Good Email Programs For Mac 4,2/5 5709 votes

While Top Ten Reviews has been evaluating free email services for years, our testers have been familiar with email programs for much longer. To update our recommendations, we spent 120 hours using and testing 16 free email services. We narrowed the 16 free email services to five that we believe are the best options. Apps for your new Mac: Best email clients. By Shane Cole Thursday, December 26, 2013, 08:48 am PT (11:48 am ET) For new Mac owners who feel OS X's built-in mail client is too complicated for their.

There's something exciting about buying a new piece of software, unwrapping the packaging and slipping the disc into your Mac ready to install your new goodies. And, of course, the new Mac App Store has made the process of obtaining new software by a digital download just a few simple mouse clicks.Whichever method you prefer, the biggest drawback is the money you have to hand over. Forking out for your goods is a necessary evil, and the price of things is usually a good indicator of its quality. But the good news is it's not always that way, especially when it comes to Mac software.As we will show you, there are many apps available for free that have all the polish and advanced features you would expect from a premium paid-for version, but without the nasty price tag.

There are apps that will clean up your hard drive or organise your day-to-day activities. Some even work on your iPhone and iPad, too.We've presented the best ones below – they're all really fantastic and, best of all, they're all free.A number of these applications, while still great as a free version, also have more fully featured pro versions. So if you really enjoy one, you can consider spending the extra money. discover the best you can get to keep your Mac secure onlineBest free Mac media tools1. Boxee OnlineTV channels put a lot of their content online for free, but you usually have to go to their websites to find out what's available.

Not with.This app lets you browse through episodes of shows from sources such as YouTube, among many others. It also pulls in media from your Mac. The interface can be controlled via the keyboard, an Apple remote or the free Boxee app available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.It's a doddle to navigate, enabling you to quickly find sports, movies, music or photos to enjoy on your computer. For entertainment on your Mac, Boxee is hard to beat.2. VuzeBitTorrent clients have received a bad rap over the years for enabling users to download copyrighted material for free.

Vuze is no different in this respect. That said, downloading via BitTorrent is not illegal and, should you be accessing legal material, you're fine.Even better than that, will act as a media player for most formats and even convert files for playback on your devices, including iPads and games consoles. You can even stream video from Vuze via Wi-Fi to compatible devices such as the Xbox 360, making it more of an ideal media viewing solution than a nuisance to society.3.

Flip4MacThere's been little love lost between Apple and Microsoft over the years, and the same extends to their media formats. The dreaded.WMV (Windows Media Video) file is the scourge of the Mac OS X operating system and will not run natively in QuickTime.Fortunately, the free software will eradicate this headache and, once installed, lets you forget about formats and enjoy the video you are after. The WMV player also allows for Windows Media files to play back in Safari as well to help you enjoy a more complete browsing experience. A must-have install to alleviate format folly.4. HandBrakeThose looking to bring their movie collection into the modern world should certainly consider for all their ripping needs. This simple app can grab a movie from DVD and encode it into a variety of formats for playback on your Mac, iPhone or iPad.Those with the new Apple TV will also be able to create compatible files from their movie discs and add them to iTunes without having to fiddle around with DVD players and tons of cases.

The app can even retain the chapter selection features and subtitles of your original disc.While ripping a DVD to your Mac can take some time (and please respect copyright) if handled right, the outcome makes accessing your entertainment a great deal easier. The latest version of HandBrake introduces a live preview feature that allows you to check the quality of your rip before committing to hours of encoding too. You can also use HandBrake to convert video files into different formats.5. Spotifycame from out of nowhere and took the music lovers of Europe by storm. This is streaming music done right. This service is free to those who can handle an advert every three songs or so.

It offers a catalogue of more than 10 million songs of all genres, which stream instantly through the Spotify app.It can also link to your iTunes library so all of your favourite tracks are in one place. You can log in from multiple Macs using your Spotify account, create playlists, share music with friends and more.One of our favourite features is the innovative collaborative playlist, where your friends can add tracks over the internet for you to listen to. If you wish, you can pay to upgrade Spotify to a premium account, at which point you become ad-free.And for £9.99 per month you can even have the same service on your iPhone with music stored for offline playback.6.

VLCis one of those apps you can turn to if QuickTime and other media-playing apps won't work with a media format you want to use. Initially, you might wonder why you'll ever need this app, but if you ever stray beyond the bounds of the iTunes Store and download video from another online source, you're more than likely to encounter a problem – that is, it's not playing properly in iTunes or QuickTime.Converting the video with HandBrake is always an option, but, to be honest, using VLC is simply quicker. The app can handle DVD playback as well as more obscure formats that crop up from time to time.Files that are missing pieces or broken can still be played in VLC to the best of its ability and it provides a wealth of codecs to help your Mac handle all kinds of media file formats.VLC is an application that every Mac user should have installed for when their media won't behave.Social apps for Mac7.

