Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the Best for Your Budget?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant efficiency suites in the world of software as a service (SaaS), both using a wide variety of applications that contemporary 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 look at e-mail through Microsoft Outlook and Google's Gmail for Business. Independently, the set are the leading email applications in company by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email may appear easy on the surface, but the differences in between Outlook and Gmail reveal that things are more complex than sending out and getting mail.
The workings of each are different, starting with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and privacy supplied.
Rates
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced per month, per user, and have different tiers of prices. As it pertains to the mail accounts themselves, the difference in tiers normally just impacts storage area.
Utilizing Microsoft's Business Basic strategy ($ 5/month/user when billed annually), each user gets 50 GB of email storage space, which is independent of the extra 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive.
Keep in mind, one of the most standard level of M365 does not consist of any of Microsoft's desktop applications, consisting of Outlook. Users purchasing this plan will have to be happy with the Outlook web app.
Meanwhile, Google's Business Basic strategy ($ 6), offers just 30 GB of storage overall, combining email storage and drive storage together.
That's right, 60% of the mail box storage provided for Microsoft represent 100% of your total storage on Google's cheapest plan.
That inconsistency is likely an effort by Google to upsell users to their premium strategies, with their Standard plan ($ 12) leaping to 2 TB of drive storage, and the Plus plan ($ 18) going to 5 TB.
Microsoft offers 2-5 TB of drive storage with their enterprise offerings, but mail box storage can essentially be unlimited through endless archiving starting with the E3 plan ($ 32).
A grid revealing the prices and storage capabilities of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Scoring round 1 here, let's call it a draw. At the most inexpensive level, the two platforms are similar, and Gmail's web app might be worth the additional dollar per month.
As you go up plans, the Outlook desktop app could swing your decision, as we will discuss later on. Keep in mind, Microsoft's pricing is based upon a yearly dedication, while Google does not offer yearly discounts since this post.
This post is just covering the 2 suites through the scope of their email applications, and these prices cover many other features. If cost is your main factor, consider each suite in overall prior to making a decision.
Reduce of Use
The most significant distinction in between the 2 suites total is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are even more feature-packed relative to Google's web apps.
With Outlook's desktop app, users get the complete Exchange server experience, with the added advantage of being able to check out and prepare emails while offline.
For example, if you are on a plane, replying to emails and working on documents you plan to send later might be the best usage of your time.
With Outlook, you don't require to wait for the web to continue working, only to deliver your work.
Gmail's user interface can't be reached without web connection unless you first leap 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 function, the reliability of which has been debatable for many years.
Both have mobile applications, so that concern can be worked around, however reacting to a bunch of Great site work emails on a mobile device can be a struggle.
The complete suite of Microsoft Office desktop applications will be a much larger advantage for Microsoft in comparing other apps, but we'll still provide Outlook a slight, but considerable, benefit over Gmail due to ease of usage.
Searchability
As you would anticipate, the business known for its search engine enables you to discover emails you need more dependably.
Gmail's advantage begins with its classification utilizing labels. Several labels can be used to each e-mail or thread, and subcategories can be produced within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If multiple labels have been applied to a single email or term, those messages will appear under each label. Furthermore, labels permit you to auto-filter inbound emails based upon hand-chosen requirements.
In Outlook, arranging is restricted to folders, requiring users to classify each email/thread into a particular place.
As for the actual search function, both permit users to search using keywords, in addition to folders/labels, senders, and date got.
Gmail not just has much deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, but it is likewise flat-out more precise.
This is the very first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's searchability and categorization are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this classification, and it is not particularly close. Their exceptional standing is not just huge, but it appears on 2 different fronts.
Google has actually come under fire recently regarding its handling of personal data, with reports that the business scans user emails. More especially, Google reportedly tracks your location, your activity, and even your voice for the purpose of targeted ads.
On the other hand, Microsoft is much more transparent about their personal privacy policy and the information they gather.
If your organization transfers sensitive or personal data regularly, it most likely goes without stating that you would feel more comfy utilizing Microsoft and Outlook. Even if you aren't sending and getting personal data, it would take a lot of other advantages to outweigh such evident personal privacy issues.
For managers, Outlook offers even more internal security in the form of consents. While Outlook's folder company does not present the same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does provide users the ability to allow and prohibit certain actions within folders.
Outlook gives users 10 differing roles to choose from, as well as a custom role where the manager can hand-select particular actions one by one.
These actions include whatever from reading, modifying, deleting, and sending out messages to seeing your calendar's particular meetings or spare time.
Functionally, this enables managers to delegate tasks to their subordinates without giving them full-blown access to more crucial info. It also stops unhappy workers from potentially taking or deleting details considered sensitive.
You can hand over account access to others in Gmail, which is essentially like handing over the keys to your car. You can't assign levels of access, conceal private messages, and even see messages sent out by your delegate on your behalf.
One of, if not the most important classification is a runaway win for Outlook. With detailed choices and a personal privacy policy that is far 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 more comprehensive 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 services or customers who used Outlook.
Some problems included that updates to standing meetings made from Outlook accounts would not upgrade in Google Calendar, and the inability to push updated info to participants.
Furthermore, Google Calendar will instantly try to turn all of your video conferences into a Google Meet call. Its default setting will automatically publish a Google Meet link into your calendar entry, which function needs to be disabled by an administrator.
Otherwise, both platforms have actually included integrations with the other, and by all accounts, they work effortlessly. For all intents and functions, this function is a draw.
Decision
Like many things, this decision largely comes down to personal preference. A number of the differences between Outlook and Gmail have actually benefits based on how your business runs, as well as your budget.
Ultimately, the transparency and security of Outlook make it the stronger offering. If you discover yourself arranging through thousands of emails a day, nevertheless, Gmail might be the right alternative for you.