Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the very best for Your Budget plan?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant performance suites in the world of software application as a service (SaaS), both using a vast array of applications that modern-day business require.
While the functions of much of these applications are comparable, Microsoft and Google's exclusive offerings each have their own quirks, for much better or worse.
In this post, we will look at email through Microsoft Outlook and Google's Gmail for Business. Separately, the set are the leading e-mail applications in business by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email might seem easy on the surface, however the differences between Outlook and Gmail reveal that things are more complex than sending out and receiving mail.
The workings of each are various, beginning with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and personal privacy offered.
Rates
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced each month, per user, and have various tiers of pricing. As it relates to the mail accounts themselves, the distinction in tiers generally just impacts storage space.
Using Microsoft's Business Basic strategy ($ 5/month/user when billed annually), 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 basic level of M365 does not include any of Microsoft's desktop applications, including Outlook. Users buying this plan will need to enjoy with the Outlook web app.
Meanwhile, Google's Business Basic strategy ($ 6), offers simply 30 GB of storage in general, integrating email storage and drive storage together.
That's right, 60% of the mailbox storage attended to Microsoft represent 100% of your total storage on Google's most inexpensive strategy.
That discrepancy is likely an attempt by Google to upsell users to their premium plans, with their Standard plan ($ 12) jumping to 2 TB of drive storage, and the Plus strategy ($ 18) going to 5 TB.
Microsoft offers 2-5 TB of drive storage with their enterprise offerings, however mail box storage can basically be limitless through endless archiving starting with the E3 plan ($ 32).
A grid showing the prices and storage capabilities of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Scoring round 1 here, let's call it a draw. At the most affordable level, the 2 platforms are comparable, 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 choice, as we will go over later on. Remember, Microsoft's rates is based on an annual commitment, while Google does not offer annual discounts as of this post.
This post is simply covering the two suites through the scope of their email applications, and these costs cover many other features. If cost is your primary aspect, consider each suite in overall before making a decision.
Ease of Use
The most significant distinction between the 2 suites general is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are far more feature-packed relative to Google's web apps.
While the features are not as different in between the email applications, the complete Gmail experience is just available through a web internet browser.
With Outlook's desktop app, users get the full Exchange server experience, with the included benefit of being able to check out and prepare e-mails while offline.
For instance, if you are on an aircraft, responding to e-mails and dealing with files you plan to send out later may be the best usage of your time.
With Outlook, you don't require to wait for the web to continue working, only to provide your work.
Gmail's interface can't be reached without web connectivity unless you first leap 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 actually been debatable for many years.
Both have mobile applications, so that concern can be worked around, but reacting to a bevy of work emails on a mobile phone can be a struggle.
The complete suite of Microsoft Office desktop applications will be a much bigger advantage for Microsoft in comparing other apps, however we'll still give Outlook a slight, but significant, advantage over Gmail due to ease of use.
Searchability
As you would expect, the business known for its online search engine enables you to find emails you need more reliably.
Gmail's advantage begins with its categorization utilizing labels. Multiple labels can be applied to each e-mail or thread, and subcategories can be created within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If numerous labels have been used to a single email or term, those messages will appear under each label. Labels permit you to auto-filter inbound e-mails based on hand-chosen criteria.
In Outlook, sorting is restricted to folders, forcing users to classify each email/thread into a singular place.
When it comes to the actual search function, both allow users to search using keywords, along with folders/labels, senders, and date received.
Gmail not just has much deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, however it is also flat-out more accurate.
This is the first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's searchability and categorization are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this category, and it is not particularly close. Their superior standing is not simply vast, however it appears on two various fronts.
Google has come under fire recently concerning its handling of individual data, with reports that the company scans user emails. More notably, Google apparently tracks your area, your activity, and even your voice for the purpose of targeted advertisements.
Microsoft is much more transparent about their privacy policy and the data they gather.
If your organization transfers delicate or personal data routinely, it probably goes without stating that you would feel more comfortable utilizing Microsoft and Outlook. Even if you aren't sending out and receiving personal information, it would take a lot of other advantages to exceed such apparent personal privacy issues.
For managers, Outlook provides a lot more internal security in the form of permissions. While Outlook's folder company does not present the very same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does offer users the capability to enable and disallow certain actions within small business it support brisbane folders.
Outlook offers users 10 varying functions to choose from, in addition to a custom function where the manager can hand-select specific actions one by one.
These actions include everything from reading, modifying, deleting, and sending messages to seeing your calendar's particular conferences or spare time.
You can hand over account access to others in Gmail, which is essentially like turning over the keys to your cars and truck. You can't designate levels of access, hide personal messages, or perhaps see messages sent out by your delegate in your place.
Among, if not the most essential classification is a runaway win for Outlook. With comprehensive alternatives and a privacy policy that is much more transparent, Microsoft 365's e-mail platform stands alone.
Calendar
Technically, Google Calendar is not a part of Gmail, though all it takes 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.
At first, Gmail users regreted the platform's combination with other organizations or clients who utilized 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 info to individuals.
Additionally, Google Calendar will automatically try to turn all of your video conferences into a Google Meet call. Its default setting will immediately publish a Google Meet link into your calendar entry, and that function needs to be disabled by an administrator.
Otherwise, both platforms have added combinations with the other, and by all accounts, they work seamlessly. For all intents and functions, this function is a draw.
Verdict
Like many things, this choice mainly comes down to individual preference. A lot of the differences in between Outlook and Gmail have benefits based upon how your business runs, as well as your spending plan.
Eventually, the openness and security of Outlook make it the stronger offering. If you find yourself sorting through thousands of e-mails a day, nevertheless, Gmail might be the right option for you.