Gmail vs. GMX

By Kiran Bharthapudi

Consider your options when choosing an email provider for your business needs.
i George Doyle & Ciaran Griffin/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Gmail, with more than 69 million users in the United States and an estimated 425 million users globally as of November 2012, is one of the most popular Web mail services in the world. On the other hand, Global Mail Exchange is an emerging Web mail provider hoping to muscle its way through what appears like an already saturated market. While GMX, from Web host 1&1, has managed to appeal to some consumers and enhance its visibility, its features and functionality do not match those of Gmail.

Basic Services

Both Gmail and GMX offer all basic services you would expect from a Web-based mail provider. Apart from the standard controls, such as Compose, Forward and Reply, both allow you to archive emails in different folders, as well as maintain an address book and an easy-to-locate contact list. Furthermore, both offer drag-and-drop functionality for moving your emails from one location to another.

Interface and Appearance

If you're looking for an easy-to-navigate, cleaner and simpler interface, GMX may be a better option. Gmail has a website-style interface in the way users browse and manage their accounts. GMX, on the other hand, offers a more customizable, desktop-application-style environment similar to Outlook. Its window scale is much more compact and sleek, and apart from the standard blue and white design, the provider offers dozens of other design themes to choose from. GMX offers fewer settings for its users than Gmail, but the arrangement of tools and services is simpler.

Storage Capacity

Gmail offers 10GB of free space to store messages, attachments, documents and images. You also have the option of buying more storage space from Google. Additionally, Gmail enables you to use Google Drive to attach files up to 10GB in size to your emails. GMX offers similar storage options: free unlimited storage space for your emails, and an additional 2GB of space that you can use as a virtual "file storage manager" to store -- and share with others -- photos, music or videos.

Mail Collector vs. Mail Fetcher

Both Gmail and GMX offer an option to centralize all of your email accounts at one place. However, in this regard, GMX may be better than Gmail: GMX's Mail Collector feature gathers messages from other email accounts -- including POP3 and SMTP accounts -- sorts them in organized folders and forwards those messages into your GMX mailbox. Furthermore, all GMX.com accounts and premium GMX.net accounts can collect mails from servers that use IMAP functionality. Gmail has a similar feature, called Mail Fetcher, which supports POP3 and SMTP, but does not support accounts that use the IMAP protocol. In addition, while GMX allows you to connect, retrieve and check messages from up to 10 additional email accounts, Gmail only allows you to connect to a maximum of five other accounts from your main account.

Additional Services

Owning a Gmail account automatically registers you to use other Google products and services, including Google Plus, YouTube, Blogger and Picasa. In other words, a Gmail account offers a wider range of services beyond just an email service, and gives you greater control while doing other Internet activities. However, if you do not want to use your email as a central address of identity for all your Internet activities, GMX may be a better option.

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