Gmail’s free account comes with a decent set of features suitable for casual to regular users. It may be too limiting if you need a comprehensive 

 for work, in which case you might consider upgrading to a 

To help you decide whether Gmail’s business tiers are worth switching to, 

this business Gmail vs. personal Gmail comparison will show you what you get if you upgrade

 that might be more suitable for your needs.

Gmail—personal vs. business account compared

Gmail is a part of Google Workspace, so you can’t buy it separately—you must subscribe to one of the plans encompassing all of Google’s collaboration tools. There are three fixed plans to choose from:

There’s also the custom Enterprise plan, for which you can contact Google’s sales team.

we’ll compare paid options to the free account from four perspectives

Personal vs. business Gmail—feature availability

The first notable feature you get with every paid Gmail plan is a custom email address. Instead of your email ending with 

, it can include your company name. This might contribute to your business’ reputation and trustworthiness.

, which are quite obstructive and invasive in the free account. They’re also 

—which Google tracks to target you with personalized ads—so 

this raises some concerning privacy questions

, you’ll get access to the Admin Console—an account management platform unavailable with the free plan. Among various options, 

it lets you set specific account permissions for other users in your organization

 to limit information sharing. For instance, you can restrict file sharing to ensure sensitive data can’t be sent outside certain departments.

There aren’t many feature differences besides the above

 when it comes to Gmail specifically. Note that other Google Workspace tools will get expanded usability if you upgrade, increasing the plans’ value for money.

A free Google account comes with 15 GB of storage shared across all platforms, including Gmail. This likely isn’t enough for an average business user because Google Drive files might fill up the space quite quickly.

Each business tier comes with expanded storage:

Once you commit to a plan, you can’t change the storage separately

. Only the Enterprise plan allows you to request additional space as needed.

Overall, storage isn’t Gmail’s strong point, especially since 

 lowest-tier business account gets you 50 GB of dedicated email storage alongside 1 TB of drive storage for the same price as Google’s Business Starter.

Gmail for business vs. personal account—customer support

With a free Gmail account, you get 24/7 support for emergency technical assistance. Support is available through several channels, most notably by phone and chat. The average response time is around four hours with standard support, so you’ll need to upgrade to shorten it.

priority support isn’t included in any of the fixed business plans

. You must buy it separately, in which case you can choose from two options:

The following screenshot shows what you get with each option:

Only the Enterprise plan comes with Enhanced support included

, so even if you upgrade to it, you’d still face additional costs to get access to the highest support tier. There are no fixed prices as the cost is calculated based on your needs, so you can contact the sales team for detailed information.

Business Gmail vs. personal account—security

isn’t a particularly secure email provider

, especially if you use the free version. You get a few basic 

Paid plans offer some additional security layers, such as group-based policy controls allowing you to limit access to sensitive information. If you choose the Enterprise plan, you also get advanced measures like 

data loss prevention and a dedicated security center

Gmail might not provide adequate security because of the weak encryption it uses

 protocol by default, regardless of whether you’re a free or paid user.

doesn’t shield them while they’re idle on Google’s 

. Such partial protection can be quite dangerous, especially since Google has been a 

 to ensure comprehensive protection of your correspondence. E2EE encrypts a message before it leaves the user’s device, ensuring only the recipient with a private decryption key can decipher it.

. You must upgrade to the Enterprise plan to get optional S/MIME encryption. You’d have to 

buy an S/MIME certificate for each user in your organization

 and configure it in Gmail, which is neither cost-effective nor convenient.

This is why Gmail is far from the best option if data safety and 

 and minimize the chances of confidential information being stolen, 

The importance of choosing a secure email service

Cybercrime is on the rise, and it can have devastating consequences on a business—according to research from 2019, 

 longer than six months after falling victim to an 

Even though Gmail’s paid plans offer some appealing features, they don’t matter much if your correspondence stays 

 and other malicious parties. That’s why you need a privacy-focused email provider capable of keeping your sensitive information safe.

advanced security measures like end-to-end encryption and a no-logs policy

 to minimize the attack surface and give you full control of your data. Unfortunately, such protection often comes at the cost of user-friendliness and feature availability.

To remove the need for compromising and let every user enjoy 

Skiff Mail—cutting-edge security paired with a rich feature set

 offering advanced protection to free and paid users alike. The platform uses two separate keys—public and private—to ensure nobody but the sender and recipient can access an email’s contents.

The public key encrypts the message and is shared between the sender and recipient. The private decryption key is 

created by the user and stays on their device

, so nobody else can decipher the message, including Skiff’s team.

