The good news
You don’t have to sign up for Google Workspace. There are several ways to keep using a free custom-domain email address or one that costs nothing extra, especially if your web hosting plan already includes email accounts.
What exactly will Gmail remove in January 2027?
Until now, it was common to create an address such as contacto@miempresa.com through your web hosting provider and then set it up in a free Gmail account.
This allowed you to do two things:
- Receive messages sent to your domain in Gmail via POP.
- Reply from Gmail so that recipients saw contacto@miempresa.com as the sender, using the “Send mail as” feature.
That setup will no longer work as it does now.
Important: Gmail is not blocking custom domains
What is going away is the ability to use a free Gmail account as an intermediary to send messages from an external account using “Send mail as,” as well as to automatically retrieve messages from those accounts via POP in Gmail on the web.
Your address usuario@tudominio.com can therefore continue to exist and work. What you will need to change is the app or provider you use to manage it.
What will continue to work after the change?
There are several important things Google is not going to remove.
- Accounts and aliases belonging to Google Workspace will continue to work as usual.
- Emails Gmail has already downloaded will not disappear.
- You can continue using third-party programs that support IMAP and SMTP.
- The Gmail app for Android, iPhone, and iPad will continue to let you add external accounts as separate accounts.
These options make several free alternatives possible.
Quick comparison of free Gmail alternatives
*Availability of Zoho Mail’s free plan may vary by region or data center.
1. Use your hosting email with Thunderbird
For many people, this will probably be the simplest alternative.
If you have a self-hosted website, your hosting provider will quite often let you create accounts such as:
You can use these accounts directly through your hosting provider’s webmail—Roundcube, for example, is used by many servers—or set them up in an email program using IMAP to receive messages and SMTP to send them.
One of the best options is Mozilla Thunderbird. It is free and lets you manage multiple accounts at the same time on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
You only need the details provided by your hosting provider:
- Full email address.
- Password.
- IMAP server.
- Port and security type.
- SMTP server.
- SMTP port and authentication.
Main advantage
If you are already paying for hosting that includes email accounts, you do not need to sign up for any additional service. You simply stop using Gmail as an intermediary.
Thunderbird also offers unified inboxes, searches, folders, signatures, and other features that let you manage multiple addresses in one place, much like centralizing them in Gmail.
2. Zoho Mail: genuinely free email with a custom domain
Zoho Mail is one of the few options that currently still offers a free plan for hosting email directly with a custom domain.
Its free plan currently allows you to:
- Use your own domain.
- Create up to 5 users.
- Get up to 5 GB of email storage per user.
- Send and receive email through Zoho’s interfaces.
- Use its mobile app.
However, there is one important limitation: the free plan does not include IMAP, POP, or ActiveSync. This means it is not designed to connect for free to Thunderbird, Outlook, or other email programs using these protocols.
It is also worth checking that the free plan is available in your region before starting a migration, as Zoho says it is offered only in certain data centers.
Who might find it useful?
Self-employed professionals or small businesses with only a few accounts that want professional email hosted separately from their web hosting, with no monthly fee, provided the free plan is available to them.
3. Keep using the Gmail app on your phone
There is an important difference between using an external address through “Send mail as” and adding that account directly to the Gmail app.
Google has said that external accounts can still be added to the Gmail app for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
For example, if you have info@miempresa.com hosted with your web hosting provider, you can set up that account in the Gmail app using its own IMAP/SMTP details and switch between it and your @gmail.com account.
What is going away is the ability to stay signed in to your main Gmail account and select that external address using the old “Send mail as” feature.
Limitation: this works quite well for using email on your phone, but it does not replace the Gmail website experience on a computer.
4. Cloudflare Email Routing for free email forwarding
Cloudflare Email Routing lets you create email addresses on your own domain and automatically forward messages to another inbox.
For example:
This way, you can continue receiving messages sent to your domain in Gmail.
The problem is that Cloudflare Email Routing does not provide a conventional SMTP mailbox for replying from that same address. So it is an excellent solution for receiving email, but it does not fully replace “Send mail as.”
It can be very useful for creating addresses such as info@, support@, billing@, or contact@ and routing them all to the same inbox.
5. ImprovMX: another free option for forwarding addresses
ImprovMX works in a similar way. Its free plan currently lets you use one domain, create up to 25 aliases, and forward hundreds of emails a day.
For example, you could have:
- juan@midominio.com
- facturas@midominio.com
- administracion@midominio.com
- contacto@midominio.com
and have them all delivered to one or more actual email accounts.
But the same fundamental difference applies: the free plan does not include SMTP service for sending.
That is why Cloudflare Email Routing and ImprovMX are excellent free options for receiving email and using aliases, but you will need another solution for outgoing messages.
6. Cloudflare or ImprovMX + free SMTP: an option for advanced users
It is also possible to handle incoming and outgoing email separately.
One possible setup could work like this:
Cloudflare Email Routing or ImprovMX forwards messages to Gmail.
