Key Points
- E-mailing is one of the most widely used tool for internal and external communication, and an important one at that.
- Gmail has been operating since 2004 and added features for business use to attract even more people, currently there are 1.5 billion Gmail users including personal and business accounts.
- Outlook, previously known as Hotmail launched in 1996, was acquired by Microsoft and later relaunched as outlook in 2012 is mostly used by organizations to maintain internal and external communication.
Gmail and Outlook are the email industry’s two heavyweights. Gmail has 1.5 billion users worldwide, while Outlook has 400 million.
Many people are content to use their current email service or the one that came pre-installed on their computer when choosing an email service. It’s well worth your time to reconsider your email service. Gmail and Outlook are two primary email services, and the key differences that distinguish them as the primary email option are worth noting.
Gmail vs. Outlook: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Gmail | Outlook | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is: | Gmail is a free Web-based email service | Outlook is the one of the most popular email client for sending and receiving emails. |
| Primary Use: | Sends and receives messages, including features such as virus protection, email reminders, spam filtering, and more. | Sends and receives email, manages your calendar, stores your contacts’ names and phone numbers, and keeps track of your tasks. |
| Owned by : | Google Inc. | Microsoft Corporation. |
| Initial Release : | Google was launched on April 1, 2004 | The Outlook was launched on July 31, 2012 |
| Influential Developers : | Paul Buchheit | Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith |
| File-Sharing Limit: | Gmail allows you to send a file of 25 MB in size. | Outlook allows you to send files up to 10 MB in size, which is relatively small. |
| Folders Vs. Labels: | Gmail assigns a label to emails. | Outlook groups messages with similar content into traditional email folders. |
| Composing Email: | When composing a new message in Gmail, the user’s features remain visible. | Features are hidden as a large window appears for a new message in Outlook. |
Gmail vs. Outlook: Five Must-Know Facts
- Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith founded Outlook on July 31, 2012, and Paul Buchheit founded Gmail on April 1, 2004.
- Outlook has two encryption options: S/MIME and SSL/TLS. Gmail, on the other hand, supports both SSL and TLS encryption.
- Outlook won’t remind you about a task you didn’t complete or an appointment you forgot to schedule, but it will stop you from sending an email without an attachment. On the other hand, Gmail reminds you if you send an email without a subject.
- The Clean Up button in Outlook can be used to delete many unnecessary messages, leaving only those that are unread or contain unique information.
- Outlook uses Rules to sort them into folders and categories as emails are delivered. Filters are used in Gmail. Filters are also available in Outlook, but they are used to sort the inbox or a folder.
History of Outlook
On July 31, 2012, a beta version of Outlook.com was made available to the general public for the first time. Customers who had previously used Hotmail could upgrade to the preview version of Outlook.com and then downgrade.
On February 18, 2013, Outlook.com passed the preview stage. According to Microsoft, the upgrade was launched on April 3, 2013, and users were given the option of keeping their existing Hotmail accounts while also receiving a @outlook.com email address. Outlook.com had 400 million active users as of May 2013. Outlook.com still had 400 million active users in May 2014.
Gmail: A Better Interface
Gmail is only available as webmail in your browser, but it can also be accessed on your desktop via third-party apps such as Shift. Gmail also has mobile apps for both iOS and Android. Gmail’s primary methods for organizing emails in your inbox are filters and labels. The search bar, compose email button, and labeled emails are all easily visible within the interface.
The top bar of Outlook, known as the ‘Ribbon,’ is jam-packed with all of the different options available. Then there are Ribbons for each of Outlook’s other views, including Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes. In addition, Outlook can be accessed via a browser, a desktop application, or mobile apps for iOS and Android. While Gmail’s inbox interface is more streamlined, it lacks some of the features found in Outlook. Thus Gmail provides a more straightforward and clean interface.
Gmail is Outlook’s Main Rival
Gmail is a free web-based email service developed by Google. Google launched Gmail on April 1, 2004. Gmail is available in approximately 72 languages around the world. It has a user base of over one billion people around the globe. In the United States, Gmail is used by more than 60% of small businesses.
It’s the first Android app to surpass one billion downloads on the Google Play Store. With excellent productivity features like labels, filters, and automation, Gmail stands out from the competition.
Google Drive allows users to upload files and share them via Gmail. Outlook uses OneDrive, which does not integrate as well with Outlook as Good Drive does with Gmail. Both Gmail and Google Drive have a storage limit of 15 GB. Basic G Suite accounts come with 30 GB of storage. Users with a free Outlook account get 15 GB of storage, plus an additional 5 GB with a free OneDrive account. Microsoft 365 subscribers get 50 GB of storage.
Gmail Vs. Outlook: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?
Gmail is the better choice. It has a simple interface, many app integrations, excellent security, and professional plans that allow you to use email addresses with your domain name. Furthermore, Gmail is less than half the price of Outlook.
Up Next
- Microsoft Outlook Guide: History, Origin, and More: Find out all you need to know about the history of Outlook.
- The Best Free Email Clients Today: What are the best email services on the internet that are absolutely free of charge? Find out here.
- Outlook vs Hotmail: Full Comparison: How much did Hotmail change to become Outlook? Find out here.
