Google Workspace Price Increase — Self-Hosted Email Alternatives

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) price increases announced in 2022 prompted many businesses to evaluate self-hosted email alternatives — some seeing cost reductions of 80%+.

New Google Workspace Pricing

# Before (legacy G Suite)
Business Starter: $6/user/month
Business Standard: $12/user/month

# After (new Workspace)
Business Starter: $6/user/month (same but features reduced)
Business Standard: $12/user/month
Business Plus: $18/user/month

# Legacy customers: prices increased in May 2022

Cost Comparison — 20 Users

# Google Workspace Business Standard
20 users x $12/month = $240/month = $2,880/year

# Self-hosted Mailcow on Hetzner VPS
VPS (4GB RAM): $8/month
Domain/SSL: Free (Let's Encrypt)
Total: $96/year — savings of $2,784/year

Top Self-Hosted Alternatives

• Mailcow — best full-featured, Docker-based, modern UI
• iRedMail — easy installer, good for non-technical admins
• Modoboa — lightweight, modern web interface
• Mail-in-a-Box — simplest setup, good for small teams
• Zoho Mail Free — cloud hosted, free for up to 5 users

What to Consider Before Self-Hosting

• IP reputation management required
• Regular security updates needed
• Backup and disaster recovery planning
• Anti-spam configuration and maintenance
• Technical expertise or managed support needed

Conclusion

Self-hosted email makes financial sense for teams of 10+. Our team provides managed email server setup and support — all the benefits of self-hosting without the maintenance burden.