Choosing the best email service for your small business can be a difficult decision. Both Gmail and Outlook offer great features, but some key differences should be considered. Gmail is a great choice for businesses who want a modern interface and a lot of storage space. Outlook is better for businesses that need to sync their email with other productivity tools, such as Calendar or Contacts. Ultimately, the best email service for your small business depends on the specific needs of that business.
Continue reading this article for more information on which email service is best for small businesses.
What is Gmail?
Gmail is a free email service developed by Google. Launched in 2004, it has since become one of the most popular email provider available, with over 1 billion active users as of February 2016. Here is a link to Google Workspace (formerly G Suite).
What is Outlook?
Outlook is a paid email service developed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1997 and has since become one of the most widely used email services available, with over 400 million active users as of 2014. Here is a link to Microsoft 365 for business.
What are the differences between Gmail and Outlook?
The biggest difference between Gmail and Outlook app is the price: Gmail is free to use, while Outlook requires a subscription. Other differences include the user interface (Gmail is simpler and easier to use, while Outlook is more complex), the number of features (Gmail has fewer features than Outlook), and the level of security (Gmail is more secure than Outlook).
What are the benefits of using Gmail for small businesses?
There are several benefits of using Gmail for small businesses. First, it is a free service, so there is no need to pay for a subscription. Second, the user interface is simple and easy to use, which can save time for small business owners who do not have time to learn a complex email program. Third, Gmail offers a high level of security, which is important for businesses that need to protect their data. Finally, Gmail has many features that can be useful for small businesses, such as the ability to create multiple email addresses, use Google Calendar, and integrate with other Google products.
What are the benefits of using Outlook for small businesses?
There are several benefits of using Outlook for small businesses. First, it offers a more complex user interface than Gmail, which can be beneficial for businesses that need more features. Second, it integrates with Microsoft Office, which can be helpful for small businesses that use Microsoft products. Third, Outlook offers a higher level of security than Gmail. Finally, Outlook has more storage space than Gmail, which can be important for businesses that need to store a lot of data.
Which email service is better for small businesses, Gmail or Outlook?
There is no clear answer as to which email service is better for small businesses. It depends on the specific needs of the business. If a small business needs a simple, easy-to-use email service, then Gmail would be a good choice. If a small business needs more features and integrations, then Outlook would be a better choice. Ultimately, the best email service for a small business is the one that meets the specific needs of the business.
Gmail vs Outlook on the surface
Let’s compare both Gmail and Outlook on the surface. Both are great email services with a lot to offer small businesses.
Cost
When discussing cost, both Gmail & Outlook are free for personal use. If you want to use either for business purposes, you need to sign up for a paid subscription. Gmail Business starts at $5/month/user, and Outlook Business costs $5/user/month.
Storage
When it comes to storage, both Gmail and Outlook offer a lot of space. Gmail gives users 15GB of storage for free. If you need more than that, you can upgrade to Google’s paid plans which start at $5/month for 100GB of storage. Outlook also gives 15 GB of storage for free. If you need more space, you can upgrade to Office 365 which starts at $6.99/month for 50GB of storage.
So in terms of storage, both Gmail and Outlook are great choices. However, if you need a lot of storage after the free 15GB, Gmail is a better choice since you can get more storage for less money.
Email Forwarding
Gmail allows you to automatically forward incoming messages to another email address. To do this, just go to the ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP’ tab in settings and enter the email address you want messages forwarded to.
Outlook also has email forwarding, but the process is a little bit different. To forward messages in Outlook, you need to create a rule. This can be done by going to the ‘Rules and Alerts’ tab in settings and selecting ‘New Rule.’ From there, you can choose to forward messages based on various criteria.
So when it comes to email forwarding, both Gmail and Outlook make it easy to do. However, Gmail’s process is a bit simpler since you don’t need to create a rule.
Security within the platform
Gmail has a variety of security features to keep your account safe. These include two-factor authentication, which requires you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password when logging in. Gmail also uses SSL encryption to protect your messages from being intercepted by third parties.
Outlook also has several security features to keep your account safe. These include two-factor authentication, which requires you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password when logging in. Outlook also uses SSL encryption to protect your messages from being intercepted by third parties.
So when it comes to security, both Gmail and Outlook are great choices. Both offer two-factor authentication and SSL encryption to keep your account safe.
Gmail vs Outlook: The Interface
Gmail is only available as webmail within your browser, but it may be accessed on a computer using third-party applications like Shift. Gmail also has mobile apps for both iOS and Android. The search bar, send an email button, and labeled emails are all easy to spot in the interface of Gmail.
In Outlook, the top bar, often known as the “Ribbon,” is jam-packed with all of the different options available within it. Then there are several Ribbons for various Outlook viewpoints, such as Mail. Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes. Outlook may be utilized on a computer or mobile app for iOS and Android.
So when it comes to interface, both Gmail and Outlook have their own pros and cons. Gmail is easy to use and navigate, but it doesn’t have as many features as Outlook. Outlook has a lot of features, but the interface can be overwhelming for some users.
Gmail vs Outlook: The Features
Outlook is a feature-rich program with Rule features that automatically handle emails as they arrive, configurable email templates, and the Clean Up option to delete duplicate messages in an email thread.
