Outlook Versus Gmail: Which Wins Out For Email Hosting?

Choosing an email hosting service for your business can be tricky, especially with so many options available on the market. Two of the biggest service providers on the market today are Gmail (by Google) and Outlook (by Microsoft). Both offer similar functionality and allow you to provide a professional email address for your business, but their differences can make it difficult to make a decision.Â

When you are looking at email hosting services you should take your needs into account. Your budget is one of the most important considerations, as this will dictate which package you choose, and you will also need to consider which features will best meet your needs. If you are not sure where to start, we take a look at the difference between Outlook and Gmail for email hosting.Â

Professional Business Email Options

Both of these email hosting platforms allow you to create professional business email accounts using your own domain name. Below are the differences in their business email offerings.Â

Gmail: Gmail allows users to register a domain name or use an existing domain name to create their email accounts. You are also able to create 30 email aliases for each user, which can be useful for those who need separate accounts for clients and staff. Fortunately for those who use Gmail at home, Gmail uses the same interface as Gmail, making for an easy transition for business use. It will also work with Gmail apps on mobile devices.Â

Outlook: Outlook also allows you to use a domain name for your email address, and does allow you to create up to 400 email aliases, a significantly larger number than Gmailâ€™s offering. You will need to use Outlook as the email platform, which has a web version, a desktop version, and a mobile app. The mobile app for Outlook is not as reliable or user-friendly as the Gmail option.Â

Storage Space

An important part of any email hosting service is the amount of service space you have access to. We take a look at what each provider offers below.Â

Gmail: Gmail is popular because it offers 30GB of unlimited email storage, which is a significant amount of storage space for a small-to-medium-sized business. You can send emails that are up to 25MB and can also attach larger files directly from Google Drive. This is ideal for those who might need ot send large documents or images to clients. For teams that regularly share large files, this is a much better option as it is unlimited storage.Â

Outlook: Outlook provides limited storage of 50GB for emails but has cloud storage of 1TB. This means that your emails are not taking up space in your cloud storage, but this is also limited. Using OneDrive, you can quickly and easily sync all folders and files and share them via email or in a similar fashion to Google Drive. However, due to the fact that storage is limited, this might not work for large teams.Â

Folder And File System

Having an organised email inbox is vital if you want to stay on top of your workload. Gmail and Outlook both offer folder and file systems which have advantages and disadvantages, which we look at below.Â

Gmail: Gmail has an innovative label and category system, but for those who have not used the G Suite interface before, it can be confusing at first. The functionality and ability to add multiple folders and layers to your inbox make it easier for users to remain organised and streamline their email system.Â

Outlook: Outlook has a more traditional folder and file system, which many people have become accustomed to after years of use. It can be a more restrictive system, however, as emails can only be placed or assigned to one specific folder, limiting the effectiveness of organising your emails.Â

Design And Appearance

Now, it might not seem that important to consider the design and appearance of an email hosting service, but it is important to those using it that the program looks and feels easy-to-use. Below are the differences between the two email hosting services.Â

Gmail: Gmail is known for having a more modern, sleek design which appeals to many businesses. It is also very easy to customise with a profile image and signature. This makes it ideal for smaller businesses who want to send professional emails to clients. The interface is simple to navigate o both computers and mobile devices.Â

Outlook: Outlook can come across as appearing a little dated, but it has since upgraded its appearance. For a new business, Outlook might not provide the same professionalism as Gmail when it comes to adding signatures and customisation.Â

Final Verdict

Many of the aspects of Gmail and Outlook are subjective and based on personal preferences, however, there are some advantages and features that outweigh others. The professional aspect of the email hosting providers as well as the storage space are serious considerations for businesses and brands.Â

The folder and file system, as well as the appearance, are more subjective and might not be as important to some but can make a difference to the user experience. If you would like advice on email hosting, or would like to try email marketing for your business, contact NetMechanic today to find out what we can offer you.