Email Preferences 2023 in Europe: exploring the choice between Free and Paid Domains for Freelancers and Companies

German-speaking European countries are leading the way when it comes to domain-specific emails, with 80% of cases using them

Countries like Germany and Austria stand out in Europe for the percentage of purchased domain-specific emails, followed by Spain (61%), French-speaking European countries like France and Belgium (47%), and finally Italy, also at 47%. Notably, it can be observed that in many cases, there is not even a website associated with the business when using a free email address. In Italy, this is the case in 41% of instances, in French-speaking European countries in 42% of instances, in Spain in 25% of instances, and in German-speaking European countries only in 9% of instances.

Usage of free emails in the business context

Italy is in the first position for professionals who exclusively use free emails (70%); following are the French-speaking European countries at 58%, Spain at 41%, and the German-speaking European countries at 24% in terms of the usage of free emails.

In the case of business entities, and not just individual professionals, it is the French-speaking European countries that boast the highest percentage (52%), followed by Italy (49%), Spain (39%), and finally the German-speaking European countries (20%).

Thus, we can conclude that the adoption of free emails does not significantly differ between the business sector and that of freelance professionals, except for Italy, where an overwhelming 70% of professionals prefer using free emails over domain-specific ones.

Alice Vezzoso, Head of Sales at Bancomail S.p.A.

The preferred free domains

German-speaking countries overwhelmingly prefer t-online.de (36.2%, with a significant lead over gmx.de at only 11.5%). In Spain and Italy, the top spot goes to Gmail (at 44.8% and 34.2% respectively). In France, the lead is held by wannadoo.fr (29%), followed by orange.fr (21.1%) and gmail.com (17.4%).

Gmail loses its podium position in Germany, where it ranks fourth with just a 6.4% share of choices.

What surprises does the analysis of European email domains bring?

Diving into the analysis of European email domains brings forth intriguing surprises. Not only does it provide a snapshot of the behavior of European business users, but it also allows us to draw conclusions about the digital landscape of the industry while highlighting the contrasting choices made by different nations. It's important to consider various factors that contribute to these differences, such as the unique composition of each market. In Italy, for instance, we must take into account the significance of micro-businesses and the booming retail sector. The motivations behind the preference for free email domains can vary greatly. On one hand, there's the allure of feature-rich suites that offer seamless management of emails, calendars, documents, and more, all in one convenient account. On the other hand, the increasing reliance on social media platforms as the primary web presence is reshaping the digital landscape. However, we can't overlook the challenges companies face in finding competent and willing IT providers who can offer practical solutions. It's no surprise that in times of crisis, many businesses hastily ventured into the online realm, driven by the urgent need to explore new avenues for marketing their products and services. This rush sometimes resulted in hasty decisions, underscoring the importance of finding a balance between speed and thoughtful digitalization.

Andrea Mazzeo, CEO at Bancomail S.p.A.

The study was conducted on a sample of 3.500.000 business email records in Europe
The analyzed German-speaking countries are: Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, German-speaking Switzerland.
The analyzed French-speaking countries are: Belgium (French-speaking regions: Wallonia and Brussels-Capital), France, French-speaking Switzerland.