What is the difference between email forwarding and a mailbox?
How each one works
A mailbox gives you a place to store, read, and send messages, usually through a webmail app or a mail client. It has storage, folders, and sign-in credentials. Mail sent to the address is kept there until you delete it.
Forwarding uses DNS to route incoming mail to another address, such as a personal Gmail account. You do not get a separate inbox for the domain. Some forwarding services also allow replies that look like they came from your domain, but the setup varies.
- Mailbox: stores and sends mail
- Forwarding: routes incoming mail only
- Forwarding is often free or low cost
- Replies may need extra setup
Choosing one
Choose a mailbox if you need to send professional mail from your domain and keep records. Choose forwarding if you only want contact addresses to reach you and you already have a mail account.
Forwarding can affect SPF checks on forwarded messages, so test a few messages from different senders before relying on it.
Forwarding services often add a note or change the sender in some messages, which can affect replies. Confirm how replies look before you tell people to use the address.
Common mistakes
- Choosing forwarding and expecting to send mail from the domain.
- Setting up forwarding without testing spam filtering on the forwarded mail.
