Which email client is best for businesses?

Two of the leading email clients today are Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. Microsoft Outlook has premium options available with higher-tier Microsoft 365 subscription packages. It works on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, but requires a download. Meanwhile, Apple Mail comes preinstalled with the Mac operating system. Both programs offer email categorization, scheduling, and junk filtering.

While Microsoft Outlook works on multiple operating systems, its multiple integrations with Windows applications make it a better choice for businesses that use the full suite of Windows products. Its email management tools such as email scheduling and categorization are more robust compared to Apple Mail. However, if you are a Mac user who just needs a free email client, Apple Mail has enough features to fulfill that function well.

Product 1 vs. Product 2: comparison table

Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail price and availability

Apple Mail is completely free. It comes pre-installed on Mac and iOS systems, but cannot be downloaded on other types of devices.

You can only get Microsoft Outlook for business if you subscribe to a Microsoft 365 Business plan. It's available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, depending on the Microsoft 365 Business subscription you sign up for.

Feature Comparison: Microsoft Outlook vs Apple Mail

Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail offer similar feature sets. However, they have slight differences in the applications they can integrate with, the categorization options they offer, and the scheduling options available.

Integrations

Microsoft Outlook integrates with all Windows apps, including AI, OneDrive, Teams, Edge, and Skype. In particular, it connects to your calendar, making it easy for you to stay on top of tasks and when they need to be done.

Meanwhile, Apple Mail integrates with your calendar and iMessage.

Integrations simply make these apps more accessible through your inbox, or vice versa. For example, with Outlook, you can start a Skype meeting right from your inbox. However, if you don't use the full suite of Windows apps, Apple Mail and its limited integrations may be enough.

Email Categorization Tools

In Outlook, you can pin and categorize emails.

• Set email: This allows you to pin an email to the top of your inbox, making it easy to find (Figure A).

• Categorize emails: You can group emails into different categories. If you add a category to your favorites, Outlook will create an icon for that category in your mail sidebar, making it easier for you to access emails in that group (Figure B).

Apple Mail, on the other hand, has no PIN function. However, it offers smart mailboxes and signage.

• Flag emails: Flagging an email places it in its own group folder. You can change flag colors to create distinctions between groups (Figure C).

• Smart mailbox: You can use Apple Mail's filtering system to create folders for emails that meet certain criteria. For example, you can search for emails from the same sender, emails with titles that share a particular keyword, or emails with a specific type of attachment (Figure D).

If your priority is visibility, Outlook is the best option. Its categorization tools help you create visible distinctions between groups of emails. Having pinned emails and favorite categories makes it easier for you to locate and view important emails.

However, if you want a tool that streamlines the email bundling process, Apple Mail is the best option. Smart Mailbox will automatically scan your inbox and place emails with similar attributes into their own folders.

Programming options

Microsoft Outlook offers you the ability to send an email on a specific date (Figure E).

You can also “snooze” emails, which removes them from your inbox until a certain date (Figure F). This gives Outlook an advantage over Apple Mail, as the snooze option keeps emails out of sight until you need to see them, reducing unnecessary clutter in your inbox.

That said, Apple Mail also lets you schedule messages (Figure G).

While the platform does not support snooze, it does have a feature called Remind Me, which will notify you to view or reply to an email on a certain date (Figure H). Apple Mail even notifies you when people you've emailed haven't responded within a set number of days.

Pros and cons of Microsoft Outlook

Advantages of Microsoft Outlook

• It has many functions.
• It is available on multiple platforms.

Cons of Microsoft Outlook

• Requires download.
• Only available with a paid Microsoft 365 Business plan.

Pros and cons of Apple Mail

Advantages of Apple Mail

• It is built into Apple devices.
• It has an easy to navigate user interface.

Cons of Apple Mail

• It is limited to Apple devices.
• You cannot pin emails.

Should your organization use Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail?

Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail offer very similar services. Which one you should choose depends on the size of your business and the operating system you use.

Apple Mail is ideal for Mac users as the software comes integrated with the Mac operating system. However, Microsoft Outlook has more advanced email categorization features and scheduling tools, which help streamline business processes.

Review methodology

We tested the platforms firsthand, then analyzed third-party buyers' guides for email clients and compiled a list of the features reviewers found most important. Narrowing down, we decided that integrations, scheduling, and categorization were among the features that most impacted day-to-day workflows.

Taking this list, we compared what Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail offered side by side. Features like search, search filters, and junk filtering were also considered, but we found that there were no major differences between what Outlook and Apple Mail had to offer in these departments.