Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the very best for Your Budget plan?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant efficiency suites worldwide of software application as a service (SaaS), both using a wide variety of applications that contemporary companies require.
While the functions of much of these applications are comparable, Microsoft and Google's exclusive offerings each have their own peculiarities, for much better or worse.
In this post, we will look at email through Microsoft Outlook and Google's Gmail for Business. Independently, the pair are the leading email applications in company by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email may seem easy on the surface, but the distinctions between Outlook and Gmail show that things are more complicated than sending and receiving mail.
The operations of each are different, starting with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and personal privacy offered.
Pricing
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced each month, per user, and have various tiers of prices. As it relates to the mail accounts themselves, the difference in tiers usually just impacts storage area.
Utilizing Microsoft's Business Basic plan ($ 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.
Keep in mind, one of the most basic level of M365 does not consist of any of Microsoft's desktop applications, consisting of Outlook. Users purchasing this plan will need to be happy with the Outlook web app.
On the other hand, Google's Business Basic plan ($ 6), offers simply 30 GB of storage overall, combining email storage and drive storage together.
That's right, 60% of the mailbox storage attended to Microsoft accounts for 100% of your total storage on Google's most inexpensive plan.
That inconsistency is likely an effort by Google to upsell users to their premium plans, with their Standard plan ($ 12) leaping to 2 TB of drive storage, and the Plus strategy ($ 18) going to 5 TB.
Microsoft supplies 2-5 TB of drive storage with their business offerings, however mail box storage can essentially be endless through unrestricted archiving starting with the E3 plan ($ 32).
A grid showing the rates 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 2 platforms are comparable, and Gmail's web app might be worth the extra dollar each month.
As you move up strategies, the Outlook desktop app might swing your choice, as we will discuss later on. Keep in mind, Microsoft's pricing is based on a yearly commitment, while Google does not offer yearly discounts as of 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 primary aspect, consider each suite in total before deciding.
Relieve of Use
The most significant difference between the two suites total is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are even more feature-packed relative to Google's web apps.
While the features are not as different between the e-mail applications, the complete Gmail experience is just available through a web browser.
With Outlook's desktop app, users get the full Exchange server experience, with the included advantage of having the ability to check out and draft emails while offline.
For example, if you are on an aircraft, replying to emails and working on documents you prepare to send out later on may be the very best use of your time.
With Outlook, you do not require to await the internet to continue working, just to provide your work.
Gmail's interface can't be reached without internet connection unless you first jump 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 by means of their offline feature, the reliability of which has been debatable throughout the years.
Both have mobile applications, so that concern can be worked around, however responding to a bunch of work e-mails on a mobile device can be a struggle.
Searchability
As you would anticipate, the business understood for its search engine allows you to find emails you require more reliably.
Gmail's advantage begins with its classification utilizing labels. Numerous labels can be used to each email or thread, and subcategories can be created within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If several labels have been used to a single e-mail or term, those messages will appear under each label. In addition, labels permit you to auto-filter incoming e-mails based upon hand-chosen requirements.
In Outlook, arranging is limited to folders, requiring users to classify each email/thread into a singular location.
When it comes to the actual search function, both allow users to search using keywords, in addition to folders/labels, senders, and date received.
Gmail not just has much deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, but it is likewise flat-out more accurate.
This is the first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's searchability and categorization https://canvas.instructure.com/eportfolios/2504656/dominickgtgg070/Engaging_Reasons_to_Partner_with_IT_Management_Solutions are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this classification, and it is not especially close. Their exceptional standing is not simply vast, but it is apparent on two various fronts.
Google has actually come under fire just recently regarding its handling of personal data, with reports that the company scans user e-mails. More especially, Google supposedly tracks your area, your activity, and even your voice for the function of targeted advertisements.
Microsoft is much more transparent about their privacy policy and the data they gather.
If your business transfers sensitive or personal information frequently, it most likely goes without saying that you would feel more comfy utilizing Microsoft and Outlook. Even if you aren't sending and receiving private information, it would take a lot of other advantages to surpass such obvious privacy concerns.
For supervisors, Outlook uses even more internal security in the form of permissions. While Outlook's folder company does not provide the exact same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does give users the ability to enable and disallow certain actions within folders.
Outlook provides users 10 differing functions to select from, along with a custom-made function where the supervisor can hand-select specific actions one by one.
These actions include everything from reading, modifying, erasing, and sending messages to seeing your calendar's particular conferences or leisure time.
Functionally, this allows managers to delegate jobs to their subordinates without giving them full-blown access to more important details. It likewise stops dissatisfied staff members from possibly taking or erasing information deemed delicate.
You can hand over account access to others in Gmail, which is essentially like handing over the keys to your car. You can't designate levels of gain access to, hide personal messages, or perhaps see messages sent by your delegate on your behalf.
One of, if not the most crucial category is a runaway win for Outlook. With extensive options 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 takes 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 take a look at Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, we'll compare Outlook's calendar to Google Calendar here.
Gmail users regreted the platform's combination with other companies 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 failure to push upgraded info to individuals.
Additionally, Google Calendar will instantly 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, which function requires to be disabled by an administrator.
Otherwise, both platforms have included integrations with the other, and by all accounts, they work seamlessly. For all intents and purposes, this function is a draw.
Verdict
Like most things, this decision mostly boils down to personal preference. A lot of the differences between Outlook and Gmail have benefits based upon how your company operates, along with your budget.
Eventually, the transparency and security of Outlook make it the stronger offering. If you discover yourself sorting through thousands of e-mails a day, nevertheless, Gmail may be the right option for you.