AddressBookSyncThe Address Book app on your Mac is great for organising contacts and syncing them to your iPhone. However, the problem is with so many contacts held, continually adding information and profile pictures can become a time-consuming task.is an ingenious tool that connects to your Facebook account to pull in your friends' birthday info as well as images from their accounts into your Mac's Address Book. This is particularly handy for iPhone users with images appearing on screen when a contact is calling.8. AdiumThe chances are you have an account for more than one instant messaging client. With so many available from iChat to Windows Messenger through Google Chat and Yahoo!

It's not surprising.So, do you leave all of these clients open and consuming memory or do you find an all-in-one solution? If you want the latter, is your app.Compatible with more IM clients than you probably knew existed, Adium combines all your accounts into one easy-to-use solution so you can keep in touch with all your contacts regardless of the service they are using.9. TwitterThis is the official. It was launched at the same time as the new Mac App Store, and quickly became the most popular download there.

To get it you'll need to have the Mac App Store installed (which means you'll need to be running OS X 10.6 and have installed the latest system updates).Unlike other Twitter clients, Twitter offers a very OS X-friendly environment without skimping on the features you need to enjoy your 140-character fix.A particularly great feature is that you can view all tweets in a conversation simply by double-clicking on the main tweet. You can also search for trending topics and use multiple accounts within the same app.Composing a new tweet is now made far easier with the Compose window that floats outside the interface, ready for you to type your thoughts. If you want to add an image to your tweet simply drag and drop it into the new tweet window.You can select which image hosting service you use from the Preferences pane, and also which URL-shortening service the Twitter app will use. You can also get the official Twitter app for iPad and iPhone to complete your Twitter experience wherever you are in the world.10. Skypeisn't a new service but the way it has developed over the years keeps it incredibly useful. The premise is simple, with an internet connection and a copy of the free software installed, you can talk to anyone on Skype via audio or video chat. And you can even swap files, create conference calls or simply chat via instant messaging.For an additional fee, you can add voicemail to your account and even call mobiles and landlines if you wish.Handy utilities11.

EvernoteWhatever you're doing in life there are things you need to remember, be they pictures, notes, websites or sounds. Provides a place to store your ideas, plans and reminders.Using cloud-based storage, the Mac app syncs with your iPhone and iPad, as well as any other computer to keep your notes close to hand whenever you need them.

Unique search features allow you to dig out anything you've stored and it can even recognise handwritten docs.This app not only organises your notes, photos, screenshots and more, but you can add custom tags to make things easier to search.12. R-nameHave you ever had a bunch of files in a folder and then discovered you need to rename each one? For a renaming task that comprises more than ten files or more it can become a very dull and repetitive task.And that's where comes in. It's a simple, free app that allows files and folders to be dropped in and renamed in any way you require. Ideal for photos or television series, this app will save a great deal of time.13.

BurnWhile it's easy to burn a CD or DVD from within Mac OS X, brings simplicity, as well as advanced options to the task. For example, it allows you to set which file system your disc will use so Windows owners can access files.It can create audio CDs and MP3 discs, and caters for DVD, VideoCD and DivX discs.

An Inspector tool allows you to change settings on your disc such as file permissions, dates and the icon.14. Carbon Copy ClonerEveryone talks about backing up their computer files, but how many of us are committed to doing it properly?makes it easy to back up your system but to move it to another Mac or larger hard drive without having to reinstall the OS. It even offers incremental backups, which only updates files that have changed since you last ran the software.Considering this is a free application, it's an absolute powerhouse for any Mac user who wants security for their system and flexibility for their hardware.

It would be fair to say that email has become a necessity in today’s connected world. Whether you’re signing up for social media, shopping online, or actually using it to communicate, the amount of (excellent) free options out there can be a bit overwhelming.Thankfully, we’ve been reviewing all the major email providers, as well as putting together this guide to help show which ones are worth your time, along with the features offered by each.We’ve tested each one thoroughly, and it’s Gmail and Outlook that come out on top, with each offering excellent calendar integration, attachment options, and more.

Read on for the full rundown. Gmail: Best Overall. Privacy concernsThe joy of Gmail is in the way it’s embedded into the rest of Google’s vast ecosystem of services. If you’re using a YouTube account, Google Docs, or Google Drive, you can hop straight in and start sending and receiving mail. Of course, if you don’t use those services, then that might not mean anything to you.With the ability to import social media contacts and built-in translation features, it’s an ideal way to keep in touch with friends and long-distance contacts alike, as well as excellent instant-messaging options via Google Hangouts (with a video chat option, too).There’s also no inbox adverts, great virus scanning, and a 25MB attachment limit.

