9 Popular Microsoft Outlook Alternatives to Watch Out For in 2024

Today’s email clients do so much more than just send and receive messages. We look to them to keep our inboxes organized, manage schedules, maintain contact lists, and even connect with tools like video conferencing apps. In short, our email client needs to be a multitasking powerhouse.

Microsoft Outlook has become incredibly popular, with 400 million people using it every month. It’s packed with features that make it a favorite for many, from seamless integrations to robust organizational tools. But even with these advantages, it’s fair to wonder: is it truly the best option?

In this article, we’ll explore the nine alternatives to Microsoft Outlook, their unique features and pricing, and help you decide if one might be a better fit for your needs.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

• Why Consider Outlook Alternatives?
• Top 9 Microsoft Outlook Alternatives for 2024
• Choosing the Right Outlook Alternative
• Which Outlook Alternative Should You Choose?

Why Consider Outlook Alternatives?

For all the features that Microsoft Outlook offers, the platform does have some significant downsides, starting with its price. Outlook is available as either a standalone license or through a Microsoft 365 subscription. The standalone license is $179.99, and it only covers one PC or Mac, making it less practical for businesses needing multiple licenses or small organizations on a tight budget.

Alternatively, Microsoft 365 offers Outlook as part of its suite, with pricing that starts at $6 per user each month for Business Basic and goes up to $22 for Business Premium, all requiring an annual commitment. 

While the Business Basic plan is more budget-friendly for freelancers and smaller businesses, it can still feel like overpaying for features you may not even use or need.

Outlook also has a vast feature set, which, although valuable for some, can make the interface feel cluttered and complicated. Training employees to navigate all the different components can take time and effort, which not every business finds worthwhile. For smaller operations or those who need just the basics, Outlook’s extensive tools may feel like extra baggage.

Another reason to consider alternatives is compatibility. Outlook’s integrations work best within Microsoft’s ecosystem, which can be limiting if you heavily rely on Google, Apple, or other non-Microsoft tools. Many alternative email clients offer smooth compatibility with these platforms, allowing for a more flexible workflow across different devices and apps.

Reliability can also be an issue with Outlook. Many users report that the app can be slow, prone to random crashes, and occasionally encounters issues with sending and receiving emails. For example,

While it remains popular with businesses, its tendency to lag can frustrate users who depend on it daily.

Exploring other Microsoft Outlook alternatives could help you find one that better suits your workflow, integrates with your tools, and meets your budget—without sacrificing features or usability.

So, let’s take a look at the best of them!

Top 9 Microsoft Outlook Alternatives for 2024

Check out our carefully selected list of the top 9 alternatives to Microsoft Outlook for managing your email communication.

1. Hiver

Hiver is a unique customer service platform that simplifies email management within Outlook and Gmail. With its Shared Inbox feature, Hiver keeps emails organized and centralized, allowing better collaboration without relying on additional messaging platforms.

The platform also simplifies internal communication via emails by letting team members add Notes and use @mentions. This way, discussions remain focused and don’t clutter up the main email thread. So, if you need input from someone on the development team, tagging them with an @mention brings them into the loop without adding to the email thread.

Tags and Rules allow you to direct emails to the right people automatically. For instance, you can route incoming sales inquiries to a particular representative or specialist, saving your sales team from sifting through every email. Hiver also offers automation perks like auto-replies and email templates, giving your team tools to respond quickly.

Another important feature the platform offers is Collision Alerts. As soon as another team member starts replying to an email you’re viewing, Hiver sends an alert. This helps prevent duplicated efforts and avoids any confusion in responses, ensuring a smoother experience for both your team and your customers.

