Introduction
Greatmail is an email hosting provider priced per mailbox with a minimum mailbox commitment with compliance add-ons. Mango Mail is a newer, storage based host that lets you create unlimited mailboxes and domains within one plan. Here is how the two compare, category by category.
Pricing Philosophy
Mango Mail
Mango Mail keeps pricing simple. You pay for your storage plan, and can create as many domains, mailboxes, and aliases as you need within your plan. This makes costs predictable as your organization grows.
Greatmail
Greatmail bills per mailbox, with two main editions. Standard costs $1.95 per mailbox per month, and Groupware, which adds calendar and contacts sync, costs $3.95 per mailbox per month. Both editions carry a 5 mailbox minimum. Standard starts at $9.75 a month and Groupware at $19.75 a month for that minimum of 5 mailboxes. Because billing is strictly per mailbox above that minimum, costs scale directly with headcount, though Greatmail notes that its minimum can actually work in a small team's favor compared to providers with higher per seat rates.
Mailbox Minimums
This is one of the more distinctive differences between the two. Greatmail requires a minimum of 5 mailboxes per account on its published plans. Mango Mail's storage based plans do not document a minimum mailbox requirement on any tier, making it suitable regardless of whether you only need a few mailboxes or a few dozen.
Multiple Domains
Both providers support hosting multiple domains under a single account. Mango Mail includes this as part of its unlimited, storage based plan on every tier. Greatmail also explicitly documents the ability to host multiple domains under one account with centralized admin, though on Greatmail each mailbox on those domains still counts toward your per mailbox billing and the 5 mailbox minimum.
Standard Email Protocols
Both providers support the core protocols. IMAP, POP3, SMTP, webmail and custom domains are supported by both, and both are compatible with common third party clients like Outlook, Apple Mail and mobile apps.
Migration Tools
Greatmail advertises step-by-step migration assistance for switching from another provider but no in-house tool. Mango Mail's built-in SimpleTransfer tool moves attachments, folder structure and full message content automatically making it seamless to migrate your mail.
Feature Breakdown
| Feature | Mango Mail | Greatmail |
| Pricing model | Mango Mail keeps pricing simple. Unlimited mailboxes and domains within each plan | Per mailbox billing account |
| Minimum mailboxes required | No minimum required on any published plan | 5 mailbox minimum on published plans |
| Multiple domains under one account | Yes, natively, on every tier | Yes, documented, with centralized admin |
| Migration Transfer tools | Built-in Automatic transfer tool with SimpleTransfer | Assistance but no tool |
| Catch all addressing | Documented | Not documented as a feature of Greatmail |
| Subaddressing | Documented (plus addressing and subdomain addressing) | Not documented as a feature of Greatmail |
| Group mailboxes and distribution | Natively supported | Documented (group aliases and distribution) |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Mango Mail if you
- Need only one or a few mailboxes and do not want to meet a 5 mailbox minimum
- Want storage based pricing with unlimited mailboxes and domains under one plan on every tier
- Prefer predictable costs that do not grow per mailbox as your team scales
- Do not need calendar and contacts sync or HIPAA compliance
Choose Greatmail if you
- Are a small team of 5 or more where the mailbox minimum works in your favor rather than against you
- Want calendar and contacts sync via Exchange ActiveSync or CalDAV/CardDAV on the Groupware edition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mango Mail cheaper than Greatmail?
For a single mailbox or two, Mango Mail's entry tier pricing is likely cheaper, since Greatmail requires a minimum of 5 mailboxes on its published plans, a $9.75 a month minimum for Standard. For a team of 5 or more that would otherwise need 5 or more separate paid mailboxes elsewhere, Greatmail's per mailbox rate can be competitive, but Mango Mail's unlimited, storage based model still avoids per mailbox costs entirely.
Does Mango Mail charge per mailbox?
No. Mango Mail pricing is based on data usage across your account, not the number of mailboxes or domains you have.
Does Greatmail charge per mailbox?
Yes. Greatmail bills per mailbox, with a 5 mailbox minimum per account on its published Standard and Groupware editions.
What happens if I have two businesses on Mango Mail?
Two subscriptions would not be required. You can attach as many domains and users to your account as your plan's storage can fit, so whether you have one business or several, you only pay for one subscription.
Can I migrate from Greatmail to Mango Mail?
Yes, with Mango's SimpleTransfer you can automatically move emails, tags, attachments, and folder structure.
