This is what you can do with gmail in webmail and on a mobile phone:
Although Google does not offer its own email client, there is a workaround. You can set your gmail to allow you to work through desktop and offline. you can also add gmail to an email client, like mailbird. (We’ll tell you more about this later).
let’s see how outlook and gmail compare in various aspects. To do this, we will summarize what each competitor offers in these four categories:
- User experience and interface: Are the design and navigation easy to use? Is it regularly updated with improvements?
- features: how is the performance of the calendar, address book, filters and integrations?
- security : is it safe? What measures does each platform take to protect its users and their data?
- affordability: is the price reasonable for the value you get? how compatible are these plans for small and large teams?
let’s get started.
user experience & interface
Email is used in tandem with so many other functions, so the design should be something you want to look at every day. It should be inviting and help you execute tasks almost instantly.
gmail
- customizable background and layout in webmail
- menus and settings are easy to find, collapse or expand.
- intuitive keyboard shortcuts
- attachment prevention error
- retrieve an email up to 30 seconds after sending.
- plugins and extensions are integrated in an easy and attractive way. It’s easy to get your inbox working with Google Workspace tools.
- ads at the top of your inbox
- login/logout options on multiple devices are frustrating.
- cannot delete emails massively in the mobile application.
Outlook
- clean interface
- customized workflow with the simplified ribbon
- wide variety of keyboard and voice shortcuts, especially useful for visually impaired people
- retrieve an email as long as the recipient hasn’t opened it (desktop only).
- ux has been getting better over time with regular updates.
- setup feature unified inbox
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- >login/logout is also a big pain for users, especially when you change to a new phone or need two-factor authentication.
“I find I can get at the commands I use quicker. That’s because there are fewer distracting and unneeded buttons in the Ribbon. I like it!”
michael linenberger – michaellinenberger.com
neither platform is cutting edge when it comes to ux, but both have managed to pack in a lot of features and functionality.
gmail dwarfs outlook when it comes to connecting inbox to built-in apps because the learning curve is pretty quick. Outlook’s new simplified ribbon shows that Microsoft is thinking about making its product easier to use.
features
To carry out specific tasks using your email will be slightly different depending on the platform. Let us show you the strengths and weaknesses of Gmail’s versus Outlook’s features, broken down by these categories: calendar, search, file system, attachments, storage, video conferencing, and integrations.
calendar
both gmail and outlook have robust native calendars. both can be opened as separate windows on your laptop and you have the option to view the calendars in day, week or month format.
Both also allow users to share calendar events with others and add a link for a video call.
gmail
Signing up for an email account with Gmail is free, as is signing up for Outlook. however, there are paid versions of each service that allow you to access additional features and services.
- tag your posts as a task, event, or reminder.
- it’s easy to add color, commercial emojis, and visual flair.
- offline access is available but not instantly. requires configuration via chrome extensions.
Outlook
- instead of “guests”, people are listed as “attendees”.
- now you can add a visual touch to your outlook calendar.
- work easily offline.
- There is a history of shared calendars not syncing (although improvements are apparently being made).
Search
Keeping in mind that the search bar is a productivity feature, the more options you have to find what you’re looking for, the better. let’s see what you get with gmail versus outlook:
gmail
- search by name, file size, date, email address, or keyword
- search chat logs
- search contacts
- search operators for searched functions (such as filename: or has: spreadsheet)
Outlook
- keyboard shortcut to search
- finds everything in outlook (not just emails), including functionality. so you can search for “block sender” or “settings”.
- suggested searches based on your history
- outlook stores large files differently, using the microsoft pst file. as such, large files tend to get corrupted and this can really hamper the search function.
File System
Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you won’t lose any important email because it’s in the wrong folder?
To maximize productivity, many users implement labels, tags, and rules to specify where each email belongs. This feature may seem simple, but how easy it is to set up and maintain will make all the difference.
gmail
- Users can configure labels (folders), as well as nested labels (subfolders), to move emails.
- messages can have more than one label.
- tabbed folders such as promotions, notifications, etc. may be incorrectly filtered. often requires your input to correctly assign emails where you need them.
Outlook
- users can configure folders and subfolders to move emails.
- the account comes by default with traditional folders like spam, inbox, drafts, etc.
- an email can only live in one folder at a time.
