# Alternatives to Outlook

Microsoft's mail and calendar client.

Outlook ranks #11 of 22 in Email clients, with an Alt Score of 84. It is proprietary, free from $1.99/month and available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Web. 10 of 11 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/outlook/
Category: Email clients

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Individuals and businesses who need a unified email and calendar client, from free Outlook.com consumer accounts to Microsoft 365 subscribers and enterprise users.
- **What you get**: A combined email, calendar, and contacts hub that also connects to third-party accounts like Gmail and iCloud. Includes inbox organization tools such as focused inbox and sweep, scheduling and reminders, and direct access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive files from within the inbox. Paid plans add Copilot AI features for drafting and summarizing email, plus enterprise-grade security like malware and phishing protection.
- **How it works**: Users connect one or more email accounts (Microsoft or third-party) to a single inbox, then manage mail, calendar events, and contacts from desktop, web, or mobile apps that stay in sync across devices.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Starts at**: $1.99/month (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-12)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [eM Client](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/em-client.md) | 96 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 2 | [BlueMail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bluemail.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Canary Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/canary-mail.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 4 | [The Bat!](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/the-bat.md) | 92 | Proprietary | Windows |
| 5 | [Apple Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apple-mail.md) | 87 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 6 | [FairEmail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/fairemail.md) | 87 | GPL-3.0 | Android |
| 7 | [Mailbird](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mailbird.md) | 87 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 8 | [Evolution](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/evolution.md) | 84 | LGPL-2.1 | Linux |
| 9 | [Mailspring](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mailspring.md) | 84 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 10 | [Missive](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/missive.md) | 84 | Proprietary | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 11 | [Thunderbird](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/thunderbird.md) | 76 | MPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 12 | [Spark](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/spark.md) | 71 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 13 | [NeoMutt](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/neomutt.md) | 68 | GPL-2.0 | Linux, macOS |
| 14 | [Shortwave](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/shortwave.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS |
| 15 | [Postbox](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/postbox.md) | 63 | Proprietary | macOS, Windows |
| 16 | [Mimestream](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mimestream.md) | 60 | Proprietary | macOS |
| 17 | [Aqua Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aqua-mail.md) | 55 | Proprietary | Android |
| 18 | [Superhuman](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/superhuman.md) | 55 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| 19 | [Geary](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/geary.md) | 50 | LGPL-2.1-or-later | Linux |
| 20 | [K-9 Mail](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/k-9-mail.md) | 47 | Apache-2.0 | Android |
| 21 | [aerc](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aerc.md) | 42 | MIT | Linux, macOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Email clients checklist | Outlook | eM Client | BlueMail | Canary Mail | The Bat! | Apple Mail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium | One-time | Free |
| Starts at | $1.99/month | €39.95/year | ? | $3/month | €47.95 one-time (Home Edition) | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows | macOS, iOS |
| Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Unified inbox | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Snooze & send later | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Tracking pixel blocking | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PGP / encryption support | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Conversation view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rules & filters (local) | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar integrated | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Multiple identities/aliases | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyboard-first shortcuts | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |

## Sources

Sources for Outlook. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/terms-of-use> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Software") is the copyrighted work of Microsoft and/or its suppliers."
  - Quote: “Any software that is made available to download from the Services (”
- **Starts at**: $1.99/month — <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “$1.99/month”
- **Pricing model**: Free — <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Outlook email and calendar on web, desktop, and mobile apps”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web — <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Works on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets”
- **Status**: active — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/getstarted/what-s-new-in-new-outlook-for-windows> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Online archive for shared mailboxes”
- **Protocols (IMAP / POP3 / JMAP / Exchange)**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/pop-imap-and-smtp-settings-for-outlook-com-d088b986-291d-42b8-9564-9c414e2aa040> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “IMAP server: outlook.office365.com”
- **Unified inbox**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-do-i-consolidate-unify-my-email-accounts-in-my-inbox-afe3ddaa-b08a-4376-942e-d1cac95ed21e> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “If you have multiple email accounts in the app, you can choose to have them all appear in one, unified inbox.”
- **Snooze & send later**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/schedule-an-email-message-to-be-sent-later-026af69f-c287-490a-a72f-6c65793744ba> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “You can delay the delivery of an individual message by having it held in the Outbox for a specified time after you select Send.”
- **PGP / encryption support**: Partial — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-is-s-mime-in-outlook-for-ios-and-android-bc763a87-f24e-4b79-9895-29bcb06cf0fb> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “S/MIME provides encryption, which protects the content of e-mail messages, and it provides digital signatures, which verify the identity of the sender of an email message.”
- **Conversation view**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/mail/view-email-messages-by-conversation-in-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “A conversation includes all messages in the same thread with the same subject line.”
- **Offline mode**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/work-offline-in-outlook-2460e4a8-16c7-47fc-b204-b1549275aac9> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Read emails”
- **Rules & filters (local)**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-up-rules-in-outlook-75ab719a-2ce8-49a7-a214-6d62b67cbd41> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Rules allow you to move, flag, and respond to email messages automatically.”
- **Calendar integrated**: Yes — <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Schedule events, track packages and flights, and set reminders”
- **Multiple identities/aliases**: Yes — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-or-remove-an-email-alias-in-outlook-com-459b1989-356d-40fa-a689-8f285b13f1f2> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Outlook.com lets you have multiple aliases associated with a single account, and you can choose which email address you send email from.”
- **Keyboard-first shortcuts**: Partial — <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/outlook/keyboard-shortcuts-for-outlook> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Many users find that using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for Outlook helps them work more efficiently.”

---
Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/