Yahoo vs Gmail: Compare and Choose the Best

If you are someone who wants to create a new email account and is confused about what to choose between Yahoo vs Gmail, then dont worry. I have written this blog post describing my own experiences with both services.

This write-up will help you decide which email providers you should choose, and if you already use any one, see if you need to switch. Let’s start from the section that many others ignore, but I believe forms the bedrock of the comparison chart. That is the email account creation process of the two and how it varies.

Difference Between Gmail and Yahoo Account Creation

Looking at the account creation process, I saw quite a lot of differences between Yahoo vs Gmail.

• The most notable being the presence of a Gmail lead account creation option available in Yahoo, while no such option is there in Gmail.
• Then, when you start the default account making you see that it is mandatory to add your last name in Yahoo, which is optional in Gmail; The characters you can use in the user name are also a bit different. While Gmail allows multiple non-consecutive “.” period symbols, Yahoo restricts it to only one. Yahoo allows the use of _ underscore while Gmail forbids it.
• Then there is the multiple domain choice in Yahoo, while the Gmail domain is fixed. Gmail does provide you with a set of autocreated email IDs based on your name; Yahoo does not do that.
• Yahoo only asks for your age, but Gmail also wants to know your gender. Moreover, you must type your password twice in Gmail, while Yahoo only asks for it once. Then, the verification process of Gmail and Yahoo is also different; the former does it with a Code scan, while the latter opts for a more direct OTP verification.

After the account gets made, the next point of difference lies in the look and feel of the system, in other words, the user Interface. So let me visually describe all the variations between the two systems.

Yahoo vs Gmail: Which has the Better UI

UI is something that people have strong opinions about, and there is quite a stark contrast in the way Yahoo and Gmail use to present emails.

Yahoo has for some time chosen the color purple to represent its brand. So we see it in Yahoo Mail as well, the main menu is highlighted with a purple hue at the top.

You get the option to decide whether to keep the UI in light, dark, or keep it automatic. In the settings menu, you get a set of default color schemes you can choose from or even add your own custom backgrounds.

Moreover, unlike Gmail, in Yahoo, you get to change the horizontal width of the side menu.

Gmail, on the other hand, adopts a more subtle display; most of the elements remain white with a slight grey hue by default. Here, too, you get a lot of customization options to make Gmail UI your own.

One major point of difference is that in Yahoo, there is a permanent sidebar on the right side of your screen, which is an advertisement board that you can’t remove.

Nevertheless, as many people want to know how to go back to the old Yahoo Mail, it means people are not happy with the new UI

Gmail has a modern and sleek design that has been updated to match user requirements time to time. It appeals to first-time users and, at the same time, maintains the appreciation of veterans who have seen Gmail UI evolve over the years, only to get better.

Visual elements aren’t the only differences between these two. There are even more stark differences between Gmail vs Yahoo that you will get to know about when I compare the two on the storage, security, and search parameters.

Comparing Gmail vs Yahoo in Terms of Storage, Security, and Search

Earlier, Yahoo used to be a leader in this space with its free account providing 1TB, but in a recent update, Yahoo’s mail storage limit got slashed by 98% so now users only get 20 GB of storage with their account. This is the primary reason for the mass exodus of users from Yahoo to other email providers.

However, despite this huge cut, Yahoo still provides 33% more storage than Gmail in its free tier. Gmail has, for some time, been offering free 15 GB storage for all of its users. In reality, the total storage a user gets is often less than 15 GB. This is because 15 GB is pooled storage shared across all Google services, which includes Drive, Photos, and more.

If you are willing to upgrade, however, then the metrics flip completely; the most storage you can get in Yahoo caps at 1TB plus the 50Gb extra mailbox you get in the Yahoo Plus account (note both of these are billed separately). Whereas Gmail goes up to 2 TB, double that of Yahoo.

Email security is another parameter where Gmail has the upper hand. Although both use TLS, Gmail allows its business and enterprise customers to deploy client-side encryption. A feature that is absent in all Yahoo plans.

Web search is the key differentiator that allowed Google to surpass Yahoo. This was despite Yahoo having the first mover advantage. This paints a pretty clear picture of which one out of the two has a better email search capability.

Gmail, advanced search bar gives users the option to negate some words as more options in its time frame dropdown, and can even find emails according to their size. Yahoo cannot do any of this.

Best Way to Switch from Yahoo to Gmail and Vice Versa

The SysTools IMAP Migration Tool is the top choice for any email account migrations. This is because of the unique advantages that it provides to the user, which make the entire switching process super simple.

It is designed to minimize setup time and maximize user friendliness. Which means anyone, regardless of their technical expertise, can use the tool with just a few clicks.

Available on both Mac and Windows, with a free demo version that you can try today.

 

So once you decide which email service is better out of Gmail and Yahoo, use this tool to bring your existing account data to your new account.

Gmail and Yahoo aren’t the only email providers out there. Moreover, recently, there has been an uptick in users choosing a third option, which is none other than Zoho. So if you want to know how to migrate Yahoo to Zoho or switch from Gmail to Zoho, check out my detailed guides on the subject.

Conclusion

Here, I told you everything there is to know about choosing Yahoo vs Gmail. I compared both of the email giants on account creation process, UI, storage, security, and more.

After witnessing the differences and similarities between the two email services, it becomes easier for you to decide which one to select. If you already have an account on one of the services and this blog has convinced you to choose the other one, you can easily transition with the help of the utility that I described and have used myself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Gmail or Yahoo, which one provides more storage?

The free version of Yahoo provides slightly more storage than a free Gmail account (20 GB compared to 15 GB). However, in higher premium tier segments, Gmail’s total storage capacity goes up to 2 TB, whereas Yahoo caps out at 1TB.
Q. Between Yahoo and Gmail, which has a larger user base?

Gmail has a significantly larger user base,  approximately 1.8 billion monthly active users. Yahoo, on the other hand, has a more humble user count with 225 million monthly active users.

Q. What is the difference between Gmail and Yahoo in terms of email security?

Gmail offers stronger security with default 2-step verification and advanced phishing protection. While Yahoo’s security is comparatively weaker and more breach-prone.