Attachments
both gmail and outlook allow you to send and receive attachments. both have special cloud storage options for anything you need to store that exceeds the size of the approved attachment.
gmail
- file preview
- google drive for large attachments
- email attachments with a 25mb limit
perspective
- file preview
- onedrive or sharepoint for large attachments
- email attachments with a 20mb limit
storage
As we rely more and more on email and online collaboration, our need for storage increases. this is what these platforms offer in terms of storage.
gmail
- people with free accounts get 15gb.
- if you exceed 15gb, you can sign up for google one to buy additional storage, increasing your storage space to 100gb or more depending on your plan.
- gmail business accounts have storage tiers from 30gb to 5tb depending on your plan tier.
perspective
- users with free plans start with 100gb of storage on their accounts.
- office 365 plans come with 6tb of onedrive storage.
- all business outlook plans come with 1tb of onedrive storage per user.
video conferences
Video calls and conferences were already gaining popularity before the covid-19 pandemic. these tools are now more important than ever. These are the video conferencing tools offered by Gmail and Outlook.
gmail
- video conferences and calls can be made through google meet or google hangouts.
- google meet is the equivalent of zoom or gotomeeting.
Outlook
- calls and video conferences can use microsoft teams.
- microsoft teams is equivalent to zoom or gotomeeting.
- skype is now part of the microsoft family and part of a 365 subscription plan. You can have a skype video call directly from your inbox.
Integrations
It’s not practical to have access to a long list of digital tools but not be able to integrate them with our email and calendar services. let’s see what tools will integrate with these two email providers.
gmail
- all google workspace apps will be integrated.
- chrome extensions can be applied for users using chrome as their web browser.
- chrome plugins gmail can be used to integrate with apps like trello, slack, zoom, docusign and others.
- 3rd party apps can also be applied to your account.
Outlook
- integrates with all microsoft apps like onedrive, skype and any office products
- has options for add-ons (called plugins) with companies like starbucks, paypal, yelp and more
- Plug-ins are now available for Outlook users using Mac devices.
- You can set up connectors and actionable mail with integrations with apps like trello.
- It can also integrate with third-party apps, but it’s not very good with google workspace.
- Add-ons have been known to cause outlook to crash on occasion.
Security
Security is vital when it comes to email. While there is nothing that can protect from human error, it is important to have additional security features built in to handle any bad actors in the cyber world. Here are the security features built into these email clients.
gmail
- two-factor authentication
- ability to block certain senders
- phishing and malware detection
- alerts when suspicious activity or malware startups are detected session
- confidential mode that removes sensitive information and attachments from the body of an email
- There have been leaks and compromised accounts in the past.
- There is no encryption option in the free gmail service.
perspective
- two-factor authentication
- ability to block certain senders
- you can set permissions to allow others to access and edit your calendars and other outlook features
- you can create password protected folders within your outlook account
- you can create items in your account and keep them private from others on the exchange
- if you use the client and connect it to a more secure email provider, you can have better security.
- outlook is not known for its superior spam protection.
Is Gmail More Secure Than Outlook?
gmail has great technology to prevent a lot of spam from flooding your inbox. It has all the basic security features, like two-factor authentication and the ability to block or prioritize specific senders, but in terms of privacy, there’s room for scrutiny.
outlook is very similar and does not have the same spam protection as gmail. one of the advantages of outlook is that you can create password protected folders.
it might be worth looking into fastmail, protonmail, tutanota or post if privacy is what you’re most concerned about.
affordability
How Much Does Gmail Cost?
gmail allows users to sign up and use an account for free. It comes with 15GB of storage for your emails, photos, documents, etc.
Users with a google workspace account can create and use a custom email domain for their gmail and access all other google apps. There are four plans: Business Starter, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise.
- The business starter plan costs $6/month and includes 30GB of cloud storage, video conferencing for up to 100 participants, security management controls, and 24/7 support.
- the standard business plan is $12/month and includes 2TB of cloud storage, video conferencing with 150 participants, and recording. The business plus plan is $18/month and offers 5TB of cloud storage, 250 participants on a call with recording and attendance tracking, and enhanced security controls like advanced endpoint management.
how much does outlook cost?
outlook allows users to sign up for an email account for free. however, not all Outlook features will be available. Previously, you could opt for Outlook Premium and pay for an ad-free desktop and webmail subscription. Now those features are built into Microsoft 365 plans.
