1,000–₹5,000 per setup
- Offer monthly VPS management for recurring income
Conclusion
Self-hosting email in 2025 is:
- Cheaper
- More private
- Educational
Whether you pick Zoho Mail for ease or go full Postfix/Dovecot for control — you can ditch SaaS email costs forever.