For additional protection, Skiff offers the following security layers:

—You don’t need to leave any sensitive information to 

, and your credentials aren’t recorded or stored on the platform’s servers

—Skiff uses the Authenticator app for two-factor authentication, so you can secure your account without leaving a 

—Used to encrypt sensitive account data, such as your encryption keys

 elaborates more on these security measures, so you can read it for additional information. 

 to ensure all protection layers can be verified, and the codebase is available on 

Streamline your workflow with Skiff’s numerous features

Besides strong email protection, Skiff offers everything you need to stay productive—you can get up to:

15 Skiff.com aliases and two short aliases

Schedule, undo send, and autoreply features

Skiff Mail is also among the best email platforms for crypto enthusiasts—

 to explore everything that Skiff Mail has to offer and 

Priority customer support is available with Pro and Business tiers at no extra cost

, so you can rely on Skiff’s experts for any assistance you need.

Skiff Mail is available on all major browsers, 

, and MacOS, so you can secure your emails on various devices.

You can create a Skiff account in three simple steps:

To ensure a secure workflow beyond email correspondence, 

Skiff offers three additional end-to-end encrypted platforms

 and editing tool that keeps your files’ contents and metadata fully encrypted. Skiff Pages offers numerous project management features like flexible task delegation, sharing controls, and real-time collaboration

—You can store files of any type and ensure your confidential information is safe from unauthorized access. The platform also supports optional integration with the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for decentralized 

—It automatically syncs with Skiff Mail to let you stay organized and schedule events. You can create shared calendars and hold private meetings with the built-in video conferencing tool

, Skiff’s ecosystem can be an excellent option. 

 to safeguard them immediately. Unencrypted copies won’t be stored, so you’ll have complete privacy as soon as you migrate.

Business Gmail vs. personal Gmail—a concise breakdown

, with more than 1.8 billion users. Since people often send sensitive information via their personal or 

 Gmail accounts, the provider offers specific ways to fortify the security of their outbound messages.

One of the security methods Gmail provides is the Confidential Mode, introduced by the provider in 2018. 

We’ll take a closer look at the feature and explain:

What is Gmail Confidential Mode exactly, and how safe is it?

fortify the security of your Gmail account

Confidential Mode is Gmail’s feature that helps protect sensitive information from being shared accidentally or without your consent. You can use the feature to:

—Choose a date after which the message will no longer be visible to the recipient

 or email address to send them a verification passcode required to open the email

—If you think that the email has been compromised or the recipient hasn’t opened it in a specific period, you can revoke access to the email, regardless of the expiration date

When the recipient receives an email, they cannot forward, copy, download, or print it if the sender activated the Confidential Mode. This feature also allows you to send 

, photos, videos, and other files—securely. Once you activate the mode, the attachments will be unavailable for download without the accompanying passcode.

Confidential Mode doesn’t transmit the message through regular email protocols but stores it on Google’s server

, preventing it from being shared without the sender’s permission.

How to send a confidential email in Gmail

Sending an email in Confidential Mode requires completing six steps:

Open your Gmail account and click on the 

button in the top-left corner of the window

 button—the tiny lock at the bottom of the window—to start composing an email in this mode

 on the pop-up screen. You can pick between:

No SMS Passcode—Recipients using the Gmail app will be able to open the message but not copy, print, forward, or download it. Recipients who don't use Gmail will be emailed a passcode necessary for opening the message

SMS Passcode—Enter the recipient’s phone number, and they will receive a passcode by text message that they need to enter into the passcode field to gain access to the email

Security issues with Gmail’s Confidential Mode

While the Confidential Mode feature fulfills its purpose in theory, it is far from an ideal method for sending 

The main issue with this feature is that Google keeps the email contents on its servers and can access them anytime. While confidentiality is somewhat achieved with respect to other users, you don’t get it from the provider. Even when the message expires and is no longer visible to the recipient, it will remain in the sender’s “Sent” folder, which Google can also access. For this reason, 

calling the message “expired” may sound misleading.

The passcode option is another problem. If the recipient is a Gmail user, Google already has their phone number. However, if they’re not, by setting the password-protected email, you allow the provider to link the recipient’s phone number to their email address and the content of the message. 

 because you must inform the recipient to expect an SMS with the passcode to avoid confusion. There is also the issue of having to send a confidential email to someone whose phone number you don’t know.

While Confidential Mode ensures that the recipient cannot forward, copy, download, or print the email, 

there is nothing stopping them from taking a screenshot and sharing it with others. 

It also doesn’t stop malicious software applications from copying or downloading messages and their attachments.

This feature might be seen as the first step towards 

 or an additional security layer, but it doesn’t provide true confidentiality. 

 correspondence can only be achieved through encryption.

How email encryption protects your messages

Encryption is the process of scrambling the content of an email into ciphertext that only authorized parties can read. Most email service providers—Gmail included—use some form of encryption, but not all types are equally effective.

Check out the three most commonly used encryption forms:

How secure are Gmail’s encryption protocols?

