What was the name of the first free web-based email service?

The first free web-based email service was Hotmail. It launched commercially on July 4, 1996, giving people access to email through a web browser rather than requiring software tied to an internet provider or a particular computer.

Hotmail was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith, who developed the service while working in Silicon Valley. Its name was styled “HoTMaiL” to highlight HTML, the markup language used to create web pages. The service became popular because users could check messages from almost anywhere with an internet connection.

Hotmail was not the first email system: network email had existed for decades, and many users already received addresses through universities, employers, or internet service providers. Hotmail’s important distinction was combining free accounts with browser-based access for the general public. Microsoft acquired it in 1997, later incorporating it into MSN and Windows Live before replacing the Hotmail brand with Outlook.com.