Key Features

• Convert service requests into tickets and delegate them to the right team members.
• Automate routine tasks like ticket assignment and query routing based on skill sets or workload. 
• Provide a self-service option through a knowledge base filled with useful guides.
• Track team performance with detailed reports on response times and resolution rates.
• Facilitate internal collaboration using Notes and @mentions to avoid cluttering inboxes with CCs and forwards.
• Use AI Summarizer to condense lengthy email threads into concise notes. 
• Use Harvey, Hiver’s AI bot, to identify and automatically close conversations reopened due to customers’ non-actionable “Thank you” replies. 

Pricing

• Forever free 
• Lite: $19/month per user
• Growth: $29/month per user
• Elite: $79/month per user

G2 Rating

•  4.6/5

2. Gmail

Gmail is Google’s popular email management tool, recognized for its ease of use and security. It works great on its own or as part of Google Workspace, which offers extra features for businesses. Google Workspace is a cloud-based service that keeps your data safe on Google’s servers, letting you access it from anywhere with the internet.

With a Business Starter plan, you enjoy a remarkable 99.9% uptime and handy tools like Smart Reply and Smart Compose to enhance your email experience. Gmail’s integration with Google Drive, Calendar, and Docs makes it super convenient. Its appeal also comes from free access and helpful features like labeling, spam filters, contact management, file sharing, and real-time chat.

Key Features

• Host your company emails easily without needing to learn a new system.
• Organize emails effectively using Gmail’s conversation grouping feature.
• Enhance focus as Gmail highlights important messages automatically.
• Access company emails smoothly through the Gmail app, perfect for Google users.
• Get 2x the storage, ad-free usage, support access, and unlimited group emails with paid plans.

Pricing

• Business Starter: $6/month per user
• Business Standard: $12/month per user
• Business Plus: $18/month per user
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

G2 Rating

• 4.6/5 (as a part of the Google Workspace)

3. Thunderbird

Thunderbird is a free email client that many people choose over Microsoft Outlook. Created by the Mozilla Foundation, it offers an open-source platform that’s easy to navigate. With Thunderbird, you can manage your emails effectively using features like filtering, labeling, and support for multiple accounts.

It even includes a built-in calendar to keep you organized. Security is a top priority, and Thunderbird provides essential tools like encryption and anti-phishing measures. You can also enhance its functionality with custom add-ons.

Its compatibility with popular email services like Gmail and Yahoo makes it a fantastic option for both personal and business use.

Key Features

• Integrate productivity tools like calendars, task management systems, and chat functionalities into your email experience.
• Switch effortlessly between tabs to enhance email management efficiency.
• Find specific emails quickly with advanced filtering and timeline features.
• Save time by crafting and utilizing email templates.
• Receive automatic updates across various platforms in over 40 languages.

Pricing

• Free

G2 Rating

• 4.3/5

4. Apple Mail

Apple Mail, often just called “Mail,” is Apple’s go-to email application. One of the things people love about it is how straightforward it is. The interface is clean and user-friendly, offering essential features similar to Outlook, like email sorting, archiving, and file sharing.

Some feel it might be too basic at times. Still, the app includes plenty of add-ons, and recent updates have introduced many new features to enhance its capabilities. You can easily connect Apple Mail to various accounts, including iCloud, Google, Yahoo, AOL, and—you guessed it—Outlook. It works smoothly across iOS, macOS, watchOS, and iPadOS, making it versatile for all your devices.

Key Features

• Search for emails with improved capabilities.
• Get access to features such as scheduling and unsending emails.
• Manage multiple accounts in one place.
• Enjoy continuity across multiple Apple devices.
• Benefit from Mail Privacy Protection features.

Pricing

• Free with macOS, iOS, watchOS or iPadOS

G2 Rating

• 3.9/5

5. Superhuman

Superhuman prides itself on being the “fastest email experience ever made,” designed for individuals and teams who deal with a high volume of messages. Its clean and minimal interface makes reaching Inbox Zero enjoyable and effortless. One cool feature is the Split Inbox, which lets you organize your inbox into different streams, such as emails from VIPs, team updates, newsletters, and more.

