Gmail vs Outlook 2024: review, features, pros and cons

With the rise of real-time communication apps like Slack, WhatsApp, and Skype, you might be surprised to learn that email is still the main way people communicate at work. But with 3.9 billion users around the world, that’s not likely to change any time soon. Gmail and Outlook, two of the most popular email services in the world, take up most of that space.

Even though the two have a lot in common, Microsoft Outlook is more of an email client while Gmail is basically webmail. The main difference between an email client and webmail is that with an email client, users can access their emails without using the internet because the emails are saved on the computer.

Because Gmail is a webmail, you need to be connected to the internet to check your emails. Outlook uses folders and files in the same way that most other email services do. Because it is already known, it is easier to use. Outlook’s folder and file system can feel limiting, which is one of its downsides. You can only put an email in one folder, which makes it hard to organize your messages well.

Gmail vs Outlook Pricing

You can get and use both Gmail and Outlook for free. But both of them let you buy services from their suites through in-app purchases. You can get more storage for Gmail by buying Google Drive storage, and for Outlook, you can buy storage for OneDrive. You can also look at what Google Workspace and Office 365 have to offer for Gmail and Outlook, respectively.

This choice will depend mostly on which of the two apps you like better and are willing to pay for. The points above will help you make this choice. But you don’t have to pay a dime to use either app for simple tasks.

Gmail Features

Outlook Features

Gmail vs Outlook History

Google was started in 1998, and in 2004, Gmail went into beta. Gmail didn’t become stable until 2009. Paul Buchheit made Gmail. Since the 1990s, he had been working on the idea of sending email through the web. Even though Buchheit thought of the idea before Hotmail came out, Hotmail would come out seven years before Gmail.

In 1996, Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith set up Hotmail. The next year, in 1997, Microsoft bought Hotmail. In 2012, Microsoft combined Hotmail and Outlook, and Hotmail users could switch to outlook domain names. Because of this, Outlook hasn’t been around as long as Gmail, which may be why Microsoft has so many different email services with the name “Outlook.”

Gmail vs Outlook Features

Outlook has a lot of features, like “Rules,” which automatically manage emails as they come in, and “Clean Up,” which deletes duplicate messages in an email thread. Outlook also has a special folder called “Archive” for emails you want to keep but don’t want in your main inbox anymore.

When emails are archived in Gmail, they are moved to a folder called “All Mail” instead of one called “Archive,” which could be confusing for some users. Because Google integrates other products with Gmail, it lacks some of the features that Outlook has. Outlook has a built-in calendar and list of contacts, but Gmail uses Google’s Calendar and Contacts, which aren’t built into Gmail itself.

Gmail vs Outlook Interface

Outlook’s look is more traditional, while Gmail’s is more up-to-date. Outlook’s interface is made up of three panels. In the first panel, which is called “Navigation,” you can see a list of your email folders. The second panel is the reading pane, which shows what’s in the email that was chosen. In the third panel, which is called the “Message” panel, you can write new emails.

Gmail is set up with two panels. In the first panel, which is called “Navigation,” you can see a list of your email folders. The second panel is the message panel, which shows the contents of the selected email and has a form to write a new email at the bottom. Outlook is easier to use and has a better interface. Gmail has a more modern and sleek interface.

Gmail vs Outlook Security

No matter if you use a reliable email client like Outlook or a simple webmail service like Gmail, protecting your data should be a top priority. Even though Microsoft and Google have the best security in place to protect your data from infrastructure threats like hardware or software failure, power outages, or natural disasters, they can’t protect you from attacks that come from your end, like human error, sync errors, malicious insiders, illegitimate deletion requests, malware, and ransomware, to name a few.

Spanning’s cloud-native, purpose-built solutions for Office 365 and Google Workspace protect your organization’s important data from being lost. These solutions are unique in that they allow both end users and administrators to quickly find and restore data to its original state with just a few clicks.

Gmail Pros and Cons

Outlook Pros and Cons

Which one should you consider?

Your needs will tell you which email service provider will work best for you. Gmail is the best choice if you want a streamlined experience with parts that work together and a clean interface. On the other hand, Outlook may be the best choice if you are willing to spend more time learning how to use its extra features.

FAQs

Is it better to use Outlook or Gmail?

A quick look at Gmail. Outlook is best for Office 365 users who want better organisation and as much free storage as possible. Gmail is best for Google Workspace users who want a simple interface and advanced spam protection.

Is Outlook more professional than Gmail?

It depends on what’s important to you. Outlook is easier to organise because it lets you create custom folders and categories. Gmail, on the other hand, only lets you create labels. But I like the search interface on Gmail better because it lets me use more operators, which I find easier to use than the full filter interface.