Is Outlook Better than Gmail If Yes! Then How?

Businesses run on communication—email communication, to be exact. The top dogs that are responsible for carrying most of the email traffic are Outlook and Gmail. But choosing between the two is not so simple. Some users still need to learn if is Outlook better than Gmail or does the latter holds onto a slight edge. 

Many think that since Outlook has been in the market for longer and is a more mature service the choice should be easy. However, the prevalence of Android devices that contain Gmail by default made it the most popular emailing service. This ends up putting doubts in the minds of most hardcore Outlook fans as well.

Therefore, before they jump to the better service users need a clear-cut explanation as to why choose Outlook over Gmail. That’s why we recommend you go through this write-up and find out which email service is best for you and your business. There is no better way to start the comparison than with an overview of the two services.

Overview of Outlook vs Gmail in 2024 and Beyond

Gmail is the proprietary email service wholly operated by Google. Ever since its introduction it has established a presence on devices in every corner of the world. Such is its popularity that more than 1.8 billion people use it to send their emails. 

Being free, preinstalled, and easy to use, no wonder Gmail is at the top when it comes to sheer numbers. However, it is not alone. Outlook is another email service that has a better market presence in professional environments. Microsoft’s Outlook has many things going for it, like calendar appointments and direct links with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, to name a few. So the competition between the two is fierce. There is only one that can truly be considered the best. Before we settle the differences, let’s first check out what the similarities are between the two.

Is Outlook Better Than Gmail or Are They Both the Same?

As both are email services, they are bound to have certain similarities. Both use different names for essentially the same feature. Here is a list of things users will see regardless of the email service they choose.

• Folders/Labels
• Rules/Filters
• New Email/Compose
• Delay Delivery/Schedule send
• Message Recall/Undo Send
• Mail merge/Multi-send mode
• Encrypt email/Confidential mode
• Alerts/Notifications
• Quick parts/Email templates
• Ignore conversations/Mute conversations
• Junk/Spam
• Deleted Items/Trash

Outlook vs Gmail: Which is Better in Terms of UI?

The first impression is the last, which is true for email services as well. No amount of features can win over a user who left because they disliked the UI. So as a result, both Gmail and Outlook try to offer unique experiences to their customers.

With Gmail, Google chooses to maintain a more plain surface; in contrast, Outlook has a vivid overlay. Starting a new account might feel appealing inside Gmail, thanks to its simplicity. Outlook goes for a more cluttered visual panel.

This is in line with Microsoft’s commitment to choosing functionality over graphics.  It is important to mention that Outlook might feel overwhelming, especially for new users. However, once users can move past the initial learning phase of Outlook, its hidden qualities shine even more.

Gmail’s basic settings are easier to access and better managed. The inbox area in Gmail compresses to provide space for the basic settings pane. While Outlook settings open a new window that hides all the emails beneath it. 

Outlook vs Gmail Email in Regards to Available Storage

Both Outlook and Gmail provide 15 GB of space in their free plans. However, in the case of Gmail, the same space is shared between email attachments, photos, and drives. On the other hand, the 15 GB of Outlook is solely for emails. Apart from this, there is 5 GB of extra space in OneDive that keeps a copy to save Outlook email attachments . 

Once we move on to the premium segment, the gap in available storage widens even further. Here, Gmail is the one that establishes a clearcut lead with 5 TB of combined storage in comparison to only 1TB available inside Outlook. However, greater storage amounts to nothing if there are no secondary apps to make use of that space. Again, tilting the question, is Outlook better than Gmail in favor of the former.

How Does Price Affect the Battle of Outlook vs Gmail?

Free accounts may suffice for individual needs. However, for businesses that need to deal with much higher data volumes, free email accounts are not enough. As a result, price becomes a make-or-break selection parameter for many organizations. Google has two distinct sets of subscriptions: “Google One” for individuals and “Google Workspace” for businesses. Whereas Microsoft has a single site for selecting both personal and professional plans. Outlook, or more accurately, Microsoft 365, has a greater variety of plans. These can be further customized to cater to specific needs. Gmail also has multiple plans, but it’s nowhere near the variation of Outlook. 

Why Choose Outlook Over Gmail: Better App Integration

Outlook contacts and calendars are in sync across devices. The absence of contact folders in the Gmail mobile app makes it fall behind in this department. However, users can directly use the location sent to them via mail inside Gmail thanks to the Google Maps app. This is not an option for Outlook users. Outlook boasts a powerful and long list of in-house solutions for the majority of business operations. 

Gmail’s solution is to provide a free marketplace for third-party publishers to put in their custom-created apps. However, not all apps are of the same quality, and most of the time, they lack cross-compatibility with each other.

Integration of Microsoft Copilot inside Outlook aims at reducing user workload by automating repetitive tasks entirely. Google launched its counter called Duet, but it still has a long way to go to match Copilot’s capability.

Final Verdict

Is Outlook better than Gmail is now more clear than ever. The points outlined in this write-up went over interface, pricing, security, storage, and more. So, users now have a wide range of parameters to make the most informed decision. Moreover, the best choice is always the one that most closely aligns with business requirements. After this, if you want to shift from one service to another, you are free to use the professional way of G-Suite data transfer .