Gmail vs Google Mail – Is There Actually A Difference?

It’s the age-old question: what’s the difference between Gmail.com and GoogleMail.com Gmail accounts?

Have you ever wondered why some Gmail accounts are [email protected] and others are [email protected]? It’s not something most think about, but there is a difference.

And it is actually kind of an interesting story…

Back in the day, when Gmail first launched – April, 1 2004 – Google set about obtaining trademarks for Gmail.

However, as it quickly found out, this wasn’t going to be as simple as it first thought.

Gmail vs Google Mail – There is a Difference

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You see, the trademark “Gmail” was already registered in a couple of countries – specifically Russia, Germany, and Poland.

This meant that Google could not use Gmail branding in these locations. Google also initially launched Gmail as Google Mail in the UK too.

It was only in 2010 that Google Mail became Gmail in the UK.

In 2004, however, Google needed a workaround for Russia, Germany, and Poland, so it came up with @googlemail.com.

This meant it didn’t have to pay to license Gmail from the IP owners.

Thrifty as ever, Google opted to create with Google Mail, so Gmail accounts in Germany, Poland, and Russia got @googlemail.com, while the rest of the world got @gmail.com.

In Poland, the Gmail trademark domain is owned by a Polish poet group, Grupa Mlodych Artystów i Literatów—which is abbreviated “GMAiL”. In the Russian Federation, the trademark is owned by a Russian mail redirect service, Gmail.ru. So, with the Gmail trademark already taken, users there were assigned an email address of the format: [email protected].

GMASS

As of 2012, Google managed to resolve the issue in Germany, so German Google Mail users could switch to Gmail if they wanted to.

You don’t need to, of course, as Google set up Gmail so that gmail.com and googlemail.com emails both point to the same address, so it doesn’t matter which you have.

Emails sent to [email protected] will go to the same address as [email protected]

You can even add a dot (.) inside your Gmail or Google Mail email address – [email protected], for instance – and it will still send it to [email protected]

How To Switch From Google Mail to Gmail

You can switch from googlemail to gmail, however, if you wish. Just follow these steps:

Gmail Settings > Google “Accounts” tab > Click “switch to @gmail.com” – please note: this link ONLY shows if you’re eligible to switch.

What About @google.com Email Addresses?

In order to get a [email protected] email address, you need to be a Google employee – and that isn’t exactly easy.

@google.com is Google’s corporate email address. It runs on the same technology and platform as Gmail and Google Mail, which also powers G-Suite – now called Google Workspace.

If you get an email from an account with an @google.com ending, it means you’re most likely being emailed from somebody that actually works for Google, and not a scammer.

You Can Also Run Your Business on Gmail

As of 2021, almost 50% of the world’s biggest companies use Gmail as their platform of choice. The next biggest would be Microsoft’s Outlook.

The reason Gmail is so popular with business is that you get access to Google Drive which brings with it a bunch of useful and completely free office applications.

All Gmail users have access to Google Drive through their Gmail, but businesses tend to use Google’s enterprise version – Google Workspace.

Workspace used to be called G-Suite but was rebranded in 2020. Google added a bunch of new, useful features designed to make working remotely a lot easier.

When you sign up to Workspace, you can use your business name as your email. I run KYM on Workspace, so we have @knowyourmobile.com email addresses, not @gmail.com.

Branded email looks more professional which is why it used by businesses. No one wants to get a work related email from a @gmail.com account – it just looks completely unprofessional.

Read more about Workspace’s new features and abilities to find out how it can help your business, large or small, work better.