Two of immediately’s main electronic mail shoppers are Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. Microsoft Outlook has premium choices accessible with higher-tier Microsoft 365 subscription packages. It works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, however requires downloading. Meanwhile, Apple Mail comes pre-installed with the Mac working system. Both packages provide electronic mail categorization, scheduling and junk filtration.
While Microsoft Outlook works throughout a number of working methods, its a number of integrations with Windows apps make it a greater choice for companies that use the complete suite of Windows merchandise. Its electronic mail administration instruments, akin to electronic mail scheduling and categorization, are extra strong in comparison with Apple Mail. However, should you’re a Mac person who simply wants a free electronic mail shopper, Apple Mail has sufficient options to serve the position effectively.
Product 1 vs. Product 2: Comparison desk
FeaturesMicrosoft OutlookApple Mail
Platform availabilityWindows, Mac, iOS and AndroidMac
Starting Price$6 per person monthly with Microsoft 365 Business BasicFree
IntegrationsWindows Apps, AI, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Edge and SkypeCalendar and that iMessage
Search with filtersYesYes
Email categorization instrumentsCategorize, flag and pin emailsFlag emails and sensible mailbox
Scheduling optionsReply Later and Schedule SendSnooze Emails and Schedule Send
Junk mail filtersYesYes
Multi-account supportYesYes
For extra info
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail value and availability
Apple Mail is totally free. It comes pre-installed in Mac and iOS methods however shouldn’t be downloadable on different kinds of gadgets.
You can solely get Microsoft Outlook for enterprise should you subscribe to a Microsoft 365 Business plan. It is offered on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android gadgets, relying on which Microsoft 365 Business subscription you enroll in.
ParticularsMicrosoft 365 Business PrimaryMicrosoft 365 Business NormalMicrosoft 365 Business PremiumMicrosoft 365 Apps for Business
Price per person monthly$6.00$12.50$22.00$8.25
Maximum variety of customers300300300300
Platform availabilityWeb, iOS and AndroidWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and AndroidWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and AndroidWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android
Calendar integrationYesYesYesNo
Feature comparability: Microsoft Outlook vs. Apple Mail
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail provide related units of options. However, they’ve slight variations in what functions they will combine with, what categorization choices they supply and what scheduling choices can be found.
Integrations
Microsoft Outlook integrates with all Windows functions, together with AI, OneDrive, Teams, Edge and Skype. Most notably, it connects to your calendar, which makes it simpler so that you can keep on prime of duties and when they should get executed.
Meanwhile, Apple Mail integrates along with your calendar and that iMessage.
Integrations merely make these functions extra simply accessible by your inbox, or vice versa. For instance, with Outlook, you can begin a Skype assembly straight out of your inbox. However, should you don’t use the complete suite of Windows functions, Apple Mail and its restricted integrations could suffice.
Email Categorization Tools
On Outlook, you’ll be able to pin and categorize emails.
Pin Email: This enables you to pin an electronic mail to the highest of your inbox, making it simpler to search out (Figure A).
Figure A: You can discover the pin icon on the highest proper aspect of an electronic mail preview. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
Categorize Emails: You can group emails into totally different classes. If you add a class to your favorites, Outlook will create an icon for that class in your mail sidebar, making it simpler so that you can entry emails below that group (Figure B).
Figure B: Right-clicking an electronic mail offers you the choice to categorize it. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
Apple Mail, in distinction, doesn’t have a pin perform. However, it provides flagging and sensible mailboxes.
Flag Emails: Flagging an electronic mail locations it below its personal group folder. You can change flag colours to create distinctions between teams (Figure C).
Figure C: Multiple flag colours can be found, letting you create a number of classes. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
Smart Mailbox: You can use Apple Mail’s filtering system to create folders for emails that meet sure standards. For instance, you’ll be able to search for emails from the identical sender, emails with titles that share a selected key phrase or emails with a particular kind of attachment (Figure D).
Figure D: Use a Smart Mailbox to routinely pull messages that meet sure standards. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
If your precedence is visibility, Outlook is the higher choice. Its categorization instruments aid you create seen distinctions between teams of emails. Having pinned emails and favourite classes makes it straightforward so that you can find and consider vital emails.
However, if you’d like a software that streamlines the method of grouping emails, Apple Mail is the higher alternative. Smart Mailbox will routinely sift by your inbox and place emails with related attributes into their very own folders.
Scheduling Options
Microsoft Outlook offers you the flexibility to ship an electronic mail at a set date (Figure E).
Figure E: You can customise when an electronic mail will arrive in your designated recipient’s inbox. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
You also can “snooze” emails, which removes them out of your inbox till a set date (Figure F). This offers Outlook an edge over Apple Mail, because the snooze choice retains emails out of sight till that you must see them, which reduces pointless inbox litter.
Figure F: Snoozing an electronic mail will take away it out of your inbox till a delegated time. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
That stated, Apple Mail additionally enables you to schedule messages (Figure G).
Figure G: Clicking the dropdown button subsequent to the ship icon enables you to ship a message at a delegated schedule. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
While the platform doesn’t help snoozing, it has a characteristic known as Remind Me, which is able to notify you to view or reply to an electronic mail on a set date (Figure H). Apple Mail even notifies you when the folks you’ve despatched emails to haven’t responded inside a given variety of days.
Figure H: You can discover the Remind Me choice by right-clicking an electronic mail. Image: Sofia Recto/Fit Small Business
Best enterprise software program
Microsoft Outlook professionals and cons
Pros of Microsoft Outlook
Is feature-rich.
Is accessible on a number of platforms.
Cons of Microsoft Outlook
Requires downloading.
Is solely accessible with a paid Microsoft 365 Business plan.
Apple Mail professionals and cons
Pros of Apple Mail
Is built-in on Apple gadgets.
Has an easy-to-navigate person interface.
Cons of Apple Mail
Is restricted to Apple gadgets.
Can not pin emails.
Should your group use Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail?
Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail provide very related providers. Which one it’s best to select comes all the way down to how massive your enterprise is and which working system you utilize.
Apple Mail is a good match for Mac customers for the reason that software program comes built-in with Mac’s working system. However, Microsoft Outlook has extra superior electronic mail categorization options and scheduling instruments, which assist streamline enterprise processes.
Review methodology
We tried the platforms first-hand, then analyzed third-party purchaser’s guides for electronic mail shoppers and gathered an inventory of options reviewers thought of most vital. Narrowing down, we determined that integrations, scheduling and categorization have been among the many options that the majority affected day-to-day workflows.
Taking this checklist, we in contrast what Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail supplied aspect by aspect. Features like search, search filters and junk filtration have been additionally thought of, however we discovered that there have been no main variations between what Outlook and Apple Mail needed to provide in these departments.