My problem is that I use my G Suite Free as a sort-of alias, it all still goes to my main Gmail (that I can't change due to billions of accounts pointing to it) and I then send replies back with the @domain.name identity (and associated SMTP).
I haven't been able to find a service to fill that niche that isn't a whole inbox, but also doesn't feel like some shaky registrar IMAP/SMTP setup. It's definitely a deliverability perk to have Google serve my domain.
Cloudflare have a really nice incoming email redirection feature and I wanted to use it, but they don't support sending emails by design.
You can configure Fastmail to do that, but I guess it would be in reverse. I have some old Google accounts (old student email and pre-custom domain gmail) configured to forward mail to Fastmail, and then Fastmail configured to send email via Google for those email addresses too.
I found Migadu through a HN post like this and can't recommend them enough. It feels like having my own mail server without the headaches. The pricing model works for me and I find the control panel really well laid out. I don't think I could return to an email provider that leases emails at my own domain back to me.
I use Fastmail, and have it pull in my gmail account via IMAP. I actually don’t have too much sent to my gmail these days, as I was already using the custom domain with gmail for many years before I switched providers, but what does get sent to it comes through just fine.
I'm not sure why this can't work with basically any email provider? Setup you domain like normal, and configure gmail to forward all incoming mail to your address on your domain.
It can, but then pricing bothers me. I just got so used to G Suite free that I don't want to tack on a $10/month subscription for forwarding. (It's silly given the myriad of other subscriptions I'm fine with, though)
You're not paying for forwarding, you're paying for someone to host a whole email stack for you (and the associated dev work such as on clients).
You can choose to use a "free" provider like Gmail if you're ok with paying with your data and a lack of features (such as not being able to use a custom domain).
Also by the way, Fastmail is half the price you list at $5/month (might have to prepay a year to get that price).
> You're not paying for forwarding, you're paying for someone to host a whole email stack for you (and the associated dev work such as on clients).
I know, and I love ProtonMail (for example) for that, but my use would just be forwarding and not storage or access. In my use case it would feel like overpaying.
> You can choose to use a "free" provider like Gmail if you're ok with paying with your data and a lack of features (such as not being able to use a custom domain).
It's versus G Suite Free (which is my secondary, "online name" email), my main (real name) email has to stay at Gmail because I'm afraid of the mountain of account resets I'd have to do. To be fair, this whole value consideration was back when Google were threatening to kill off G Suite Free entirely (a few months ago), so it was paid-versus-paid then.
> Also by the way, Fastmail is half the price you list at $5/month
> I know, and I love ProtonMail (for example) for that, but my use would just be forwarding and not storage or access. In my use case it would feel like overpaying.
It sounded to me like you were _sending_ email as well from your custom domain, which is (in my opinion) the hardest and most expensive part of running a mail service.
If you're only going to use it for forwarding you could just use something like Cloudflare's service as you previously mentioned.
I haven't been able to find a service to fill that niche that isn't a whole inbox, but also doesn't feel like some shaky registrar IMAP/SMTP setup. It's definitely a deliverability perk to have Google serve my domain.
Cloudflare have a really nice incoming email redirection feature and I wanted to use it, but they don't support sending emails by design.