This platform allows you to easily navigate through your inbox and perform any action without using your mouse. Whether you want to reply, archive, snooze emails, or create events, everything can be done using Superhuman Command.

Unlike Outlook, which often has slow and unreliable search capabilities, Superhuman has crafted a solution that’s lightning-fast. Every action you take happens in under 100 milliseconds, giving you that quick feeling throughout the experience. In fact, with Superhuman, searches take just 30 milliseconds, making email management a whole lot smoother.

Key Features

• Organize your day by creating events and scheduling meetings with the platform’s calendar.
• Perform tasks like searching, replying, and archiving without needing an internet connection.
• Speed up your typing using Snippets to quickly insert frequently used text.
• Enjoy seamless spelling corrections in real-time so typos become a thing of the past.
• Schedule emails to send at the perfect time, accommodating any time zone.
• Compose complete emails and summarize lengthy threads while typing up to 50% faster with real-time corrections.

Pricing

• Starter: $30/month per user
• Business: $40/month per user
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

G2 Rating

• 4.7/5 

6. Front

Front transforms how we manage email by combining the efficiency of a help desk with the familiarity of traditional email. It leverages automated workflows and real-time collaboration to help reduce churn, boost retention, and drive customer growth.

With Front, you can merge shared inboxes and various communication channels into one easy-to-use interface. The aim is to consolidate all incoming messages, whether they come from phone calls, multiple email accounts, social media, or text messages.

Additionally, you can tag team members, route messages efficiently, and monitor conversations to enhance customer service and overall communication.

Key Features

• Connect with over 50+ tools – including popular ones like Slack – through easy integrations.
• Save time by automating repetitive tasks and designing custom workflows.
• Centralize various communication channels to facilitate real-time collaboration on tasks.
• Track important metrics and evaluate performance using Front’s insightful analytics.

Pricing

• Starter: $19/seat/month (including 2 to 10 seats)
• Growth: $59/seat/month (minimum of 2 seats)
• Scale: $99/seat/month (minimum of 20 seats)
• Premier: $229/seat/month (minimum of 50 seats)
• Add-ons: Available for all plans at additional charges

*All plans are billed annually

G2 Ratings

• 4.7/5 

7. Shift

Shift is a desktop alternative to Outlook that brings together all your essential tabs, apps, and bookmarks in one centralized spot, improving team collaboration.

What makes Shift particularly appealing are its robust email features. It lets you combine all your email accounts, including Gmail, Outlook, and Office 365. Plus, it supports iCloud and Yahoo Mail, making it super easy to manage everything. With just one click, you can access your Mail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive accounts.

You can also customize notifications for each inbox to suit your preferences. Shift keeps everything synchronized across devices, allowing you to work seamlessly, no matter where you are.

Key Features

• Customize notification settings for each inbox to match your preferences.
• Organize all tabs, apps, and bookmarks in a single workspace for easy access.
• Utilize the search feature to quickly find items across email, calendar, and drive accounts.
• Switch between multiple apps effortlessly without needing to log in and out repeatedly.

Pricing

• Basic: Free
• Advanced: $149/year
• Teams: $149/year per user

G2 Rating

• 3.6/5

8. Helpwise

Helpwise is a user-friendly customer communication platform that gathers all inquiries in a universal inbox. It enhances your approach to customer interactions with its automation and collaboration features.

This email management tool is designed to bring together support, sales, and customer service teams to work on shared emails. This collaboration makes it easier to manage conversations and respond more efficiently.

As a strong alternative to Outlook, Helpwise includes additional features like a self-serve help center to cut down on incoming queries, chatbots for quick assistance, and saved replies to address common questions.

Key Features

• Schedule emails at your preferred times with flexible options.
• Manage live chat and other inquiries all in one collaborative hub.
• Automatically assign conversations to team members using smart assignments.

