What was the first widely-used free web-based email service?

The first widely used free web-based email service was Hotmail. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched Hotmail on July 4, 1996, offering email that users could access through a web browser rather than through a particular computer or internet provider.

That portability was its defining advantage. Before webmail became mainstream, many people relied on accounts supplied by employers, universities, or internet service providers, often requiring dedicated mail software. Hotmail let users create an address and check messages from almost any connected computer.

The name “Hotmail” highlighted HTML, the language used to build web pages, and its original branding was styled as HoTMaiL. Microsoft acquired the service in 1997 and later rebranded it as Windows Live Hotmail and then Outlook.com. Yahoo Mail and Gmail became major competitors, but they launched later.