The only real issue is how Google uses your data – when you get rid of spam emails, search your inbox, or even just open your emails, your data is sent anonymously to Google which they use for targeted ads. Something to consider, for sure. Read our full.2.

Outlook(Image credit: Microsoft). Inbox adsMicrosoft’s web-based version of Outlook is excellent, offering an easy to navigate inbox, great folder support, and integration with the likes of Trello, Dropbox and more.The calendar is one of the best around, and OneDrive is a great cloud storage solution. There’s also integration with Skype and Microsoft Teams for messaging and video chat, and if you’ve used a Hotmail, Xbox, or MSN Messenger account in the past, you’ll find setup almost instant.You can also have Outlook read an email out loud for you via the ‘Immersive Reading Mode’, which also makes it easier to, well, read.There is one major blemish to Outlook, though.

Inbox advertisements tend to clash with the rest of its sleek aesthetic, sticking out like a sore thumb. There’s a premium version on offer that removes these, but they’re distracting enough for users to consider looking elsewhere.Outlook also offers one of the best mobile apps you can find, and it works with other email providers.

Read our full.3. Proton(Image credit: Proton Technologies). Resetting will lose all emailsProton’s email service is a little different to many providers. It’s barebones for the most part, with a very small (500MB) inbox limit – that’s only around 1200 messages. That said, they’re all encrypted. In fact, your sent emails are encrypted too, and will only be decrypted once they reach the recipient.That encryption is a double-edged sword – while it means your ProtonMail account is protected by a secure password recovery process (preventing others from accessing your account), if you reset your password your entire account will be cleared.

Ik multimedia sampletank 3 v3.3 r2r. That means your inbox, outgoing mail, and even anything you were saving for later will be gone.As a result of this, it’s ideal as a backup account to one of the larger, more fully-featured (but arguably less secure) email providers on this list for when you need to send secure mail. Read our full.4. Yahoo Mail(Image credit: Yahoo). Unreliable calendarIn case you thought that bullet point about storage was a typo, we can confirm that Yahoo Mail does in fact offer a whopping 1 TB of storage – that could be more than your home computer. The company reckons that’s enough for 6,000 years of emails.There’s also a great folder system that allows you to find a pot for every email to go in, and one of the best spam filters we tested.Unfortunately, as with Outlook there are adverts that take up a chunk of your inbox screen, while a few even crop up as ‘emails’ themselves. Those that like to book appointments will also struggle, since the calendar seems full of error codes and glitches.That’s a shame, because for the most part, it’s a great looking email client with eye-catching themes and integration with Google Drive and Dropbox that allows for 2GB file sending. Read our full.5.

ICloud(Image credit: Apple). Web version can be slowIf you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, you’ll likely have some experience with some version of Apple’s Mail app.

As far as the underlying email system goes, Apple’s is fairly robust.The company is serious about privacy, while the app itself can handle plenty of other email accounts (if you can deal with a slightly obtuse setup process). ExpressVPN:ExpressVPN is the best VPN service there is. It'll keep your email secure, whether you're using a computer, cell phone or tablet – and with this exclusive offer you can get it almost half price, at just $6.67/month. That's fantastic value. (Plus there’s a 30-day money back guarantee if you don't like it.) Why Trust Us?While Top Ten Reviews has been evaluating free email services for years, our testers have been familiar with email programs for much longer. To update our recommendations, we spent 120 hours using and testing 16 free email services.We narrowed the 16 free email services to five that we believe are the best options. We eliminated services that allow you to send free email messages but won’t let you receive messages without purchasing the service. We also discounted services that currently have free email accounts available but are either no longer offering support or have plans to discontinue them.

We didn’t feel comfortable recommending a service that may not be around long term. How We TestedTo test free email services, we performed common tasks with each service and took note of the ease or difficulty. For example, we noted how many steps it took to set up a new account, the amount of personal information required and whether we needed to provide a cellphone number to verify and officially activate the account.We followed a similar process to test the tools for attaching files and images to outgoing emails. We recorded the number of steps it took to attach a file, whether we could attach multiple files at once, and how long the program took to upload attachments to our message.Since each of the free email services we tested has a mobile app, we tested how easy it was to set up and access email accounts this way, too.

Again, we tracked the steps and made note of any challenges in attaching images and files to messages via the app. We also determined whether any functions from the desktop version were missing in the app. Can I Have 2 Gmail Accounts?Yes you can! Many people have multiple accounts, each with its own email address.

