Mailbird vs Microsoft Outlook
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mailbird
Desktop email client for Windows and Mac with a unified inbox
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web
Where they differ
- Mailbird starts at $34.49 per year (Premium Yearly Plan, US Mac App Store in-app price). Microsoft Outlook starts at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Basic).
- Only Microsoft Outlook lists a web app.
- Only Microsoft Outlook lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailbird can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft Outlook also covers tasks, calendar and inbox filtering.
At a glance
| Mailbird | Microsoft Outlook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $34.49 per year (Premium Yearly Plan, US Mac App Store in-app price) | $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Basic) |
| Free plan | 1 email account on 1 device, with Knowledge Base support only. No email tracking, app integrations, ChatGPT integration or Microsoft Exchange support. | 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 | Mailbird, Inc. | Microsoft |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Mailbird
- Windows users who want several email accounts in one desktop app
- People who would rather buy a license once than subscribe
- Keeping chat and calendar apps in a sidebar next to email
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
Mailbird
- The free version covers 1 email account on 1 device and leaves out email tracking, app integrations and Exchange support.
- There is no iOS, Android, web or Linux version; the pricing FAQ says mobile apps are on the roadmap.
- Mailbird for Mac needs macOS Ventura or later and cannot connect POP3 accounts.
- Prices here are US Mac App Store in-app prices. Mailbird's website prices Premium in local currency, marked down from a crossed-out list price, and its figures can differ.
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
Mailbird
- Unified inbox
- Messages and contacts from several email accounts appear in one inbox. The free version is limited to 1 account, and Premium allows unlimited accounts.
- Email tracking
- Shows who opened a sent message and when. The comparison table lists tracking as unlimited on Premium and not included in the free version.
- App integrations
- Slack, WhatsApp, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Asana and other apps open inside Mailbird, and Premium can add any app or website as a custom app.
- AI email writing
- A ChatGPT integration drafts email text for you. The pricing table lists it as a Premium feature.
- Snooze and send later
- Snooze takes a non-urgent message out of the inbox until later, and send later schedules a message for a set time. On Mac both are listed under Premium, along with undo send.
- Unsubscribe and block senders
- Unsubscribe from mailing lists and block unwanted senders from inside the inbox. The pricing table lists both as Premium features.
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
Mailbird
Free$0
Basic features for 1 email account on 1 device, with Knowledge Base support only.
Premium (Yearly Plan)$34.49
per year (US Mac App Store in-app price)
Unlimited accounts, unlimited email tracking, templates, app integrations, Exchange support and email support, on up to 3 devices per license.
Premium (One-Time)$159.00
one-time payment (US Mac App Store in-app price)
Premium bought once. The website calls it Pay Once, shows it at 75% off a crossed-out price in local currency, and sells a Lifetime Updates add-on.
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
Mailbird
- Lifetime license
Pay Once license instead of a subscription
Premium is also sold as a Pay Once license with no renewals, and an optional Lifetime Updates add-on covers all future Mailbird versions. The US Mac App Store lists Premium One-Time at $159.00.
- Other savings
Volume discounts from 2 licenses
The pricing FAQ lists automatic discounts on multiple Premium licenses: 5% for 2 to 10, 10% for 11 to 25, 15% for 26 to 50, 20% for 51 to 100 and 25% for 101 or more.
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.
