Outlook vs Apple Mail for Businesses: Which One Is Better?

Are you looking for the best email client to set up and manage your business inbox? Apple Mail and Outlook are two popular options. But besides compatibility with device/operating system, there are lots of other factors to consider before you make your choice.

Both email clients are completely free and offer default features like email flagging, folders, and encryption. Apple Mail also provides a slick interface and neat AI features like voice search. Meanwhile, Outlook prioritizes security and inbox management.

In this post, we’ll dive straight into an Outlook vs Apple Mail comparison. Then, we’ll consider a better alternative. Let’s jump right in!

Outlook vs Apple Mail: 5 Factors Compared

Apple Mail was introduced as part of Apple’s macOS and iOS devices, so it integrates seamlessly with all Apple apps. On the other hand, Outlook is Microsoft’s free email client which connects with all apps within the Microsoft Office 365 Suite.

In this section, we’ll compare these two email providers in terms of features, user experience, security, price, and more.

#1. Features

There are a few basic features that you’ll want with any email client that you choose for your business.

Both Apple Mail and Outlook provide categorization tools to keep your inbox tidy and streamline your workflow. Outlook is slightly better in this respect, with the ability to pin emails. Plus, you can create different categories with icons that appear automatically in the mail sidebar, which makes these messages easily accessible.

With Apple Mail, you can’t pin emails, but you can flag emails and place them in separate folders. Additionally, it comes with advanced search functionality.

Both email clients enable you to schedule emails ahead of time. And while Outlook offers a snooze feature that temporarily removes emails from your inbox to reduce clutter, Apple Mail has a neat Remind Me feature. This will urge you to view or reply to emails and notify you when an email recipient has not responded to your messages after a certain number of days.

#2. User Experience

In terms of the user interface, we’re looking at a style vs substance issue.

Apple Mail provides a clean sleek design. Plus, you’ll find a unified inbox if you have multiple email accounts. You can also change the fonts and formatting, but this is the extent of the customization options.

With Outlook, you can access much more functionality, but the design can feel a bit cluttered. That said, you can apply new themes, colors, and fonts. Meanwhile, the quick swipe controls make the interface easy to navigate.

Finally, while Apple Mail only works on Apple devices, Outlook works on any device and operating system.

#3. Security and Privacy

Apple Mail and Outlook offer strong security features, but each provider prioritizes slightly different areas.

For example, Apple provides end-to-end encryption, advanced spam filtering, and protection against phishing attacks. You can even hide your email domain, which is great if you’re sending emails to people you don’t know.

Like Apple Mail, Outlook provides spam and phishing protection. And, it includes the TLS protocol which ensures that data is encrypted when it’s transmitted via email.

On top of that, you’ll get access to advanced screening and detection against malicious attachments, links, and scripts. This is very important because hackers often use email attachments and links to distribute malware or deploy phishing attacks.

#4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At the time of writing, neither Apple Mail nor Outlook have advanced AI capabilities like an AI email assistant or AI email writer. That said, there are some AI features that make it easier to manage your inbox.

For instance, Outlook has an AI feature that sorts your emails according to importance, so you can prioritize your responses. And, if you use the Outlook calendar, the platform provides insights about your contacts to suggest meeting times. You’ll also find suggested replies.

On the other hand, Apple Mail offers a full integration with Siri, so you can use voice commands for certain actions like searching for specific emails in the inbox. Plus, it offers smart search capabilities which predict user’s searches to speed up the process.

#5. Price

Apple Mail is a free email client, as is Microsoft Outlook. With Apple, you can download the app on your iPhone or Mac computer. Meanwhile, Outlook is available in any web browser, but you can also download the app, no matter what device you use.

If you want premium Outlook features such as a custom email domain or more storage, you can subscribe to Microsoft 365 for $69.99 per year. This gives you access to a whole suite of tools including Teams, OneDrive, Excel, and more.

If you want to access more features with Apple Mail, you’ll need to purchase an iCloud+ plan (with prices starting at $0.99 a month for 50 GB). Or, you can subscribe to Apple One, which lets you bundle together up to six Apple services including iCloud+, Apple TV, and more.

Outlook vs Apple Mail for Businesses: Which One Is Better?

To sum up, Apple Mail is a great default email client if you currently use other apps and tools that belong to the wider Apple ecosystem. However, you won’t be able to access your inbox on other devices or operating systems.

Apple Mail provides all the basic security protocols that you need to protect your inbox. Plus, you’ll find neat features that let you use voice commands to carry out email actions. And, the user interface is simple and intuitive, so you’re unlikely to feel overwhelmed when you open the app.

On the other hand, the Outlook app can feel cluttered as the layout isn’t as clean. Meanwhile, the AI features are lagging behind Apple. Currently, in the inbox, all you can do is organize emails according to priority and access suggested replies/times for meetings.

However, Outlook is a better option if you want a more compatible email client since you can use it on any device. Plus, the email management features are superior, and there are more features that protect your inbox such as advanced screening of attachments and links.

A Better Alternative for Your Business Emails

Although MS Outlook and Apple Mail enable you to set up a business inbox, you might be looking for a more feature-rich solution that can be used on any device or operating system.

NameHero is an excellent alternative:

Like most email providers, you’ll get a built-in calendar and spam protection. That said, NameHero goes a step further and blocks malware attacks, phishing attempts, and more. Plus, you’ll get access to email backups to keep your data safe and ensure a quick recovery if your inbox gets hacked.

What’s more, NameHero offers free migrations from your existing mail server. Meanwhile, you can set up a custom email domain to increase trust and credibility with customers. And, NameHero’s use of dedicated IP addresses ensures messages never get marked as spam.

NameHero is great for users who want to launch a website and manage all resources from one dashboard. You can view/manage all your domains, web hosting plans, SSL certificates, email accounts, and more within the client area. And, the support team is available 24/7.

Conclusion

When choosing the best email client for your business, there are certain things to look for such as email scheduling capabilities and email management features. It’s also important that your email account can integrate with multiple platforms.

Apple Mail is only available on Apple devices, but it offers a great user experience. You’ll also find some neat AI features and advanced spam filtering. However, Outlook offers even more security features and prioritizes inbox organization.

That said, NameHero makes an excellent alternative to Outlook vs Apple Mail. You can set up multiple email accounts, get a custom email domain, and access 24/7 support. Plus, if you want to set up a website, you can bundle domains, web hosting, and emails together – and manage everything from one dashboard. Check out our plans today!