Alternatives to Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft's email, calendar and contacts app for desktop, mobile and the web. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Microsoft Outlook.

  • Thunderbird

    Mozilla’s desktop mail client, with calendar, contacts and a unified inbox, funded by donations rather than ads.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    Thunderbird is free and open source with mail, calendar, contacts and tasks, funded by donations, but has no web version and its Android app is a separate product.

  • eM Client

    A polished commercial mail, calendar and contacts client for Windows and Mac, with a free tier capped at two accounts.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    eM Client handles Microsoft 365, Exchange, Gmail and IMAP with calendar and tasks, is sold as a one-time purchase, and lacks Linux and web versions.

  • Apple Mail

    The email app built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS for reading mail from several providers.

    FreeProprietarymacOSiOS

    Apple Mail is free and preinstalled on Mac, iPhone and iPad, supports iCloud Hide My Email, but runs only on Apple devices and has no Microsoft 365 integration.

  • Evolution

    GNOME's mail, calendar, contacts and tasks suite, and the usual answer for Exchange on Linux.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Evolution is a free open-source GNOME suite for Linux with mail, calendar, contacts and tasks, reaching Microsoft 365 through an Exchange Web Services plugin.

  • Spark Mail

    Smart email client that auto-sorts inboxes and drafts AI-powered replies.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Spark Mail offers desktop and mobile apps with automatic inbox categorization and AI replies, without a web version or Microsoft 365 app integration.

  • Mailspring

    A desktop mail client with a unified inbox, snooze and send later, whose paid tier adds read receipts.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Mailspring is open source, runs on Linux as well, and offers snooze and send later for free, but has no built-in calendar.

  • BlueMail

    Cross-platform email and calendar client with a unified inbox.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    BlueMail provides email and calendar with a unified inbox on Windows, macOS and Linux, but is closed source and criticised for how it handles credentials.

  • Mailbird

    Desktop email client for Windows and macOS with a unified inbox.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOS

    Mailbird is a paid Windows and macOS client with a unified inbox and app integrations, without calendar sharing, mobile apps or a web version.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Microsoft Outlook as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • BusyCal

    A calendar app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tasks, smart filters and natural language entry.

    PaidProprietarymacOSiOS

    Microsoft Outlook combines calendar with email and contacts across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and web, and is tied to Microsoft services.

  • Canary Mail

    Encrypted email client with AI features across desktop and mobile.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Microsoft Outlook adds web access and Microsoft 365 integration with a free tier, while Copilot and some other features need a paid plan and it is tied to Microsoft services.

  • Fantastical

    A calendar and tasks app with natural language event entry for Mac, Windows and iOS.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSiOS

    Microsoft Outlook combines email, calendar and contacts on desktop, mobile and web including Android, but it is closed source and tied to Microsoft services.

  • Google Calendar

    Google's free web calendar for scheduling events, used with a Google account and synced across devices.

    FreeProprietaryWeb

    Microsoft Outlook combines calendar with email and contacts on desktop, mobile and web, but it is closed source, tied to Microsoft services and some features need a paid plan.

  • Notion Calendar

    A free calendar app, formerly Cron, that works with Google Calendar and Notion workspaces.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Microsoft Outlook combines email, calendar and contacts on desktop, mobile and web, tied to Microsoft services rather than Google and Notion.

  • Spike

    Turns email into a chat-like interface with message bubbles instead of a list.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Microsoft Outlook uses a traditional mail layout with calendar and Microsoft 365 integration, adds a web version, and gates Copilot behind paid plans.

  • Vimcal

    A keyboard-driven calendar that combines Google and Outlook calendars and helps share availability across time zones.

    PaidProprietaryWeb

    Microsoft Outlook combines email, calendar and contacts on desktop, mobile and web, tied to Microsoft services rather than a dedicated calendar view.

  • Wino Mail

    Native Windows mail and calendar client for Outlook, Gmail and IMAP accounts.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Microsoft Outlook adds mobile and web versions and Microsoft 365 integration, but it is closed source and some features, including Copilot, require a paid plan.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.