Two of today’s starring email clients are Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. Microsoft Outlook has premium options disposable with higher-tier Microsoft 365 subscription packages. It works connected Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, but requires downloading. Meanwhile, Apple Mail comes pre-installed with the Mac operating system. Both programs connection email categorization, scheduling and junk filtration.
While Microsoft Outlook works crossed aggregate operating systems, its aggregate integrations with Windows apps marque it a amended enactment for businesses that usage the afloat suite of Windows products. Its email absorption tools, specified arsenic email scheduling and categorization, are much robust compared to Apple Mail. However, if you’re a Mac idiosyncratic who conscionable needs a escaped email client, Apple Mail has capable features to service the relation well.
Microsoft Outlook vs. Apple Mail: Comparison table
| Platform availability | Windows, Mac, iOS and Android | Mac |
| Starting Price | $6 per idiosyncratic per period with Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Free |
| Integrations | Windows Apps, AI, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Edge and Skype | Calendar and iMessage |
| Search with filters | Yes | Yes |
| Email categorization tools | Categorize, emblem and pin emails | Flag emails and astute mailbox |
| Scheduling options | Reply Later and Schedule Send | Snooze Emails and Schedule Send |
| Junk message filters | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-account support | Yes | Yes |
| For much information |
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail terms and availability
Apple Mail is wholly free. It comes pre-installed successful Mac and iOS systems but is not downloadable connected different types of devices.
You tin lone get Microsoft Outlook for concern if you subscribe to a Microsoft 365 Business plan. It is disposable connected Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices, depending connected which Microsoft 365 Business subscription you enroll in.
| Price per idiosyncratic per month | $6.00 | $12.50 | $22.00 | $8.25 |
| Maximum fig of users | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Platform availability | Web, iOS and Android | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android | Web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android |
| Calendar integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Feature comparison: Microsoft Outlook vs. Apple Mail
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail connection akin sets of features. However, they person flimsy differences successful what applications they tin integrate with, what categorization options they supply and what scheduling options are available.
Integrations
Microsoft Outlook integrates with each Windows applications, including AI, OneDrive, Teams, Edge and Skype. Most notably, it connects to your calendar, which makes it easier for you to enactment connected apical of tasks and erstwhile they request to get done.
Meanwhile, Apple Mail integrates with your calendar and iMessage.
Integrations simply marque these applications much easy accessible done your inbox, oregon vice versa. For example, with Outlook, you tin commencement a Skype gathering consecutive from your inbox. However, if you don’t usage the afloat suite of Windows applications, Apple Mail and its constricted integrations whitethorn suffice.
Email Categorization Tools
On Outlook, you tin pin and categorize emails.
- Pin Email: This lets you pin an email to the apical of your inbox, making it easier to find (Figure A).
Figure A: You tin find the pin icon connected the apical close broadside of an email preview. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business- Categorize Emails: You tin radical emails into antithetic categories. If you adhd a class to your favorites, Outlook volition make an icon for that class connected your message sidebar, making it easier for you to entree emails nether that radical (Figure B).
Figure B: Right-clicking an email gives you the enactment to categorize it. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessApple Mail, successful contrast, does not person a pin function. However, it offers flagging and astute mailboxes.
- Flag Emails: Flagging an email places it nether its ain radical folder. You tin alteration emblem colors to make distinctions betwixt groups (Figure C).
Figure C: Multiple emblem colors are available, letting you make aggregate categories. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business- Smart Mailbox: You tin usage Apple Mail’s filtering strategy to make folders for emails that conscionable definite criteria. For example, you tin look for emails from the aforesaid sender, emails with titles that stock a peculiar keyword oregon emails with a circumstantial benignant of attachment (Figure D).
Figure D: Use a Smart Mailbox to automatically propulsion messages that conscionable definite criteria. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessIf your precedence is visibility, Outlook is the amended option. Its categorization tools assistance you make disposable distinctions betwixt groups of emails. Having pinned emails and favourite categories makes it casual for you to find and presumption important emails.
However, if you privation a instrumentality that streamlines the process of grouping emails, Apple Mail is the amended choice. Smart Mailbox volition automatically sift done your inbox and spot emails with akin attributes into their ain folders.
Scheduling Options
Microsoft Outlook gives you the quality to nonstop an email astatine a acceptable day (Figure E).
Figure E: You tin customize erstwhile an email volition get successful your designated recipient’s inbox. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessYou tin besides “snooze” emails, which removes them from your inbox until a acceptable day (Figure F). This gives Outlook an borderline implicit Apple Mail, arsenic the snooze enactment keeps emails retired of show until you request to spot them, which reduces unnecessary inbox clutter.
Figure F: Snoozing an email volition region it from your inbox until a designated time. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessThat said, Apple Mail besides lets you docket messages (Figure G).
Figure G: Clicking the dropdown fastener adjacent to the nonstop icon lets you nonstop a connection astatine a designated schedule. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessWhile the level does not enactment snoozing, it has a diagnostic called Remind Me, which volition notify you to presumption oregon reply to an email connected a acceptable day (Figure H). Apple Mail adjacent notifies you erstwhile the radical you’ve sent emails to person not responded wrong a fixed fig of days.
Figure H: You tin find the Remind Me enactment by right-clicking an email. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small BusinessMicrosoft Outlook pros and cons
Pros of Microsoft Outlook
- Is feature-rich.
- Is disposable connected aggregate platforms.
Cons of Microsoft Outlook
- Requires downloading.
- Is lone disposable with a paid Microsoft 365 Business plan.
Apple Mail pros and cons
Pros of Apple Mail
- Is built-in connected Apple devices.
- Has an easy-to-navigate idiosyncratic interface.
Cons of Apple Mail
- Is constricted to Apple devices.
- Can not pin emails.
Should your enactment usage Microsoft Outlook oregon Apple Mail?
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail connection precise akin services. Which 1 you should take comes down to however large your concern is and which operating strategy you use.
Apple Mail is simply a large acceptable for Mac users since the bundle comes built-in with Mac’s operating system. However, Microsoft Outlook has much precocious email categorization features and scheduling tools, which assistance streamline concern processes.
Review methodology
We tried the platforms first-hand, past analyzed third-party buyer’s guides for email clients and gathered a database of features reviewers considered astir important. Narrowing down, we decided that integrations, scheduling and categorization were among the features that astir affected day-to-day workflows.
Taking this list, we compared what Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail offered broadside by side. Features similar search, hunt filters and junk filtration were besides considered, but we recovered that determination were nary large differences betwixt what Outlook and Apple Mail had to connection successful these departments.
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