Apple Mail vs Outlook for Mac: Comparison and Review – Guide
Apple and Microsoft go toe-to-toe on several fronts, like word processing applications. However, Apple intends to offer a solid email experience with the Mail app on iOS, iPadOS and macOS, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why you can’t help but look for a viable alternative from the Microsoft field – Outlook for Mac. Microsoft recently unveiled the new look for Outlook for Mac, which is available through the Fast Insider group. This, along with many other software integration in the Outlook for Mac application, makes it a viable rival for the Apple Mail application. This post will compare Outlook Mail for Mac with the standard Apple Mail app. The comparison will be based on the UI, Email Organization, Write Mail, features and application integration. Let’s start.
Cross-platform availability
I know that cross-platform availability doesn’t matter much in an email application. But I am mentioning it here so you can expect a perfect experience on all platforms. Apple Mail is only available on iOS, macOS and iPadOS. On the other hand, Microsoft Outlook can be accessed on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and the web. Download Microsoft Outlook for Mac
User interface and customization
Microsoft’s plans to redesign the Outlook for Mac interface are very necessary to keep it in line with other platforms. There is a problem when it comes to trying the new Outlook for Mac. You will have to install it together with other Office applications using an ISO installer. When opening Outlook for Mac, you will notice the Compose option (New Message) button and the search bar at the top. In the left sidebar, you’ll find your email accounts and other folders. It’s amazing how Microsoft uses a column layout style and adds calendar integration to the far right. You will have no difficulty navigating the new look.
You can change the default fonts for new emails, reply to emails in Outlook settings. Apple Mail looks quite vanilla compared to Outlook. The standard interface shows the email, as well as the folders on the left sidebar, the message list in the center and the email view on the right. Interestingly, Apple Mail offers several customization options.
Go to Mail> Preferences> Fonts and colors. From there, you can change the message list font, the message font and even the fixed-width font. Apple Mail also allows you to change the default 2-line list view to 3 or more lines.
Write an email
Apple Mail offers several editing options when you write an email. When writing an email, you can change the font type, size and color, play around with bold and italic options, and even add a bullet or list of numbers. I like how the Mail app allows you to add scanned images or documents directly from the connected iPhone.
The Outlook composition menu toolbar is richer than Apple Mail. It allows you to highlight the words. You can even add tables and a signature. Guess what? Outlook for Mac also supports templates. Yes, you can create ready-to-use templates with images and text. You can save them for later use. When writing an email, just tap the three-dot menu above and select preview templates and add a relevant one to the email.
These templates can be used when you are writing emails related to specific topics, such as marketing research, queries, and so on. Simply create a master template with the necessary text for each type or topic of email you use frequently.
Additional Features
If you like to flag emails, Apple Mail offers some options for a more organized organization. For example, you can assign an orange flag for bank emails and a green flag for all financial emails. Most e-mail applications support only the normal flag option (red color).
In the flagged match section, you can quickly skip to the exact match you’re looking for. Apple Mail also supports rules. You can select Mail> Preferences> Rules and create custom email rules for you. I created a rule to archive all emails that come with Coronavirus in the subject.
We can only expect Apple to integrate services such as reminders, calendar and notes into the Mail app. It would be easy to set reminders for an email or create an event for the Mail app meeting. The Outlook for Mac application also supports rule options. I recommend that you define some of the effective rules for organizing emails like a pro. The application comes with integration with Microsoft calendar, sticky notes and to-dos.
It works like a charm. If you are using Outlook as your email provider and you flag an email in it, the email is automatically saved in the Flagged email section in the Microsoft to-do application.
Email Export and Third Party Integration
Apple allows you to export any email as a PDF file menu. Open any email and go to File> Export as PDF, and this will create a PDF file of the selected email. Unfortunately, the application does not offer any integration with third party applications.
Microsoft offers a dedicated third-party application store. You can tap the three dot menu and go to Get add-ins from a dedicated store in Outlook.
For example, I use the OneNote and Trello extensions in Outlook to directly send the selected email to OneNote or Trello.
Use Mail Like a Pro on Mac
The above comparison provides a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of Apple Mail and Outlook. Apple Mail wins with the simple user interface, mail organization and iPhone integration. However, several people complain that it is slow and with errors. In addition, it also does not translate into pleasant performance on iOS. Outlook for Mac brings a breath of fresh air with Microsoft application integration, a richer composition menu and third-party add-ins. Fortunately, Outlook for iOS will also receive a makeover soon. From now on, I continue with Microsoft’s offer. Is that you? Sound off in the comment section below. Next up: Recently purchased a new Mac? Read the post below to find the best Mac apps to stay organized.
Final note
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