The “Archive” folder in Outlook is similar to the one in Gmail. When emails are archived in Gmail, they go to a folder called “All Mail,” instead of one with the word “Archive.” This might be perplexing for some users since rather than being placed in a folder that says “Archive,” emails are sent to a
Outlook has several features Gmail lacks as a result of its connection with other Google services. While Outlook includes a calendar and address book natively, Gmail connects to Google Calendar and Contacts, but they aren’t really built in to Gmail.
Gmail vs Outlook: The Storage
Users may store and share files in Google Drive through Gmail. Outlook utilizes OneDrive, which does not sync as readily with Outlook as Good Drive syncs with Gmail.
Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage for Gmail, but it’s limited to 15 GB for both Gmail and Google Drive. Google Workspace Basic accounts come with 30 GB of storage. Outlook users with a free account may store up to 15 GB on OneDrive for an additional 5 GB. Microsoft 365 subscribers get 50GB of storage as standard.
Gmail vs Outlook: The Security
2-step verification is available on Gmail. Incoming emails to your Gmail account are secured through Transport Layer Security (TLS) in transit by default, as long as the recipient’s email account also supports TLS.
When emails are sent from Gmail to an email account that does not support TLS, the messages are unencrypted during transit. Outlook on desktop and Microsoft 365 both offer the option to encrypt email, but users must choose it before sending an email.
Gmail vs Outlook: Customer Support
Both Gmail and Outlook, as well as Microsoft’s Office 365 service, have direct assistance from Google and Microsoft, respectively. For their email services, both Google and Microsoft provide simple guidance through their “Help Centers.” Community support is also available for Gmail users where they can assist one another with questions and troubleshooting issues.
Customers using Office 365 or Google Workspace get 24-hour customer service from real people. For Outlook users, Microsoft provides free online chat support as well as dedicated assistance for Microsoft 365.
Gmail vs Outlook: The App Integrations
Outlook uses the term “connectors” to describe app integrations. Asana, Trello, and GitHub are some of the available connectors. Grammarly, Boomerang, and Evernote are three add-ons that work with Outlook.
However, Outlook on the internet does not come with connections. Gmail includes a wide range of helpful add-ons that may be downloaded for Chrome, including Gmelius (a collaborative inbox tool for teams), Boomerang, and Giphy. There are also Gmail extensions that can be directly integrated into the program such as Slack, Zoom, and Dropbox.
Gmail vs Outlook: The Pricing
It is not necessary to pay for creating a Gmail account. Google offers Google Workspace, which is geared toward business use, in several cost plan levels.
Google Workspace pricing plan:
The majority of features are similar across plans, but the volume of Google Drive storage available to customers varies considerably. This has an influence on how much email storage is included with Gmail accounts.
The Basic Plan $6/month – You’ll have access to 30GB of storage in the cloud.
The Business plan $12/month – Unlimited storage in the cloud unless there are fewer than 5 active users, in which case there is 1TB of storage space. It also includes Google Cloud Search, which may be used to search your Gmail messages. Vault is a more sophisticated security solution.
The Enterprise plan $25/month – It’s entirely free to use Google Drive. There are no limits on the amount of space in the cloud, unless there are fewer than five users, in which case there is 1TB of storage space. Also includes Google Cloud Search, which may be used to search Gmail. Even more sophisticated security measures include Cloud Identity Premium.
Outlook is a webmail program that you can obtain for free. However, in order to download and use it on your computer, you’ll need either a one-time or monthly payment for Microsoft 365. This implies that to obtain the entire desktop version of Outlook, you must buy it together with other Microsoft products that you may not require.
It is completely free to create an account on Outlook.com.
The Premium Outlook pricing plan is as follows:
Premium Outlook subscribers do not receive advertisements, more sophisticated security measures, or personalized assistance.
Premium Outlook Features and Microsoft 365 Home $6.99/month or $69.99/year
Office 365 Personal with Premium Outlook Features and Edge browser $9.99/month or $99.99/year
The pricing plans for Microsoft 365:
The Microsoft 365 Personal $6.99/month or $69.99/year – Equipped with all of the most popular office applications, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, along with the rest of Office. Also includes OneDrive and Skype, as well as 1TB of storage.
Microsoft 365 Family $9.99/month or $99.99/year – The Office 365 Personal subscription is a great choice for individuals who want to use the programs from home. It includes web and full desktop versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access. Also included are OneDrive and Skype, as well as 1TB of storage.
The Microsoft 365 Business Basic $5/month – This bundle offers web-based Word, Excel, and PowerPoint but not Outlook. It also includes Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams as well as 1TB of storage in the cloud.
The Microsoft 365 Business Standard $12.50/month -For those on the go, Microsoft OneDrive for Business is one of the best cloud storage options. It has all of your favorite Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access in a single subscription. Exchange, OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive), SharePoint, Teams (formerly Yammer), and 1TB of storage.
The Microsoft 365 Apps $8.25/month– This bundle includes the latest version of Microsoft Office for Mac, plus web and full desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access. OneDrive and 1TB of storage are also included.The Microsoft Office suite pricing plan:
Office Home & Student 2022 one-time fee $149.99 – This plan does not include Outlook, which is a one-time purchase.
Conclusion
Overall, Gmail is a great choice for small businesses. It’s easy to use and has a variety of features that can be beneficial for your business. However, if you’re looking for more sophisticated security measures or want to use Outlook as your primary email program, you’ll need to pay for a subscription.
Microsoft 365 is a better choice for those who want the full Microsoft Office suite and other features such as OneDrive storage. If you’re only looking for web-based versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the Business Basic plan may be a good option for you.