—Gmail’s default encryption protocol available to all users. It secures messages in transit between 

 as long as the recipient’s provider supports it

Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

—A stronger type of encryption that secures emails in transit, available to premium users only. This encryption protocol can be difficult to set up and configure and works only if enabled by both the sender and the recipient

The problem with these two types of encryption is that they do nothing to protect the messages once they reach their destination servers. The provider also still has access to the plaintext copies of your emails—Gmail is especially notorious for collecting user data and selling it to advertisers. Furthermore, if malicious parties infiltrate the provider’s servers, they can steal the decryption key and access your emails.

 for your online communication. The only way to have full control of your data is to

Why E2EE is the highest-level security standard

E2EE happens at the device level and protects your data all the way to the recipient. You can send 

 without the risk of your sensitive information being read by the provider or sold to advertisers.

 E2EE allows the user to create and store the decryption key

, so even the service provider can't access the messages. In case of a server breach, your data stays unreadable to 

 since the provider doesn’t store a copy of the decryption key.

Here is the summary of the advantages of E2EE over other security methods:

—Even if hackers compromise the server where your encrypted data is stored, they would only see your messages in the encrypted form

—Hackers can’t tamper with the content of the message even if they intercept it since the attempts to do so would be obvious to the recipient

Enables complete privacy of your personal information

—End-to-end encryption prevents everyone but the intended recipient—even the email service provider—from accessing your messages

If you value your online privacy and want to have full control of your personal data, choose an 

Enjoy confidentiality in the fullest sense of the word with Skiff Mail

 is a privacy-first email service. The platform uses end-to-end encryption to ensure your online traffic can’t be analyzed or seen by anyone other than the intended recipient. 

 implements two separate keys to secure your emails:

—used for encryption and shared among users

—used for decryption and safely stored on the recipient’s device

This method guarantees no unauthorized parties can see the content of your emails, not even Skiff’s own team. 

 with superior security standards at no cost!

 as an extra layer of protection. With this verification method, even if someone guessed your 

, they wouldn’t be able to access your account without a one-time code sent to your trusted device. You don’t even have to provide personal information when signing up, ensuring your login data will never be stored on Skiff’s servers.

 and completely transparent about its privacy policy. For a more detailed insight, read the 

In addition to the highest-level security methods, Skiff offers a 

Integrations with crypto wallets such as 

Skiff’s free plan completely meets the needs of an average user. Should your needs grow, you can expand your storage, get 

, and access other advanced features by upgrading to one of Skiff’s 

While most privacy-first email providers sacrifice safety for functionality, Skiff provides an 

intuitive and modern interface even non-tech-savvy users can easily navigate

Try out Skiff’s comprehensive product suite

Besides email, Skiff offers three more end-to-end encrypted products

Skiff doesn’t require you to give any personal information when signing up. Get started with three easy steps:

Start using Skiff Mail and other products

All Skiff products can be accessed via any browser, 

Gmail’s Confidential Mode—everything you need to know

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through ways to use Skiff to publish to and subscribe to Mirror.xyz creators. Whether you’re looking to publish a decentralized newsletter, or to crowdfund your next project on Mirror, using the same wallet integrated into Skiff Mail will yield critical utility for communication, subscription, and more.

 transforms the concept of a traditional blog or newsletter platform - like Medium or Substack - into one built on cryptocurrency, blockchains, and NFTs. Beyond a simple writing and publishing tool, Mirror allows writers to log in with their crypto wallets (Ethereum wallets on the Optimisim network), crowdfund ideas, and publish pieces as collectable NFTs that are stored in a decentralized manner. These NFTs provide a means for monetization, such as selling work in future auctions, which can also earn royalties. Furthermore, the Mirror DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) features works from different creators every week across Mirror’s site and social media profiles.

To join Mirror, you can connect an Ethereum wallet, such as MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Brave Wallet, or more - many excellent open-source alternatives exist. Mirror leverages wallet signatures as their authentication method for signing you into their product.

There are many reasons to write a blog or newsletter. For one, it's a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It's also a great way to connect with other like-minded people, and to build a community around your interests. Another reason to write a blog or newsletter is to build your credibility and authority on a certain topic. If you're an expert on a particular subject, writing a blog or newsletter is a great way to share your knowledge with others and to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Finally, writing a blog or newsletter is a great way to promote your business or website. If you have something to sell, a blog or newsletter is a great platform to promote your products or services. Many popular Web3 products publish launches, whitepapers, releases, and other updates via Mirror, increasing visibility among like-minded individuals and maintaining a permanent record of their work via an NFT published on 

 (to learn more about decentralized storage, check out 

So, if you're looking for a way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, to connect with other like-minded people, or to promote your business, writing a blog or newsletter is a great option; within the Web3 market, Mirror can be a great way to reach customers, users, and like-minded community members.