Users who sign up for Microsoft 365 will have access to the full functionality of Outlook and Microsoft products (Outlook Calendar, Word, Excel, etc.).
- microsoft 365 personal costs $6.99 per month and comes with 1TB of storage for one user.
- microsoft 365 family plan costs $9.99 per month and allows six people per plan and 6 tb of data.
outlook is also available for business. outlook and most other microsoft products are the standard for business. 83% of businesses use this email client.
- microsoft 365 business basic is $5 per month per user and does not include the desktop app. includes web versions of some of the popular office apps.
- microsoft 365 business standard costs $12.99 per month per user and includes the desktop app, all office apps, and the cloud. storage services
- microsoft 365 business premium is $20 per month per user and includes all of the business standard and some additional cyber security and device management features.
There are also additional prices for large companies starting at $32 per month per user.
outlook vs. gmail: so which one do you choose?
Gmail has some great perks, like the quick setup, the low financial commitment (even for the business plans), labels and folder management, and spam filtering. It’s also convenient to go between your email and other team collaboration apps like Google Docs or Google Sheets. And it’s free.
here is a summary of some of the great features of gmail:
- customizable background and layout
- easy to find menus and settings
- intuitive keyboard shortcuts
- error prevention for attachments
- retrieve an email
- search chat logs, contacts
- messages can have more than one label.
- google drive for attachments large
- attachments in emails up to 25mb
- google meet or google hangouts
- all google workspace apps will be integrated.
- gmail plugins can be used to integrate with apps like trello, slack, zoom, docusign and others.
- two-factor authentication
- block senders
- phishing and malware detection
- confidential mode
but it takes a lot of time to customize the inbox features to your liking. In addition to this, you still have to sign in again if you have more than one email address.
here are some gmail drawbacks to be aware of:
- ads at the top of your inbox
- poor start/stop options
- no bulk delete in mobile app
- offline access requires configuration
outlook has been a staple for offices and organizations for many years because it’s possible to schedule events and share files through the app. there are hundreds of plugins and plugins to make the app a robust tool. handles up to 20 email accounts and is professional and reasonably priced.
there are other benefits to outlook:
- clean interface
- simplified ribbon
- keyboard and voice shortcuts
- retrieve an email (desktop only)
- work easily offline
- keyboard shortcut to search
- suggested searches based on your history
- outlook stores large files differently, using the microsoft pst file.
- onedrive or sharepoint for large attachments
- email attachments up to 20mb
- microsoft and skype teams
- integrates with all microsoft apps like onedrive, skype, and any office products
- plugins, connectors and action mail
- two factor authentication
- block senders
- encrypt individual messages
- calendar permissions
- password-protected folders
Although it is more suitable for those who have multiple accounts, Outlook is always under fire due to configuration problems and other technical problems.
these are some problems with outlook like:
freeze.
This chart provides a summary comparison of Gmail, Outlook, and what they offer as free and paid services.
win-win: you can use both with mailbird
Gmail is convenient for many reasons, but it’s a drag logging in to each of your email accounts separately. Outlook could be a solid option as an email client, but you shouldn’t ignore the many technical issues that come along with it.
You can still receive all your emails from your gmail and outlook email addresses, all while working from a clean and easy-to-use desktop platform.
If you want a personalized inbox where you can manage all your accounts in one place, try mailbird. These are some of the features that our users like the most:
super fast setup
Once you enter your email address, the program uses imap and smtp to automatically connect you to your accounts. Easily sync your calendars and use the contact manager to import your contacts instantly.
easy to customize
The interface is clean and the layout, notifications and rules can be configured exactly to your preferences. the unified inbox feature will give you a consolidated view if you want to search for a message across all your email accounts.
dozens of different integrations
Spend less time worrying about login and logout issues across different platforms. There are dozens of different apps that work within Mailbird, including Slack, Asana, Formswift, Dropbox, WhatsApp, Todoist, and the Google Workspace toolset. you can organize them however you like in the sidebar for easy access.
try it with your gmail or outlook email address and see how working from your desktop can be really convenient and, dare we say, better than sticking with gmail or outlook on your own.