Each free Gmail account comes with 15GB of inbox storage space, enough to hold around 300,000 messages before you have to start deleting some to make room for incoming email. You can always choose to convert to a paid email account and get unlimited storage.Gmail lets you log into multiple email accounts at once and simply toggle between them without having to log out and re-enter your credentials each time. We found this to be a very helpful perk especially if you have a personal Gmail account and another dedicated to your work or home business. This multi-account feature works on mobile, too, so you’re always connected and can quickly access important email while on the go. It’s hard to attach files to outgoing messages using the Gmail app, though, since it only allows you to upload one file at a time. How Much Can I Expect to Pay for a Premium Email Account?Email services typically charge between $2 and $10 per month for their paid services, depending on how much mail you need to send and receive.

The biggest differences between free and paid email services is the size of the files you’re allowed to attach to outgoing mail, how many emails you can send per day, how much backup and inbox space you’re given, and the level of customer support you can access. Most free email services give you enough inbox and online backup space combined to hold hundreds of thousands of emails, but they typically limit the number of email messages you can send in a day to about 100.

This is plenty for most people using an email account for personal use. But if you have a home business or know a lot of people you need to email every day, then it may be worth purchasing an email account with unlimited outbound messaging. What to Look For When Choosing a Free Email ServiceInbox and FoldersNearly all free email services have inbox ads, so there’s that most services include.

Since they’re all but unavoidable, look for services that make them less obtrusive. Some place ads to the side, so they don’t create too much distraction. However, some services place ads all around the inbox, making it difficult to navigate the program. Some free email services even allow pop-up ads that cover your inbox and require you to click out of them to access your messages.Pay attention to the amount of inbox storage available, because once you reach the cap, you’ll have to start deleting messages in order to receive more. Many free email services offer a terabyte or even unlimited storage, which is helpful if you tend to receive messages with large attachments, like image and video files. However, even a few gigabytes of storage gives you enough space to hold between 100,000 and 300,000 messages.Free email services do cap the number of email messages you can send out per day. This is to cut down on spam messages sent with their services.

The cap is generally around 100 messages per day, which is sufficient for keeping in touch with family or other personal email uses. But if you need an email service for business purposes, it may be better to purchase an email service that permits unlimited messages each day.Composition ToolsIt’s easy to write and send email messages with any service once you figure out where the New Message and Send buttons are. It’s more important to examine the attachment features, including the maximum file size you can send and whether you can preview files once they are attached.During testing, we looked at the maximum size allowed for attached files. Most of the accounts we tested can handle between 20MB and 25MB, which is about six professional images or 10 snapshots taken with a point-and-shoot camera. It was also important for us to see a thumbnail of the file once we uploaded it, so that we could confirm we had attached the correct one.

Securing Your EmailAccording to Mitch Stephens, a security consultant for Emagined Security, email attacks are the most common internet threat. “An attacker can send a link that looks similar to another link you are familiar with,” Stephens told us, and when you open it, you’ll see a site that looks legitimate and asks for your login information. Once you enter it, the attacker then has your credentials to log into the real site and gather even more personal information.

These are known as phishing schemes, or phishing attacks.“The best way to protect yourself from phishing attacks is by only opening email from trusted or known sources,” said Stephens.You can also install internet security programs to your computer that include antiphishing tools to help block these schemes from getting into your inbox to begin with. We’ve tested many programs and recommend and, which both come with antiphishing tools.

Email Safety Practices: How to Spot a Scam EmailIf you have a landline, cell phone, or email, you’ve undoubtedly received shady phone calls or messages. Scammers use shock and fear tactics to try to get you to quickly send money or give up personal information. In one of the most common scams, someone contacts you pretending to be from the IRS. In response, the IRS has released an article identifying the. You should never give your personal information over the phone or through email.If you receive an email or call from someone claiming your computer is out of date, be very wary. If they further ask you for your personal information, Wi-Fi information or IP address, you’ll know for certain it’s a scam.

They’re simply trying to steal your identity or hack your computer. If you’re uncertain, contact the actual company they claim to represent to see if there is anything wrong with your accounts.Further Ways to Spot a Scam Email:. If they try to pressure you into giving personal or credit card info, it’s a scam. Look at the sender’s email address. If the name is a near misspelling of an established company, it’s a scam. “Chase Bnk” instead of “Chase Bank”). If there are a lot of grammatical errors and fractured sentences, the email most likely wasn’t sent from an official company.

Prize winner emails are always scams unless you specifically remember signing up for something. Even then, it could still be a scam.

If they sidestep your questions and pummel you with threats and fears, it’s a scam.To better protect yourself, consider purchasing, an anti-virus software that recognizes spam messages that are specifically tailored to you.More Internet Guides:.