Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the very best for Your Spending plan?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant productivity suites worldwide of software application as a service (SaaS), both using a vast array of applications that modern-day companies need.
While the functions of much of these applications are comparable, Microsoft and Google's proprietary offerings each have their own quirks, for much better or even worse.
In this post, we will take a look at email through Microsoft Outlook and Google's Gmail for Business. Separately, the set are the leading email applications in company by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email may appear simple on the surface, but the distinctions in between Outlook and Gmail reveal that things are more complicated than sending and receiving mail.
The operations of each are various, beginning with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and privacy provided.
Rates
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced monthly, per user, and have various tiers of rates. As it relates to the mail accounts themselves, the difference in tiers normally only impacts storage space.
Using Microsoft's Business Basic strategy ($ 5/month/user when billed yearly), each user gets 50 GB of e-mail storage area, which is independent of the extra 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive.
Remember, the most standard level of M365 does not include any of Microsoft's desktop applications, consisting of Outlook. Users purchasing this strategy will have to more than happy with the Outlook web app.
Google's Business Basic strategy ($ 6), supplies simply 30 GB of storage in general, combining email storage and drive storage together.
That's right, 60% of the mail box storage provided for Microsoft represent 100% of your overall storage on Google's cheapest plan.
That discrepancy is likely an attempt by Google to upsell users to their premium strategies, with their Standard strategy ($ 12) leaping to 2 TB of drive storage, and the Plus strategy ($ 18) going to 5 TB.
Microsoft provides 2-5 TB of drive storage with their enterprise offerings, but mailbox storage can essentially be endless through limitless archiving beginning with the E3 strategy ($ 32).
A grid revealing the rates and storage abilities of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Scoring round 1 here, let's call it a data recovery gold coast draw. At the least expensive level, the 2 platforms are comparable, and Gmail's web app might be worth the extra dollar per month.
As you go up plans, the Outlook desktop app might swing your decision, as we will go over later. Remember, Microsoft's prices is based upon an annual commitment, while Google does not offer yearly discounts since this post.
This post is simply covering the two suites through the scope of their email applications, and these prices cover many other features. If price is your primary factor, consider each suite in total before deciding.
Ease of Use
The greatest difference between the two suites total is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are even 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 browser.
With Outlook's desktop app, users get the complete Exchange server experience, with the added advantage of having the ability to read and draft emails while offline.
If you are on a plane, replying to emails and working on files you prepare to send later might be the finest usage of your time.
With Outlook, you do not require to await the web to continue working, just to provide your work.
Gmail's user interface can't be reached without internet connection unless you first jump through some hoops.

At the time of this writing, you will require to utilize Google's Chrome browser, have Gmail bookmarked, and sync your email through their offline function, the dependability of which has been debatable throughout the years.
Both have mobile applications, so that problem can be worked around, however reacting to a bevy of work emails on a mobile device can be a battle.
The complete suite of Microsoft Office desktop applications will be a much bigger benefit for Microsoft in comparing other apps, but we'll still provide Outlook a minor, but substantial, advantage over Gmail due to relieve of usage.
Searchability
As you would expect, the company known for its search engine allows you to find e-mails you need 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 produced within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If multiple labels have actually been used to a single e-mail or term, those messages will appear under each label. Furthermore, labels enable you to auto-filter incoming emails based upon hand-chosen criteria.
In Outlook, sorting is restricted to folders, requiring users to categorize each email/thread into a particular location.
As for the real search function, both allow users to search utilizing keywords, in addition to folders/labels, senders, and date received.
Gmail not just has deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, but it is likewise flat-out more accurate.
This is the first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's searchability and classification are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this category, and it is not especially close. Their superior standing is not just vast, however it appears on two various fronts.

Google has actually come under fire just recently concerning its handling of individual information, with reports that the company scans user e-mails. More especially, Google supposedly tracks your area, your activity, and even your voice for the purpose of targeted ads.
Microsoft is much more transparent about their personal privacy policy and the information they collect.
If your organization sends delicate or individual data regularly, it probably goes without stating that you would feel more comfortable utilizing Microsoft and Outlook. Even if you aren't sending and receiving private data, it would take a great deal of other advantages to surpass such apparent privacy issues.
For supervisors, Outlook offers much more internal security in the type of authorizations. While Outlook's folder company does not present the same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does offer users the ability to enable and disallow certain actions within folders.
Outlook provides users 10 varying roles to choose from, along with a customized function where the supervisor can hand-select particular actions one by one.
These actions consist of everything from reading, modifying, erasing, and sending out messages to seeing your calendar's particular conferences or free time.
Functionally, this enables managers to delegate tasks to their subordinates without providing full-scale access to more vital info. It also stops disgruntled employees from possibly stealing or deleting information considered sensitive.
You can delegate account access to others in Gmail, which is basically like handing over the keys to your automobile. You can't appoint levels of access, conceal personal messages, or even see messages sent by your delegate on your behalf.
Among, if not the most important category is a runaway win for Outlook. With extensive options and a privacy policy that is a lot more transparent, Microsoft 365's email platform stands alone.
Calendar
Technically, Google Calendar is not a part of Gmail, though all it requires to sync the 2 is a Workspace account and a couple of clicks through Gmail's menu.
For the sake of taking a broader look at Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, we'll compare Outlook's calendar to Google Calendar here.
Initially, Gmail users regreted the platform's integration with other businesses or clients who used Outlook.
Some complaints consisted of that updates to standing meetings made from Outlook accounts would not update in Google Calendar, and the failure to push updated details to participants.
Additionally, Google Calendar will instantly attempt to turn all of your video meetings into a Google Meet call. Its default setting will immediately publish a Google Meet link into your calendar entry, and that 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.
Decision
Like most things, this choice largely boils down to personal choice. Much of the differences in between Outlook and Gmail have benefits based upon how your company runs, as well as your budget plan.
Eventually, the transparency and security of Outlook make it the stronger offering. If you find yourself arranging through thousands of e-mails a day, however, Gmail may be the right alternative for you.