Outlook vs Gmail: Which Email Platform is the very best for Your Spending plan?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the dominant performance suites in the world of software application as a service (SaaS), both using a wide range of applications that modern business need.
While the functions of a number of these applications are similar, Microsoft and Google's proprietary offerings each have their own peculiarities, for much better or 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 e-mail applications in business by market share and are pillars of M365 and Workspace, respectively.
Email may appear simple on the surface, but the differences in between Outlook and Gmail reveal that things are more complex than sending and receiving mail.
The workings of each are various, starting with how they are accessed, and ending with the security and privacy offered.
Prices
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are priced monthly, per user, and have different tiers of pricing. As it pertains to the mail accounts themselves, the distinction in tiers generally only impacts storage space.
Using Microsoft's Business Basic plan ($ 5/month/user when billed annually), each user gets 50 GB of email storage space, which is independent of the additional 1 TB of cloud storage in OneDrive.
Keep in mind, the most basic level of M365 does not include any of Microsoft's desktop applications, including Outlook. Users purchasing this plan will have to be happy with the Outlook web app.
Google's Business Basic plan ($ 6), offers simply 30 GB of storage overall, integrating email storage and drive storage together.
That's right, 60% of the mailbox storage attended to Microsoft accounts for 100% of your overall storage on Google's cheapest plan.
That disparity 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 provides 2-5 TB of drive storage with their business offerings, but mailbox storage can basically be endless through limitless archiving starting with the E3 strategy ($ 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 least expensive level, the 2 platforms are similar, and Gmail's web app could be worth the additional dollar per month.
As you move up plans, the Outlook desktop app might swing your decision, as we will talk about later. Keep in mind, Microsoft's rates is based on an annual commitment, while Google does not offer yearly discounts as of this post.
This post is just covering the two suites through the scope of their e-mail applications, and these rates cover many other features. If rate is your main factor, consider each suite in overall prior to making a decision.
Relieve of Use
The biggest distinction between the 2 suites general is Microsoft's desktop apps, which are even more feature-packed relative to Google's web apps.
While the features are not as various in between the email applications, the full Gmail experience is only accessible through a web 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.
If you are on an airplane, responding to emails and working on files you plan to send later on may be the best use of your time.
With Outlook, you do not require to wait on the web to continue working, just to deliver 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 need to use Google's Chrome internet browser, have Gmail bookmarked, and sync your e-mail through their offline feature, the reliability of which has actually been arguable over the years.
Both have mobile applications, so that concern can be worked around, but responding to a bevy of work e-mails on a mobile device can be a struggle.
The complete suite of Microsoft Office desktop applications will be a much larger benefit for Microsoft in comparing other apps, however we'll still provide Outlook a minor, however significant, benefit over Gmail due to relieve of usage.
Searchability
As you would expect, the company known for its online search engine allows you to find emails you need more reliably.
Gmail's advantage starts with its categorization utilizing labels. Multiple labels can be used to each email or thread, and subcategories can be produced within labels to produce more of a filing system.
If numerous labels have actually been used to a single e-mail or term, those messages will appear under each label. Labels permit you to auto-filter inbound e-mails based on hand-chosen requirements.
In Outlook, arranging is restricted to folders, forcing users to categorize each email/thread into a particular place.
When it comes to the real search function, both allow users to search using keywords, in addition to folders/labels, senders, and date got.
Gmail not just has deeper advanced-search functions, by all accounts, but it is also flat-out more accurate.
This is the first solid win for Gmail, as Outlook's searchability and classification are not as robust.
Security
Microsoft is the leader in this category, and it is not especially close. Their superior standing is not just large, however it is apparent on two various fronts.
Google has come under fire recently regarding its handling of personal data, with reports that the business scans user emails. More significantly, Google supposedly tracks your location, your activity, and even your voice for the function of targeted ads.
On the other hand, Microsoft is much more transparent about their privacy policy and the data they collect.
If your company transmits sensitive or individual 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 receiving personal data, it would take a great deal of other benefits to exceed such apparent personal privacy issues.
For managers, Outlook uses a lot more internal security in the form of approvals. While Outlook's folder organization does not provide the same searchability as Gmail's labels, it does give users the ability to enable and disallow specific actions within folders.
Outlook gives users 10 varying functions to select from, as well as a custom role where the manager can hand-select specific actions one by one.
These actions consist of whatever from reading, editing, deleting, and sending out messages to seeing your calendar's particular meetings or free time.
Functionally, this allows supervisors to hand over tasks to their subordinates without providing full-scale access to more vital details. It also stops disgruntled staff members from possibly stealing or erasing info deemed sensitive.
You can delegate account access to others in Gmail, which is basically like handing over the secrets to your cars and truck. You can't appoint levels of access, conceal private messages, or even see messages sent out by your delegate in your place.
Among, if not the most essential category is a runaway win for Outlook. With thorough alternatives and a privacy policy that is far more transparent, Microsoft 365's e-mail 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.
Gmail users lamented the platform's integration with other companies or customers who used Outlook.
Some problems included that updates to standing meetings made from Outlook accounts would not update in Google Calendar, and the inability to press upgraded info to participants.
Furthermore, Google Calendar will instantly try to turn all of your video meetings 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 actually included integrations with the other, and by all accounts, they work perfectly. For all intents and purposes, this function is a draw.
Verdict
Like a lot of things, this choice largely comes down to personal choice. A number of the differences between Outlook and Gmail have benefits based upon how your company operates, as well as your budget plan.
Ultimately, the openness and security of Outlook make it the more powerful offering. If you discover yourself arranging through thousands of emails a day, however, Gmail may be gold coast managed service provider the right option for you.
