Last verified: 2026-04-25
Best WordPress Hosting with Included Email Hosting for 2026
Bottom line up front
For hosts that bundle email, SiteGround and Bluehost both include cPanel-style email mailboxes on most plans. The honest recommendation: skip bundled email and use Google Workspace at $6/user/mo for any serious business — better deliverability, better security, better features. Bundled hosting email is workable only for forwarding-only setups (hello@yoursite.com → personal Gmail). For real business email, dedicated services are structurally correct.
Why bundled hosting email fails most use cases
Three structural problems. (1) Shared sending IPs — your hosting email shares an IP with thousands of other sites; if any of them spam, your sender reputation drops, and your legitimate email lands in spam folders. (2) Limited authentication — many host email setups don't fully implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which modern email providers (Gmail, Outlook) increasingly require. Without all three, your email is at risk of being flagged as suspicious. (3) Volume limits — hosting email caps sending volume to prevent abuse, hitting legitimate transactional email (order confirmations, password resets, customer-service replies) hard.
For any business that depends on email reaching customers reliably, dedicated email services (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Fastmail) are the structural answer. The $6/user/mo for Google Workspace Business Starter is the smallest line item in most business budgets that prevents the largest deliverability pain.
How we picked
Five criteria. (1) Email mailboxes included on the hosting plan. (2) cPanel-style or webmail UI for management. (3) Forwarding to external addresses supported. (4) IMAP and SMTP support for client mail apps. (5) Reasonable storage allocation per mailbox. Every pick clears 4 of 5; deliverability is universally weaker than dedicated email services.
At a glance
| Host | Email included | Deliverability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | Unlimited mailboxes most plans | OK | Bundled email basics |
| Bluehost | 5-unlimited depending on plan | OK | WordPress.org-recommended |
| A2 Hosting | Yes (cPanel) | OK | Performance-budget hosting |
| Hostinger | Yes (basic) | OK | Cheapest with email |
| Google Workspace (separate) | Separate $6/user/mo | Excellent | Serious business email |
| Fastmail (separate) | Separate $5/user/mo | Excellent | Privacy-focused alternative |
1. SiteGround — unlimited email on most plans
Best for: Hosting customers wanting unlimited email mailboxes bundled on most plans.
SiteGround includes unlimited email accounts on the GrowBig and GoGeek plans (5 on StartUp). cPanel-style email management, IMAP/SMTP support, basic spam filtering. Good for hobby sites and small operations where dedicated email isn't worth $6/user/mo.
Pros: Unlimited email; cPanel UI; reasonable spam filtering.
Cons: Deliverability is mediocre; not a substitute for Google Workspace for business.
2. Bluehost — 5-unlimited mailboxes
Best for: WordPress.org-recommended host with bundled email for beginners.
Bluehost includes 5 email mailboxes on Basic, unlimited on higher plans. Standard cPanel email management. Adequate for forwarding setups.
3. A2 Hosting — performance-budget with email
Best for: Operators wanting better performance than Bluehost with bundled email.
A2 Hosting includes email accounts via cPanel. Performance is better than Bluehost; email features are similar.
4. Hostinger — cheapest with bundled email
Best for: Cheapest hosting plan with bundled email for hobby and small-business sites.
Hostinger includes basic email on managed WordPress plans. Functional but limited; expect to upgrade to Google Workspace as the business grows.
5. Google Workspace — recommended for serious business
Best for: Any business where email deliverability and reliability matter operationally.
Google Workspace Business Starter at $6/user/mo provides Gmail at @yourdomain.com with industry-leading deliverability, full SPF/DKIM/DMARC, 30GB storage, plus Calendar, Meet, Drive, Docs. The standard professional setup for small business email since 2010.
Pros: Best-in-class deliverability; full productivity stack; mature platform.
Cons: $6/user/mo separate from hosting; requires DNS configuration.
6. Fastmail — privacy-focused alternative
Best for: Privacy-conscious operators wanting strong deliverability without Google.
Fastmail at $5/user/mo (Standard) provides custom-domain email with strong privacy practices, no ads, and excellent deliverability. The structural alternative to Google Workspace for operators who don't want to use Google.
Decision tree: which email setup should I pick?
- Hobby site or forwarding-only setup → SiteGround or Bluehost bundled email.
- Beginner first WordPress site → Bluehost bundled email.
- Performance-budget with email needs → A2 Hosting bundled email.
- Cheapest hosting with email → Hostinger.
- Serious business email → Google Workspace separate from hosting.
- Privacy-focused business email → Fastmail.
Frequently asked
Should I use my hosting provider's email or a separate email service?
Separate email service for any serious business — Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Fastmail, or Proton. Hosting-provider email (Bluehost, SiteGround included email) tends to have weaker deliverability (your messages go to spam more often), no proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC setup, and weaker security. Hosting email is workable for forwarding (sending hello@yoursite.com → personal Gmail) but not for a real business inbox. The $6/user/mo for Google Workspace is the smallest line item that prevents the largest pain.
Why is hosting-provider email deliverability bad?
Three reasons. (1) Shared IPs: your hosting email IP is shared with thousands of other sites; if any of them spam, your sender reputation drops. (2) Limited authentication: many host email setups have basic SPF only, no DKIM, no DMARC — modern email providers (Gmail, Outlook) increasingly require all three. (3) Volume limits: hosting email caps sending volume sharply, so legitimate transactional email (order confirmations, password resets) hits limits. For business email, dedicated email services are structurally correct.
Which hosts bundle email best?
For included-email hosts, SiteGround and Bluehost both include 5-50 email mailboxes depending on plan with cPanel-style email management. A2 Hosting and Hostinger include similar. Cloudways and Kinsta do not include email — they expect you to use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. WP Engine does not include email. The trade-off: included email saves $5-$10/user/mo but costs in deliverability and features.
Can I use Google Workspace with my hosting?
Yes on every host in this list. The setup: point MX records in your DNS to Google Workspace; Google handles incoming and outgoing mail. Your hosting handles only the website (no email). This is the standard professional setup. Google Workspace at $6/user/mo (Business Starter) gives you Gmail at @yourdomain.com plus 30GB storage, Calendar, Meet, Drive — the productivity stack most small businesses need anyway.
How do I send transactional email (order confirmations, password resets) on a host without email?
Use a transactional email service — SendGrid, Postmark, Mailgun, or Amazon SES. These services handle the sending, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and deliverability monitoring at scale. WordPress integrates via SMTP plugins (WP Mail SMTP, Easy WP SMTP). Pricing: SendGrid Free for 100 emails/day, Postmark $15/mo for 10K emails. For most WordPress sites, transactional email through a dedicated service is the right architecture regardless of whether your host bundles email.
Is there any reason to use hosting-provider email in 2026?
Only for forwarding-only setups. If hello@yoursite.com just forwards to your personal Gmail, hosting email is fine — Gmail handles the actual mailbox. For two-way email (sending replies from hello@yoursite.com), use a dedicated service. The single-direction forwarding use case is the only place hosting email is structurally adequate in 2026.
Sources
- Google Workspace Pricing — verified 2026-04-25
- SiteGround — verified 2026-04-25
- Fastmail Pricing — verified 2026-04-25