Quick answer
How to use Gmail with a custom domain?
Use Gmail with a custom domain for free by forwarding the domain's mail to your Gmail address, then adding the domain address under Settings, Accounts, Send mail as, which accepts up to 99 addresses but asks for an SMTP server. The paid route is Google Workspace, from €6.80 per user per month. Postelva sells the domain.
Two ways to run a custom domain in Gmail, 12 November 2026
| Point | Free route: forwarding + Send mail as | Paid route: Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving | The domain forwards each address to your Gmail inbox | Mail for the domain lands in a Workspace mailbox |
| Sending | Send mail as: you enter an SMTP server, username and password | Sent from the Workspace address itself |
| Price shown by Google | None for Gmail; the SMTP provider and the domain have their own cost | Starter €6.80, Standard €13.60, Plus €21.10 per user per month, tax not included |
| Storage | Your Gmail quota | Starter 30 GB per person, Standard 2 TB, Plus 5 TB |
| Addresses | Up to 99 send-as addresses on one Gmail account | One mailbox per paid user |
| Main risk | Google ends Send as for third-party addresses in January 2027 | Per-user monthly cost |
Last checked on ; older figures carry their own date
Can a free Gmail account use my own domain?
Yes: a free Gmail account can receive mail for your domain through forwarding and send as that address through the Send mail as setting. Neither part is a Gmail product for domains. Gmail only reads and writes; the domain's DNS decides where mail for it goes.
The route is therefore three jobs: register the domain, forward its mail to your Gmail address, and give Gmail a way to send as the domain. The first two cost nothing beyond the domain. The third needs an SMTP server that lets you log in, which the provider of your domain mailbox supplies. If you own only a forwarding setup with no mailbox behind it, you can receive but you cannot send as the address.
How do I receive mail for my domain in Gmail?
Create the address at a forwarding service and point it at your Gmail address; the forwarder asks you to confirm the destination first. At Postelva you get free email forwarding and URL forwarding from the client area, and the DNS editor handles free DNS hosting with A, AAAA, CNAME, ALIAS, MX, TXT, NS, SRV and CAA records, DNSSEC, and your own nameservers if you prefer (2 to 13).
A second forwarding option is Cloudflare Email Routing, which needs the domain on Cloudflare's nameservers; the steps are in Cloudflare Email Routing setup with your own domain. The no-cost options are compared on the page about free email forwarding with a custom domain.
One check applies to every forwarder: confirm that the first test message arrives in the Gmail inbox rather than in Spam, because forwarded mail is judged against the sender's own SPF and DMARC policy.
Steps to send as your domain address from Gmail
Open the Accounts settings
In Gmail choose Settings, then See all settings, then the Accounts tab.
Add the address
In the Send mail as section click Add another email address, then type your name and the address on your domain.
Enter the SMTP server
Click Next Step, then Send verification, and fill in the SMTP server, username and password of the mailbox that hosts the address. Common settings are SSL on port 465 or TLS on port 25 or 587.
Click Add Account
Google sends a confirmation message to the address. Open it from the mailbox and click the link; if it is missing, look in Spam or Bulk Mail for a message from [email protected].
What changes for Send mail as in January 2027?
Google's help page says that from January 2027 Gmail stops supporting Send as for third-party addresses such as @yahoo.com or @outlook.com. Google Workspace aliases and other Gmail addresses are not affected, according to the same page.
The page names Yahoo and Outlook as examples and does not say how an address on your own domain is counted, so read the line on Google's page again before you build a long-term setup on this free route. If you depend on it, keep a fallback: a mailbox provider that handles the domain's mail directly sends with no Gmail setting at all, and the steps to move are in how to keep your email address when changing provider.
How much does Google Workspace cost for a custom domain?
Google Workspace Starter lists at €6.80 per user per month, Standard at €13.60 and Plus at €21.10, all billed monthly and before tax. The page marks an annual commitment as saving 16 percent without printing the resulting price, so no annual figure is quoted here.
Starter includes 30 GB per person, Standard 2 TB and Plus 5 TB. All three show email at your own company address, and Enterprise is priced on request. A plan can be bought for up to 300 users, except Enterprise, which has no cap.
The domain is bought separately. Postelva offers one-click DNS templates for Proton Mail, Fastmail, Zoho Mail, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, plus an SPF + DMARC template and a "no email" template for a domain that sends nothing, so the Google Workspace records go in with one click once the domain is registered. For other paid inboxes, compare the options in Google Workspace alternatives for custom domain email.
What does it cost to run the domain itself?
The domain is the cheap part: a .com is $12.49/year at Postelva, the same price on every renewal. According to Postelva's survey of 12 November 2026, Workspace Starter at €6.80 per user per month adds up to €81.60 over twelve months for one user, before tax, while a .com at Postelva is $12.49/year against Namecheap's regular renewal of $19.98. We do not claim to be the cheapest; the comparison is dated and named.
Pay in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC from a prepaid balance with a $25 minimum. No identity document is requested, only one verified email per domain.
Which route should you pick?
Pick the free route if you want to keep Gmail as your inbox and one domain address, and Workspace if several people share the domain. The free route spends no money on the inbox but depends on a sending server and on Google's January 2027 change. Workspace is a single supplier for receiving, sending and storage.
Postelva is a domain registrar, not a mailbox provider: it sells the domain, and the mail stays at Gmail, Google Workspace or another provider of your choice. The address you publish is the domain, so you can change the inbox behind it later without telling anyone.
Gmail and custom domain questions
How many domain addresses can Gmail send as?
Google's page says you can send emails from up to 99 different email addresses. Each one is added under Send mail as and confirmed with a link.
Do I need Google Workspace to use my own domain?
No. Forwarding plus Send mail as works on a free Gmail account, but sending needs an SMTP server and login. Workspace is the paid route that handles receiving and sending in one place.
Which ports does the Send mail as SMTP form accept?
Google lists SSL on port 465 and TLS on port 25 or 587 as common combinations. If a provider supports neither, port 25 with an unsecured connection exists, and Google warns that it is not encrypted.
Can I get a custom domain from Gmail itself?
The Google pages read for this guide describe adding a domain you already own; none of them sells a domain. Register it first, then connect it.
Can I pay for the domain in crypto and still use Gmail?
Yes. The domain and the inbox are separate purchases. Postelva accepts BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC for the domain, and Gmail works with any domain you point at it.
In summary
- Free route: forward the domain's mail to Gmail, then add it under Send mail as.
- Send mail as accepts up to 99 addresses and asks for SMTP server, username and password.
- SMTP: SSL port 465, or TLS port 25 or 587.
- Google says Send as stops for third-party addresses such as Yahoo and Outlook in January 2027.
- Google Workspace: Starter €6.80, Standard €13.60, Plus €21.10 per user per month, before tax.
- The domain is separate: .com is $12.49/year at Postelva, the same every year, paid in crypto, no ID.
Sources (3)
- Send emails from a different address or alias - Gmail Help — Google (read 2026-11-12)
- Automatically forward Gmail messages to another account - Gmail Help — Google (read 2026-11-12)
- Google Workspace pricing — Google (read 2026-11-12)
Register the domain first
Gmail accepts any domain you own. Search a name and pay in crypto.