eM Client vs Microsoft Outlook

eM Client

• Windows and Mac users who want a full desktop mail client
• People who would rather pay once for the current version
• Companies that license email software per device

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

eM Client

• The Free license is for personal, non-commercial use only, on one device with 2 email accounts.
• Thread view, notes, snooze, Send Later, undo send and message translation need a paid Personal or Business license.
• A one-time license covers the current major version only. Later major versions need a paid upgrade or the Lifetime Upgrades option.
• No Linux or web version is listed. The pricing page shows different prices by country; the figures here are the US ones.

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.

eM Client

Works with most email services

Connects to Google Workspace, Office 365, Outlook, Exchange and other services, and imports data from Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird and other clients.

Calendar, tasks, contacts and notes

Calendars, tasks and contacts are part of every license, with a sidebar agenda of upcoming events, tasks and birthdays. Notes need a paid license.

PGP and S/MIME encryption

Messages can be encrypted and digitally signed with S/MIME or PGP. The pricing table lists this on the Free license too.

Snooze, Send Later and Watch for Reply

Paid licenses add snooze, scheduled sending, undo send, a watch for replies to sent messages, mass mail and a view of all attachments.

AI and translation

AI generates messages and replies or adjusts the tone of a draft through the AI Add-on, which subscriptions include. Paid licenses also translate incoming messages.

Chat and meeting integrations

Chat and online meeting integration are built in, and paid licenses add Microsoft Teams, Slack and Rocket.Chat integration.

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.

eM Client

• Free$0

  Personal, non-commercial use on one device with 2 email accounts and forum support. No snooze, Send Later, notes, thread view or translation.

• Personal (subscription)$39.95

  per year, for 1 user on up to 3 devices

  Individual use with unlimited email accounts, every feature, VIP support, new major versions and the AI Add-on included.

• Business (subscription)$49.95

  per device / year

  Company or institutional use, priced per device and lower in volume. Adds the License Manager, with VIP support and the AI Add-on included.

• Personal (one-time)$59.95

  one-time payment, for 1 user on up to 3 devices

  Never expires for the current major version and includes 1 year of VIP support. Later major versions and the AI Add-on cost extra.

• Business (one-time)$79.95

  per device, one-time payment

  Per-device company license that never expires for the current major version. Lifetime Upgrades are an optional extra.

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.

eM Client

• Lifetime license

  One-time payment instead of a subscription

  Personal at $59.95 or Business at $79.95 per device buys a license that never expires for the current major version. Optional Lifetime Upgrades extend it to all future versions.

• Nonprofit

  30% discount for NGOs

  The pricing page states that NGOs are eligible for a 30% discount, arranged by contacting eM Client.

• Education

  30% discount for schools and universities

  Schools and universities are eligible for the same 30% discount, arranged by contacting eM Client.

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.