Originally published August 3, 2025. Last updated October 2026 with Rackspace’s 2026 pricing and add-ons, current Greatmail plans, and what changes when you buy Rackspace Email through a reseller.
Most Rackspace Email reviews are written by people who used it for a few weeks. This one comes from a company that has sold it for years. Greatmail is an authorized Rackspace Email reseller and also runs its own competing email platform, so we support customers on both every day.
The two services share more history than most people realize. Rackspace Email began as Pat Matthews’ Webmail.us, which Rackspace acquired and rebranded as MailTrust before it became Rackspace Email. Greatmail started in the same era as an independent email host and became a Rackspace reseller partner after the acquisition.
This Rackspace Email review covers what the service costs and includes in 2026, where it’s strong, where it falls short, and how it compares with Greatmail. We’ll say plainly when Rackspace is the better choice.
Rackspace Email Review: What You Get in 2026
Rackspace Email, which Rackspace markets as Rackspace Webmail: Hosted Email for Business, is a hosted IMAP, POP3 and SMTP email service. Bought directly from Rackspace, a Standard mailbox includes:
- 25 GB of mailbox storage plus 30 GB of file storage
- Webmail, and access from desktop and mobile email apps over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP
- Monthly billing with no long-term contract
- A 100% uptime guarantee and round-the-clock support, according to Rackspace
- A 14-day free trial
Two add-ons extend it. Rackspace Email Plus adds ActiveSync for phones, shared calendars and contacts, Office-compatible apps and instant messaging. Archiving adds unlimited archive storage with advanced search.
Strengths
- A mature, stable platform. Rackspace Email has run business email for two decades, and in our experience it is reliable.
- Generous standard storage. 25 GB per mailbox is enough for most users.
- Flexible terms. Monthly billing, no contract, and optional add-ons.
- A formal uptime guarantee with a published service level agreement.
Weaknesses
- Price. Rackspace raised the Standard mailbox from $3 to $10 per month in March 2026, and the add-on prices went up with it. Read more about the Rackspace Email price increase.
- Mobile sync costs extra. ActiveSync and shared calendars require Email Plus, bringing a mailbox to $12 per month.
- Webmail isn’t built for phones. Rackspace’s webmail is designed for desktop browsers, so mobile users generally rely on their phone’s own mail app.
Rackspace Email vs Greatmail: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Rackspace Email (direct) | Greatmail |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/mailbox/month | $1.95/mailbox/month (5-mailbox minimum) |
| Mailbox storage | 25 GB | 10 GB or 25 GB, or pooled across the plan |
| ActiveSync and shared calendars | Email Plus add-on (+$2) | Groupware Edition (from $3.95) |
| Email archiving | Archiving add-on (+$6) | Through Rackspace Email only (resold by Greatmail) |
| Mobile-friendly webmail | No | Yes |
| Support | 24/7 support | Phone and email during business hours, US-based; after-hours tickets answered |
| Dedicated account manager | Reseller accounts | All customers |
| Migration help | Available | Free guidance |
| Setup time | A few hours to 2 days | A few hours to 2 days* |
Pricing Compared
The two services are priced on the same per-mailbox basis, so the clearest comparison is tier by tier.
| What you need | Rackspace Email (direct) | Greatmail |
|---|---|---|
| Email with 25 GB mailboxes | $10/mailbox | $2.95/mailbox (Standard, 25 GB) |
| Email with 10 GB mailboxes | Not offered | $1.95/mailbox (Standard, 10 GB) |
| Email plus ActiveSync and shared calendars | $12/mailbox (Email Plus) | $3.95 (10 GB) or $4.95 (25 GB) per mailbox (Groupware) |
| Five users, 25 GB, email only | $50/month | $14.75/month |
| Five users, 25 GB, with calendars and ActiveSync | $60/month | $24.75/month |
At equivalent storage, Rackspace Email bought directly now costs roughly three times as much as Greatmail. Greatmail’s calendar and ActiveSync features sit in a separate Groupware Edition rather than an add-on, and all Greatmail plans start at five mailboxes. For a wider view, see our IMAP email hosting pricing comparison of eight providers.
Buying Rackspace Email Through a Reseller
Rackspace Email is also sold through authorized resellers, often for much less than Rackspace’s own price. As one of those resellers, here’s what actually changes:
- The platform is the same. Your mailboxes, webmail and email apps work exactly as they would with Rackspace directly.
- The reseller handles support and billing. When you buy through Greatmail, Greatmail’s US-based team supports you, and your account manager is at Greatmail.
- Some admin changes go through the reseller. The control panel works as usual for mailboxes, but adding or removing domains, and raising the mailbox limit on a domain, are handled by Greatmail support rather than in the panel.
For more detail, see what a Rackspace Email reseller partner can offer.
Features Compared
Reliability
Both platforms are built for high availability. Rackspace backs its service with a 100% uptime guarantee and a formal SLA with service credits. Greatmail runs on redundant infrastructure designed for 99.99% uptime, with automated failover.
Storage
Rackspace gives every mailbox 25 GB. Greatmail offers 10 GB or 25 GB mailboxes, or a storage pool across the whole plan (the number of mailboxes multiplied by 10 or 25 GB) that administrators can divide as needed, including mailboxes larger than 25 GB.
