163.net
163.net (TOM 163邮箱) is a China-based consumer and enterprise email service operated under TOM.COM Corporation, offering free and paid VIP email accounts with SSL encryption and native WeChat integration. It serves individual users and Chinese enterprises via direct web registration and group purchase channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
163.net firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 163.net
- Legal name
- TOM.COM Corporation
- Website
- https://163.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 163.net (TOM 163邮箱) is a China-based consumer and enterprise email service operated under TOM.COM Corporation, offering free and paid VIP email accounts with SSL encryption and native WeChat integration. It serves individual users and Chinese enterprises via direct web registration and group purchase channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
163.net industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Email Services
- NAICS
- Telecommunications (517), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- SIC
- Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Email & Collaboration Threat Detection/Response (ICR/CTDR) (HDADAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual Paperwork, Mail & Records Management (HSAFALAD)
Keywords
163.net business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- VIP Email Subscription: Premium email service with VIP privileges including exclusive security protection, independent channels, and enhanced features. Users pay for premium access to VIP email service with additional features not available in standard email services.
- Enterprise Email Services: Dedicated enterprise email solutions for business customers through corporate accounts and group purchasing options
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | VIP Email Service - Premium paid email with exclusive features |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
163.net product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TOM 163邮箱 (TOM 163 Email) is a web-based email platform offering free and paid email accounts with SSL-encrypted transmission and dedicated VIP-only channels. It provides premium VIP email subscriptions with aggregated mobile office features accessible within WeChat, and a separate 企业邮箱 (Enterprise Email) solution for business customers via group purchase.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TOM 163邮箱 (TOM 163 Email)
Companies that use 163.net
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
163.net technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
163.net competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gmail: Google's global consumer email service. Sets the global UX benchmark for webmail and competes for internationally-oriented Chinese users and cross-border enterprise accounts.
- Outlook / Microsoft 365: Microsoft's global email and collaboration suite. The dominant enterprise incumbent that 163.net's 企业邮箱 offering must displace in cross-border and multinational segments, and a benchmark for premium enterprise email in China.
Regional players
- 139 Mail (China Mobile): China Mobile's carrier email service, tightly bundled with mobile phone numbers and SMS. Competes for both consumer and enterprise email in China, leveraging telecom-scale distribution that is not available to 163.net.
Direct peers
- Sohu Mail: Sohu's consumer email offering. Another major Chinese free webmail provider that competes directly for individual users and overlaps in the SME enterprise email space.
- Alibaba AliMail (Aliyun Mail): Alibaba/Aliyun's consumer and enterprise email service. A vertically integrated competitor with strong enterprise positioning tied to the Alibaba Cloud stack, directly contesting 163.net's 企业邮箱 offering.
- Foxmail (Tencent): Tencent-owned desktop/mobile email client widely used in China. Competes for the same consumer email client mindshare and, like QQ Mail, benefits from WeChat/QQ ecosystem integration that 163.net must work around.
- NetEase 163 Mail: NetEase's flagship free webmail service (mail.163.com) — the dominant Chinese consumer email brand sharing the '163' heritage. Despite overlapping brand associations, it is a separate company that competes head-to-head with 163.net for individual and enterprise Chinese email users.
- QQ Mail (Tencent): Tencent's consumer and enterprise email service. Direct Chinese webmail competitor with the structural advantage of being bundled free into the QQ/WeChat ecosystem, putting significant pricing pressure on 163.net's VIP tier.
- Sina Mail: Sina Corporation's free webmail product targeting Chinese consumers. Comparable free-tier competitor competing for the same user base and overlapping with enterprise email pitches in China.
Emerging players
- Coremail: China-focused enterprise email and collaboration platform widely used by government, education, and large enterprise clients. Direct Chinese enterprise email competitor whose product positioning and customer base overlap with 163.net's 企业邮箱 line.
Market position
Customer concentration
163.net financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
163.net leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
163.net funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
163.net M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 163.net
What does 163.net do?
TOM 163邮箱 (TOM 163 Email) is a web-based email platform offering free and paid email accounts with SSL-encrypted transmission and dedicated VIP-only channels. It provides premium VIP email subscriptions with aggregated mobile office features accessible within WeChat, and a separate 企业邮箱 (Enterprise Email) solution for business customers via group purchase.
Is 163.net a public or private company?
163.net is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was 163.net founded?
163.net was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does 163.net make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. VIP Email Subscription is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Email Services.
Who are 163.net's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gmail and Outlook / Microsoft 365. 139 Mail (China Mobile) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Sohu Mail, Alibaba AliMail (Aliyun Mail), Foxmail (Tencent), NetEase 163 Mail, QQ Mail (Tencent) and Sina Mail. Coremail is listed as an emerging player.
Does 163.net have an API?
No public API is recorded for 163.net.
What industry is 163.net in?
163.net's product category is Email Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAKAI, Email & Collaboration Threat Detection/Response (ICR/CTDR), with a secondary code of HSAFALAD, Virtual Paperwork, Mail & Records Management. Its NAICS code is 517 and its SIC code is 4822.