Recently, Mirror.xyz rolled out a feature wherein individuals can use email addresses to subscribe to particular content creators. This feature, which they called “

,” was designed to alert people of the arrival of a new update, such as a new post on mirror. However, as the announcement describes, Mirror saw this as a broader push into delivering content to people based on their wallet address, from updates and notifications to community groups.

To add your Skiff Mail address to a Mirror subscription, click the top right corner of a Mirror article, and press the “Subscribe” button. Then, as with all parts of Mirror’s publishing platform, you’ll need to connect your ETH wallet. Below your wallet address is a text field to enter in your email address, which can be added to receive subscription updates.

In this field, you can add a Skiff Mail address - either an @skiff.com alias, a wallet @skiff.com, or a custom domain address that you’ve set up.

As we wrote in our announcement of Skiff’s incorporation of 

, you can also use your ENS name at the address @ethereum.email (such as skiff.eth@ethereum.email), enabling you to receive Mirror subscriptions directly to your wallet’s Skiff mailbox address.

The functionality above connects disparate elements of web3 platforms for publishing, communication, and notifications all to an individual’s wallet. In the future, we’re hoping to build even deeper functionality into Skiff, where you won’t need to add an email to another product (here, Mirror), and click a verification link from your inbox when you already own your wallet address.

Already, integrating Mirror’s decentralized writing platform with Skiff is an exciting application of blockchain technology and decentralized tech to a real-world use case of publishing, newsletters, and community information sharing. Going forward, we hope even deeper, more trustworthy integrations exist across these crypto-based networks.

If you have questions, feel free to write to us at support@skiff.org, or to join our 

How can you use Skiff Mail with Mirror.xyz?

 to introduce the next frontier in Web3 communication. Today, we are giving users with Keplr wallets the ability to not only directly sign up for Skiff’s suite of privacy-first decentralized products, but also to claim their very own @keplr.xyz domain address to use within Skiff Mail and with the world.

Skiff is dedicated to making privacy-first and decentralized products more accessible and user-friendly. This is why Skiff has built a comprehensive privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted, and Web3-native decentralized platform.

 empowers users to communicate privately and confidently by connecting and linking their crypto wallets to an encrypted, secure, and private email address, allowing for the most comprehensive and efficient wallet to wallet communication available.

 lets users write and store sensitive information that can be easily shared with collaborators, without ever breaking client-side encryption. Users also have the option to store their pages on the InterPlanetary File System for a completely decentralized experience.

 enables users to store all their files, regardless of file type, on a privacy first, end-to-end encrypted platform. These files can be easily accessed, downloaded and, retrieved. All your files are encrypted on your device, and, if you choose stored on a decentralized network (IPFS), files remain end-to-end encrypted and censorship resistant.

Keplr is the first open-source, IBC-enabled wallet that was built from the ground up to support interoperability and the Interchain ecosystem.

Explore the world of interoperable blockchain applications from one wallet, and manage assets, stake tokens and collect rewards, participate in governance, access NFTs, and more.

Combining powerful features into one user-friendly interface, Keplr simplifies connecting blockchain applications for developers and empowers users to interact with the emerging ecosystem of interoperable blockchains.

 installed before displaying the Log in with Keplr button. If you don’t, you’ll still be able to log in with your username and password or any of our other wallet-based logins.

The next step is to verify that you actually own your Cosmos Hub address (we don’t want you to have any imposters!). Similar to 

, our server first generates a challenge token (called skiffLoginToken) for your wallet to sign.

Then, we use the Keplr API to sign the message using the 

 protocol. This signature is subsequently verified in order to claim the @keplr.xyz address, and if it passes we can safely assume that this is not an impersonation. We let you proceed to either creating a new account or logging into an existing one, depending on whether you’ve signed up.

 for you to use with your address and wallet. New custom domain, same end-to-end encryption. This new domain is only accessible to users who have signed an attestation to provide they have access to a particular Keplr wallet. This enables prviacy-first, trustworthy communication among users by significantly reducing the risk of impersonation or dishonest communications.

In building a platform for privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted, Web3 email, adding a distinct, verifiable address for every Keplr user builds credibility and trust for all communications in Web3.

Keplr Wallet: Web3 mail launch

Today, every Skiff user will be able to send and receive email via their Ethereum addresses using the domain @ethereum.email - securely, privately, and for free.

Below, we’ll walk through some basics on Ethereum (the network and cryptocurrency), the Ethereum Naming Service (ENS), how Skiff and Ethereum work together, and how you can start using your <wallet>@ethereum.email or <ENS>@ethereum.email today.

 by Vitalik Buterin, a cryptocurrency researcher and programmer. Buterin had been involved in the development of bitcoin prior to that, and his work on Ethereum started shortly thereafter. Development was funded by an 

Join the community