Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the Best for Your Spending plan?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant efficiency suites worldwide of software application as a service (SaaS), both offering a large range of applications that contemporary business require.
While the functions of a number of these applications are comparable, Microsoft and Google's exclusive offerings each have their own quirks, for better or even worse.
In this post, we will look at email through Microsoft Outlook and Google's Gmail for Business. Independently, the pair are the leading email applications in company by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email might seem simple on the surface, however the distinctions between Outlook and Gmail show that things are more complicated than sending out and receiving mail.
The operations of each are various, beginning with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and personal privacy supplied.
Pricing
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced monthly, per user, and have different tiers of pricing. As it relates to the mail accounts themselves, the difference in tiers normally only impacts storage space.
Utilizing Microsoft's Business Basic strategy ($ 5/month/user when billed each year), each user gets 50 GB of e-mail storage area, which is independent of the extra 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive.
Bear in mind, one of the most fundamental level of M365 does not include any of Microsoft's desktop applications, consisting of Outlook. Users buying this strategy will need to enjoy with the Outlook web app.
On the other hand, Google's Business Basic plan ($ 6), supplies simply 30 GB of storage overall, combining e-mail storage and drive storage together.
That disparity is likely an attempt by Google to upsell users to their premium plans, with their Standard plan ($ 12) jumping to 2 TB of drive storage, and the Plus plan ($ 18) going to 5 TB.
Microsoft provides 2-5 TB of drive storage with their enterprise offerings, however mail box storage can basically be unlimited through unlimited archiving starting with the E3 plan ($ 32).
A grid showing the rates and storage abilities of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Scoring round 1 here, let's call it a draw. At the least expensive level, the two platforms are comparable, and Gmail's web app might be worth the additional dollar monthly.
As you go up plans, the Outlook desktop app might swing your decision, as we will talk about later on. Bear in mind, Microsoft's rates is based upon a yearly dedication, while Google does not provide annual discount rates as of this post.
This post is just covering the two suites through the scope of their e-mail applications, and these prices cover numerous other features. If cost is your primary factor, consider each suite in total prior to making a decision.
Ease of Use
The biggest distinction between the two suites total is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are far more feature-packed relative to Google's web apps.
While the functions are not as various between the e-mail applications, the full Gmail experience is only available through a web internet browser.
With Outlook's desktop app, users get the full Exchange server experience, with the included benefit of being able to check out and draft emails while offline.
If you are on an aircraft, responding to emails and working on documents you plan to send out later on might be the finest use of your time.
With Outlook, you do not require to wait for the web to continue working, only to provide your work.
Gmail's user interface can't be reached without internet connectivity unless you initially jump through some hoops.
At the time of this writing, you will require to utilize Google's Chrome web browser, have Gmail bookmarked, and sync your e-mail through their offline feature, the reliability of which has actually been debatable over the years.
Both have mobile applications, so that issue can be worked around, however responding to a bunch of work emails on a mobile device can be a struggle.
The complete suite of Microsoft Office desktop applications will be a much bigger advantage for Microsoft in comparing other apps, however we'll still offer Outlook a slight, however considerable, advantage over Gmail due to alleviate of usage.
Searchability
As you would expect, the company known for its online search engine enables you to discover emails you require more dependably.
Gmail's advantage begins with its classification utilizing labels. Multiple labels can be applied to each e-mail or thread, and subcategories can be created within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If numerous labels have been used to a single email or term, those messages will appear under each label. Labels enable you to auto-filter incoming e-mails based on hand-chosen criteria.
In Outlook, sorting is restricted to folders, requiring users to classify each email/thread into a particular location.
As for the actual search function, both permit users to browse utilizing keywords, as well as folders/labels, senders, and date got.
Gmail not only has deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, but it is also flat-out more precise.
This is the first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's More helpful hints searchability and categorization are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this category, and it is not particularly close. Their exceptional standing is not just vast, however it is apparent on 2 different fronts.
Google has come under fire just recently regarding its handling of personal information, with reports that the company scans user emails. More notably, Google apparently tracks your area, your activity, and even your voice for the function of targeted advertisements.
Microsoft is much more transparent about their privacy policy and the information they collect.
If your organization transfers sensitive or individual information routinely, it probably goes without stating that you would feel more comfortable utilizing Microsoft and Outlook. Even if you aren't sending out and receiving private information, it would take a lot of other advantages to surpass such apparent personal privacy issues.
For supervisors, Outlook provides a lot more internal security in the form of permissions. While Outlook's folder company does not provide the very same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does give users the ability to allow and disallow certain actions within folders.
Outlook gives users 10 differing roles to choose from, along with a customized function where the manager can hand-select particular actions one by one.
These actions include everything from reading, modifying, erasing, and sending messages to seeing your calendar's specific meetings or spare time.
Functionally, this enables managers to delegate tasks to their subordinates without providing full-blown access to more important info. It also stops unhappy employees from possibly taking or erasing info deemed sensitive.
You can entrust account access to others in Gmail, which is essentially like turning over the keys to your car. You can't designate levels of access, conceal personal messages, or even see messages sent out by your delegate in your place.
One of, if not the most crucial classification is a runaway win for Outlook. With thorough choices and a privacy policy that is a lot more transparent, Microsoft 365's e-mail platform stands alone.
Calendar
Technically, Google Calendar is not a part of Gmail, though all it takes to sync the 2 is a Workspace account and a couple of clicks through Gmail's menu.
For the sake of taking a wider take a look at Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, we'll compare Outlook's calendar to Google Calendar here.
Initially, Gmail users lamented the platform's combination with other businesses or clients who used Outlook.
Some grievances included that updates to standing meetings made from Outlook accounts would not update in Google Calendar, and the failure to push upgraded info to individuals.
Additionally, Google Calendar will instantly try to turn all of your video conferences into a Google Meet call. Its default setting will instantly publish a Google Meet link into your calendar entry, which function requires to be disabled by an administrator.
Otherwise, both platforms have added combinations with the other, and by all accounts, they work perfectly. For all intents and purposes, this function is a draw.
Verdict
Like many things, this decision mainly comes down to personal choice. A lot of the differences between Outlook and Gmail have benefits based on how your business runs, as well as your spending plan.
Ultimately, the openness and security of Outlook make it the more powerful offering. If you discover yourself arranging through countless emails a day, nevertheless, Gmail may be the right alternative for you.