Stop paying $7/month for one email address
Every side project starts the same way:
- Buy a domain on Namecheap - $10
- Set up Google Workspace - $7/month
- Add 12 DNS records in Cloudflare
- Wait for propagation
- Finally send one email
You just committed to $84/year for a single email address on a side project that might not exist in 3 months.
What you're actually paying for
Google Workspace Business Starter gives you:
- 30 GB of storage (you'll use 0.1%)
- Google Docs, Sheets, Slides (you already have them)
- Google Meet (you won't use it)
- Admin console (for your team of one)
- One email address on your domain
That last bullet is the only reason you signed up. Everything else is bloat.
The domani alternative
domani import myproject.dev
domani email create hello@myproject.dev
Done. Two commands. Import a domain you already own (or buy a new one with domani buy). Your email is live. DNS records are configured automatically.
Cost: $0/month. You only pay for domain registration if buying a new one. Importing an existing domain is free.
But I need to receive emails too
domani handles inbound email. Three options:
Forward to Gmail:
domani email forward hello@myproject.dev --forward-to you@gmail.com
Every email sent to hello@myproject.dev lands in your personal Gmail. To reply as your domain address, use the domani web inbox, CLI, or API.
Webhook for automation:
domani webhook create --url https://myapp.com/inbound --events email.received
Inbound emails hit your API as JSON. Perfect for agents and automation.
Read in the web inbox:
domani includes a full web inbox - a clean, mobile-friendly email client. Read, search, and manage your emails from the browser. No Outlook, no Gmail required.
Read via CLI or API:
domani email inbox hello@myproject.dev
Check your mailbox from the CLI, the API, or any MCP agent.
The comparison
| Google Workspace | domani | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $7/user | $0 |
| Setup time | 15 min + DNS | 30 seconds |
| DNS config | Manual (12 records) | Automatic |
| Send email | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receive email | ✓ | ✓ (forward/webhook/API) |
| API access | Gmail API (OAuth) | REST + MCP (Bearer token) |
| Agent-friendly | No | 65 MCP tools |
| Web inbox | ✓ (Gmail) | ✓ (dashboard) |
| Vendor lock-in | High | None (open source) |
When to use Google Workspace
If you're a team of 10 people who need shared calendars, Google Docs collaboration, and enterprise admin controls - Workspace makes sense.
If you're a developer who needs an email on your domain - it's $84/year of waste.
Free email on signup
Every domani account includes a free @domani.run email address. Import or buy a domain to use your own.
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