Email is part of our existence, and Gmail and Outlook are the two heavyweights of the email world. Worldwide, Gmail has 1.5 billion users and Outlook has 400 million users. The next most popular email service, Yahoo Mail has over 200 million users.
If you are thinking of choosing between any of these options, let’s see what is best according to these criteria:
Interface
Gmail is accessible only as webmail within your browser, while Outlook can be accessed on desktop too. There are also both iOS and Android mobile apps for Gmail. Gmail uses filters and labels as the main ways to organize emails in your inbox. The search bar, compose email button, and labelled emails are all clearly visible within the interface.
For Outlook, the top bar, known as the ‘Ribbon,’ is packed with all the different options. Then, there are different Ribbons for all the different views that Outlook has, including Mail. Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes. Outlook can be accessed either through a browser or on desktop as well as through mobile apps for iOS and Android. While Gmail’s inbox interface is more streamlined, it doesn’t have quite as many features as Outlook’s interface.
Cost
Both email services are free to individual users.
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is Google’s version of this suite of software products, but you can access most of them (and most of their core features) for free (unless you’re a business).
Storage
In all free accounts, Gmail gives 15 GB of storage. But, mind you! This storage is shared among Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos; in other words, if you’re storing 14 GB of photos, you may not have much room for email.
Microsoft Outlook isn’t as clear about storage limits, but you’ll start with 5 GB of storage and will have the potential to increase that amount over time. Both solutions offer more storage for additional fees.
Safety & Security
Outlook and Gmail are mostly on equal footing when it comes to keeping your information secure. Where one falls short in an area, it excels in another. Outlook has weaker spam protection, whereas Gmail has strong phishing and malware detection. Gmail has had leaks and compromised accounts in the past, while Outlook can connect to an additional server to strengthen security.
Both services do a good job protecting your information from hackers, but the best way to keep your email safe is to protect your information. First, come up with a strong password that you only use for that service and don’t share with anyone else. Then, enable two-factor authentication for your accounts.
Conclusion
If you want a streamlined email experience, with a clean interface, then Gmail is the right choice for you. If you want a feature-rich email client that has a bit more of a learning curve, but has more options to make your email work for you, then Outlook is the way to go.
The best part of both… you can use it with Rambox. Rambox allows you to add all the email accounts you have and manage them into “workspaces”, a group of apps that have something in common (work, play, study, etc).
If you haven’t tried Rambox yet, go here to download it and organize your computer to maximize productivity and fun for free.
Happy working!
