I have literally been looking for something just like this. I used to be the guy with 6 Google Apps accounts and even have a bunch grandfathered in from when they were still free.
Currently with a new domain I use Name Cheap built in forwarding for very simple stuff but it breaks once you chance your DNS. Recently I found https://forwardemail.net which is free but not a great user experience.
I think your project has tremendous value, BUT I will tell you I am initially turned off by the cost of entry. IMO you need a pricing tier for 1 domain that is either free or cheaper than Google Apps. By starting at $10/m you are asking me to pay double the cost Google Apps for a single side project. That means you are only targeting people who already run multiple side projects. However, we all know the cost of switching and reconfiguring DNS and email clients is a huge pain. I am not going to switch 2 working domains from Google to this ($10 v $10). I probably wouldn't switch 3 domains ($15 v $10 but a lot of cognitive overhead). Instead try to capture all the new side hustlers! You want the majority of people who get inspired by Product Hunt and start their first side project to sign up with you, with plans of growing to multiple projects. Make it a no-brainer by making my first domain free or ~$3/m. Then upgrade plans once the number of domains increases (1 for $3, 2 for $5, unlimited for $10). Now switching costs are on your side, not Google's. This way I pick Sidemail and keep it for life! Hope this helps, good luck!
@ethosventures Thanks for taking the time to give this feedback!
I agree with adding a starter tier, I'll go ahead and add a 1 domain for $2/month plan with unlimited inboxes for people getting started. I wanted to stay away from a free plan to make sure I'm working on something people would pay for and to prevent possible spam issues.
@jonalexr Awesome! I fully think you should get paid for the product and I know lots of plans adds complexity but this sounds like a good sweet spot. A free plan could also have very low limits like 100 emails per month. Regardless, at $2/m I am sold and will happily be your customer for at least one domain!
Hey everyone! I had this idea back in the summer when launching Hue Match. I wanted simple email forwarding (which you can usually get included with a domain purchase), but I also wanted to be able to reply/send emails from those inboxes without showing my personal email.
Over the weekends I’ve been working on Sidemail as a simple solution. I have some ideas for future functionality but I wanted to make this version available as soon as possible.
Thanks for checking it out!
@jonalexr In what way is this better than Google G Suite, which is for $5/month per account, with up to 600 domains and unlimited email groups (aka distribution lists)?
@samuelroy_ This is what I was wondering too. My domains are mostly self-hosted but I just setup my first one on GSuite a little while ago, and my understanding was I could add a bunch of other domains/aliases?
Plus, you know, once you have GSuite for business you've basically got unlimited cloud storage because of that whole not-enforcing-the-quota thing.
@samuelroy_ with GSuite you can add up to 600 domains, unlimited email groups and still pay just for a single account $5/month... plus you have an API, native mobile experience etc.
@samuelroy_ Thanks for letting me know about this! I’ve used G Suite for a long time but I had always thought it was one domain per account. It looks like with a domain alias, you maintain the same inboxes as your primary domain but can receive emails from another domain. I just went through the process for adding a domain and I found it a bit complicated/there’s no clear separation between domains.
I’m not trying to replace G Suite, and it definitely has it’s place (I’m using it for Sidemail). When working on my other projects I needed a quick way to get the domain and a couple inboxes setup and this isn’t G Suites main focus.
@ethosventures bought up some great points on pricing and I’ll be adding a cheaper starter plan as well ($2/month for the first domain with unlimited inboxes). With G Suite the cost is per account, and this could add up if you're working with different people on different ideas.
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