An SMTP provider sends messages using your domain.
Thunderbird or another email client lets you manage both systems.
One service that currently offers a free plan is Brevo, which allows up to 300 emails per day on its free plan and provides an SMTP server that you can configure in email clients such as Thunderbird or Outlook.
To use it properly, you need to authenticate your domain using DNS records such as DKIM and DMARC.
However, Brevo is primarily designed for sending transactional emails and other communications, so I would not consider it the first choice for replacing a conventional email mailbox. It may be worth considering for technical users or specific needs.
Can I simply forward my email to Gmail?
Yes, and it will probably remain a fairly popular solution.
You can configure your server, Cloudflare, ImprovMX, or another system to:
This way, you can continue reading all your messages in Gmail.
But there is one key detail: email forwarding only takes care of receiving messages.
When you click Reply in Gmail, you will no longer be able to freely select usuario@midominio.com using the external “Send mail as” feature once it is removed.
You will need to reply from your provider’s webmail, Thunderbird, another app configured with SMTP, or an email service that hosts your domain directly.
Which option should you choose to replace Gmail’s “Send mail as”?
Use your IMAP/SMTP accounts directly and manage them with Thunderbird. This will usually be the simplest solution, with no additional cost.
Check whether you can use Zoho Mail’s free plan with your domain.
Cloudflare Email Routing or ImprovMX can forward your email to Gmail for free.
You can still add your external account directly to the Gmail app.
How to prepare before January 2027
It is best not to wait until Gmail permanently removes these features. If you currently rely on “Send mail as,” you can prepare for the change in advance.
- Find all the external accounts you have configured in Gmail.
- Check where each mailbox is actually hosted.
- Save the IMAP and SMTP connection details provided by your hosting provider.
- Decide whether you want to use webmail, Thunderbird, Zoho, or another app.
- Set up the alternative and check that you can receive emails correctly.
- Send several test emails before leaving Gmail.
- Check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings to improve your domain’s authentication.
If you use old accounts with other providers, you can also check out our guide to configuring Movistar email with IMAP and SMTP, where we explain how these types of connections work.
Be very cautious with extensions that promise to keep “Send mail as”
Once the feature disappears, extensions, apps, and services promising to restore a similar experience in Gmail will likely appear.
Before using them, carefully check the permissions they request. Some tools may need access to your messages, credentials, or Google authorization tokens.
For professional email, it’s better to use standard protocols such as IMAP/SMTP and reputable providers than to give an unknown extension full access to your account.
It is also advisable to follow good security practices. In our guide to the main dangers of the internet and how to prevent them we explain some common threats involving phishing, password theft, and identity theft.
Do you have to pay for Google Workspace?
No, not necessarily.
Google Workspace will remain a convenient option if you want to stay entirely within the Google ecosystem while using your professional domain, but the change to Gmail doesn’t mean you have to subscribe to it.
An email account with your own domain is independent of Gmail. Any provider that supports SMTP, IMAP, or its own webmail can continue managing those addresses.
So if your hosting plan already includes email, you may have had everything you need for years to stop using “Send mail as” without paying anything extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Gmail stop working with custom domains?
No. Gmail will remove the “Send mail as” feature for external accounts. Your custom-domain address will continue to work through its provider, webmail, or any compatible email client.
When will “Send mail as” disappear?
Google has announced that it will be permanently discontinued in January 2027, although it may restrict the creation of new configurations during the final months of 2026.
Can I use my hosting email for free?
Yes, as long as your hosting plan includes email accounts. You can access them through webmail or set them up with IMAP and SMTP in programs such as Thunderbird.
Is Thunderbird free?
Yes. Thunderbird lets you manage multiple email accounts and connect them using protocols such as IMAP and SMTP.
Does Cloudflare completely replace Gmail?
No. Email Routing is especially useful for receiving and forwarding messages, but you need another solution to send email from your domain.
Is there free professional email with a custom domain?
Yes, there are a few options. Zoho Mail offers a limited free plan for one domain and up to five users in certain regions. Another option is to use the email accounts included with your web hosting.
Conclusion
The removal of Gmail’s “Send mail as” feature in January 2027 will be a major change for those who have used a free Gmail account for years to manage their professional email addresses.
However, this doesn’t mean you have to give up your domain or start paying for email.
If your hosting plan includes email accounts, pairing them with Thunderbird is probably one of the simplest solutions. Zoho Mail may be an interesting alternative for those who can access its free plan, while Cloudflare Email Routing and ImprovMX are especially useful for creating aliases and forwarding messages.
The key thing to remember is a distinction that will become essential from 2027 onward: receiving messages in Gmail through forwarding will remain simple; replying with your professional address will require your provider’s SMTP, another sending service, or a separate email app.
Final tip
If you currently use “Send mail as,” take advantage of the final months of 2026 to try an alternative. That way, you can make the transition at your own pace before Gmail permanently removes the feature.