Mobile, Calendars and Contacts
Both services work with the built-in mail apps on iOS and Android, and with Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird, over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP. For ActiveSync and shared calendars and contacts, Rackspace requires the Email Plus add-on, while Greatmail includes them in its Groupware Edition along with CalDAV and CardDAV. Greatmail’s webmail is also fully responsive on phones.
Spam Filtering and Security
Both platforms include spam and virus filtering with safelisting and blocklisting at the account and domain level. In our experience, Greatmail gives administrators more granular control over filtering sensitivity and per-user settings.
Archiving and Compliance
Rackspace’s Archiving add-on provides unlimited archive storage and search, and Rackspace markets it for compliance. Greatmail doesn’t offer archiving on its own platform, but customers who need it can add Rackspace’s Archiving to Rackspace Email mailboxes bought through Greatmail. If you work in a regulated industry, confirm the specific certifications you need directly with the provider.
Setup and Support
Rackspace
Rackspace Email setup typically takes a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the number of mailboxes and whether you’re migrating existing mail. Customers can find practical setup guides and a self-help area with step-by-step email client instructions. Support is available around the clock. In our experience, first-line support is largely handled offshore, with escalated issues going to US-based technicians.
Greatmail
Greatmail setup follows a similar timeline, with one difference: we review every new order manually before granting admin access, as a fraud-prevention measure. After that, every customer has a dedicated account manager and phone and email support from US-based staff during business hours, including help with DNS changes, email client setup and migration. Outside business hours we still answer email tickets, and we take phone calls case by case. Because we also resell Rackspace, our team can advise on either platform.
When to Choose Rackspace Email
- You already use Rackspace and want to keep your email with the same company as your other services.
- A formal 100% uptime guarantee with service credits matters to your business.
- You want email archiving, available as a domain add-on for all mailboxes.
- You need guaranteed 24/7 support, including by phone.
When to Choose Greatmail
- Cost matters. Equivalent mailboxes cost roughly a third of Rackspace’s direct price.
- You want flexible storage, including a shared pool and mailboxes larger than 25 GB.
- Your team uses webmail on phones and wants it to work well there.
- You value a dedicated account manager and US-based phone support.
- You expect to grow, with a path to dedicated email servers for larger deployments.
Migration Considerations
Moving from Rackspace to Greatmail
Since the 2026 price increase, cost is the most common reason customers move. Others want mobile-friendly webmail or US-based phone support. We help with DNS changes, admin setup and email client configuration at no charge, and most customers complete the move within 24 hours. If you’d rather not migrate at all, buying Rackspace Email through a reseller keeps everything in place at a lower price.
Moving from Greatmail to Rackspace
Customers who move to Rackspace usually do so to consolidate with other Rackspace services they already use, or because they want Rackspace’s formal uptime guarantee.
The Bottom Line
Rackspace Email is still a solid, dependable service, and nothing about the platform itself got worse in 2026. What changed is the price. At $10 per mailbox direct, or $12 with mobile sync, it’s now one of the most expensive dedicated email hosts available. Greatmail offers comparable email with more flexible storage for roughly a third of the price.
If you like Rackspace Email and don’t want to switch, you don’t have to: buying through a reseller keeps the same platform at a fraction of the direct price. As both a Rackspace partner and a competitor, we’re happy to help you decide which option fits. Contact us to talk it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rackspace Email is a reliable service with 25 GB mailboxes and a 100% uptime guarantee, but at $10 per mailbox it now costs roughly three times as much as comparable hosts. It makes most sense if you already use other Rackspace services. If you like the platform but not the price, buying through an authorized reseller keeps the same service for less.
Both Rackspace and Greatmail provide documentation and setup guides for moving to their platforms. Rackspace may have a slight edge for end-user configuration, with a self-help area that gives step-by-step email client instructions. For DNS changes and help with data migration, Greatmail’s dedicated account manager model may appeal to customers who want personalized, US-based support.
Rackspace advertises a 100% uptime guarantee with a formal service level agreement and service credits. Greatmail runs on redundant infrastructure designed for 99.99% uptime. Both are built for high availability, but Rackspace’s guarantee is the more formal of the two.
Greatmail’s webmail is fully responsive and works well on phones. Rackspace’s webmail is designed for desktop browsers, though Greatmail customers using Rackspace mailboxes can use a mobile-friendly webmail that connects to their accounts. Both support IMAP, POP3 and SMTP for the built-in iOS and Android mail apps and third-party apps.
Rackspace offers an Archiving add-on for $6 per mailbox per month with unlimited archive storage and search, which it markets for compliance. Greatmail doesn’t offer archiving on its own platform, but it can provide Rackspace’s Archiving with Rackspace Email mailboxes bought through Greatmail. Greatmail also publishes a GDPR data processing statement. If you work in a regulated industry, confirm the certifications you need with the provider.
Both include a basic webmail calendar in their standard plans. For ActiveSync and shared calendars and contacts across devices, Rackspace charges $2 per mailbox per month for Email Plus, bringing a mailbox to $12. Greatmail includes them in its Groupware Edition, from $3.95 per mailbox per month.
Rackspace advertises 24/7 support, with first-line support largely handled offshore and escalations going to US-based technicians. Greatmail provides phone and email support from US-based staff during business hours, with a dedicated account manager for every customer. After hours, Greatmail still answers email tickets and takes phone calls case by case. Rackspace Email bought through Greatmail is supported by Greatmail.