Apple Mail vs Microsoft Outlook
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Apple Mail
Free built-in email app for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web
Where they differ
- Apple Mail starts at $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB). Microsoft Outlook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Basic).
- Only Microsoft Outlook lists Windows and Android apps.
- Microsoft Outlook also covers tasks and calendar.
At a glance
| Apple Mail | Microsoft Outlook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0.99 per month (iCloud+ with 50 GB) | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Basic) |
| Free plan | The Mail app is free on Apple devices and works with iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts. An iCloud Mail address draws on the 5 GB of free iCloud storage. | Free Outlook for 1 person: email and calendar on the web, desktop and mobile apps, 15 GB of mailbox storage, 5 GB of cloud storage and core spam filtering. The free inbox shows ads. |
| Free trial | None listed | One-month free trial of the Microsoft 365 business plans, credit card required; Personal and Family also offer a free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Apple Inc. | Microsoft |
| Price read from | support.apple.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Mail
- iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a mail app at no cost
- Reading iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and Yahoo mail in one inbox
- People who want protection from email tracking built in
Microsoft Outlook
- People who want mail, calendar and contacts from several accounts in one app
- Organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 and Exchange email
- Windows users: Microsoft says Outlook is included free with Windows
Worth knowing
Apple Mail
- The app is listed only for Apple devices. Elsewhere, iCloud Mail is reached in a browser at iCloud.com, which Apple describes for iCloud Mail accounts, or in Outlook on Windows.
- iCloud Mail counts against iCloud storage, 5 GB on the free tier. When it runs out, the iCloud address stops receiving new mail until space is freed or bought.
- Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain need iCloud+, and Apple notes that Custom Email Domain is not available in all countries or regions.
- Priority Messages, summaries and Writing Tools depend on Apple Intelligence, which Apple labels a beta and limits to certain languages and regions.
Microsoft Outlook
- Free accounts show ads in the inbox; a Microsoft 365 Basic, Personal or Family subscription removes them.
- Business Basic includes only the web and mobile versions of Outlook. Business Standard with Copilot, at $23.50 per user / month, adds the desktop apps.
- On home plans, Copilot in Outlook currently works only with outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com and msn.com addresses, and only for the subscription owner.
- Microsoft lists Outlook for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web. No Linux app is listed.
Key features
Apple Mail
- Every account in one inbox
- Add iCloud, Gmail, Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook and other accounts, then read them in a single inbox or one mailbox at a time, with filters for unread or flagged messages.
- Automatic categories
- Mail sorts incoming messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions, which keeps receipts and marketing email out of the main list.
- Priority Messages and summaries
- With Apple Intelligence, urgent messages are shown in a section at the top of the inbox, messages and threads can be summarized, and Smart Reply drafts quick responses.
- Send later, snooze and unsend
- Schedule a message to send later, snooze one to come back to, or unsend it. On Mac, Mail can also remind you about messages that got no response.
- Mail Privacy Protection
- Hides your IP address from senders and downloads remote content privately in the background, so senders cannot tell whether or when a message was opened.
- Hide My Email and custom domains
- With iCloud+, send from unique, random addresses that forward to your real one, and use a domain you own with iCloud Mail, shared with up to five other people.
Microsoft Outlook
- Several accounts in one app
- The desktop and mobile apps take Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and other mail services alongside work or school accounts, and switch between them without leaving the app.
- Focused Inbox, Sweep and snooze
- Focused Inbox and Sweep clear clutter out of the main view. Messages can be snoozed until later or flagged as important.
- Calendar, contacts and to-do lists
- Email, calendars, contacts and to-do lists sit in one view. Outlook can schedule events, set reminders, and track packages and flights on supported platforms.
- Copilot in Outlook
- Drafts a message from a prompt, adjusts tone, length and clarity, and summarizes long threads. Included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family, with usage limits.
- Mailbox protection
- Outlook scans attachments and links for threats on Microsoft email addresses. Paid plans add mailbox encryption, checks on suspicious links and removal of dangerous attachments.
- Office files from the inbox
- Open, edit or send Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from the inbox, and attach OneDrive files as links.
Plans
Apple Mail
Mail$0
The Mail app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, plus iCloud Mail within the 5 GB of free iCloud storage.
iCloud+ 50 GB$0.99
per month
50 GB of iCloud storage, which iCloud Mail counts against, plus Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain.
iCloud+ 200 GB$2.99
per month
200 GB of iCloud storage with the same Hide My Email and Custom Email Domain features.
iCloud+ 2 TB$9.99
per month
2 TB of iCloud storage with the same mail features. Apple also sells 6 TB at $29.99 and 12 TB at $59.99 per month.
Microsoft Outlook
Outlook$0
For 1 person: email and calendar on web, desktop and mobile, 15 GB of mailbox storage, 5 GB of cloud storage and core spam filtering, with ads.
Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99
per month, or $19.99 per year
For 1 person: ad-free Outlook, 100 GB of mailbox storage, 100 GB of cloud storage and advanced Outlook security features.
Business Basic$7.00
per user / month, paid yearly ($5.40 without Teams)
Custom business email on Exchange for up to 300 users, with the web and mobile versions of Outlook only and 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
For 1 person on up to 5 devices at once: the Outlook desktop app with Copilot, 1 TB of cloud storage and Microsoft Defender.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
The Personal benefits for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of cloud storage each. AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Business Standard with Copilot$23.50
per user / month, paid yearly ($20.30 without Teams)
Adds desktop versions of Outlook and the other Office apps, plus Copilot grounded in work data. Business Premium with Copilot is $32.00.
Ways to pay less
Apple Mail
No public discounts listed.
Microsoft Outlook
- Annual discount
About 16% lower with yearly billing
Paying yearly costs $19.99 for Microsoft 365 Basic, $99.99 for Personal and $129.99 for Family, against $1.99, $9.99 and $12.99 a month.
- Education
Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal
College and university students who verify their status get 50% off Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes the Outlook desktop app with Copilot. Eligibility is re-verified each year.
- Nonprofit
Business Basic free for eligible nonprofits
Microsoft lists Business Basic as a grant, free for up to 300 users. Nonprofit staff pricing is $3.50 per user / month for Business Standard and $5.50 for Business Premium, paid yearly.