Pricing

• Standard: $15/month per user
• Premium: $29/month per user
• Advanced: $49/month per user

G2 Rating

• 4.5/5

9. Mailspring

If you’re searching for a fast and efficient alternative to Outlook, Mailspring is a great choice. It conveniently combines all your IMAP and Office 365 accounts into one place. This app comes with handy features like shortcuts, link tracking, and read receipts, even if your email service doesn’t support them.

What sets Mailspring apart from other Outlook alternatives is its focus on unifying your email experience. It offers tools to help you organize your inbox better, including quick reply templates and detailed contact profiles that reflect your communication history.

Additionally, Mailspring features an Activity tab that gives you insights into your email habits. This tab helps you track received emails, identify peak activity times, and view open and click rates for your messages.

Key Features

• Manage multiple email accounts and inboxes effortlessly in one central location.
• Utilize Mailspring’s powerful search tool to find what you’re looking for quickly.
• Enhance your communication with automatic spell check, support for over 60 languages, and translation.
• Monitor when your messages are read to ensure timely follow-ups.

Pricing

• Free
• Pro: $8/month

G2 Rating

• 3.8/5

Choosing the Right Outlook Alternative

Wondering what to consider when choosing an email management system? Here are some key factors to keep in mind before selecting the right email provider:

Assessing Your Email Needs

Start by identifying what you need most from your email client. 

For example, if you manage multiple email accounts, prioritize options with robust multi-account support. Likewise, if your work involves frequent team collaboration, look for clients that support shared inboxes and real-time communication across team members. 

Defining these priorities helps narrow down your options right from the start.

Considering Integration Capabilities

Next, think about which tools you already use daily. Integration is key to a smooth workflow, so pick an Outlook alternative that connects with your existing software, like CRM platforms, calendar apps, or project management tools. 

For example, if you’re using Slack or Google Workspace, ensure the email management system integrates with these to keep everything in sync. This feature makes it easier to track important information without switching between apps.

Evaluating User Interface and Experience

As you know, the design and user experience can make or break an email client. A clean, intuitive layout means you’ll spend less time navigating the interface and more time focusing on your tasks. 

If you find Outlook cluttered, consider alternatives with simpler designs like Hiver or Spark. Think about what you’d want to see in the inbox view, how easy it is to organize emails, and whether customization options are available to match your workflow.

Analyzing Security and Privacy Features

According to a study by IBM, the average cost of a data breach stands at $4.88 million in 2024—a   10% increase from 2023 and the highest recorded ever. This shows how important it is to consider the security aspect, especially if you handle sensitive information. 

In this case, look for email providers that offer end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and strong privacy policies. For instance, Apple Mail is known for its Mail Privacy Protection features, providing encryption that ensures only the sender and recipient can access the email content. 

Check if the email client complies with GDPR or other privacy standards that apply to your industry. This adds an extra layer of reassurance for both you and your clients.

Making the Switch: Migration Tips

Before you commit, confirm if the new provider offers migration tools or support. This will make it easier to transfer emails, contacts, and other data without losing important information. 

Keep a backup of all data before switching to avoid any accidental loss during migration. This also helps if you encounter any setup issues. Once data is transferred, run a short test phase to catch any glitches or missing information. 

For example, Google Workspace offers a migration tool to transfer emails, calendars, and contacts from Outlook, making the move easier for large teams.

Setting Up Your New Email Client and Training Your Team

After choosing a new provider, focus on setup and training. Take time to adjust your settings, organize folders, and configure notifications, so they match your old setup as closely as possible. 

If you work with a team, ensure they know the email client’s features to avoid workflow interruptions. Providing training sessions or resources like video tutorials can help everyone adapt smoothly.

Which Outlook Alternative Should You Choose?

Microsoft Outlook ranks as one of the leading email clients worldwide, but it’s not the perfect fit for everyone.

The costs can add up quickly if you opt for the desktop version. Depending on your requirements, you might want something that emphasizes team collaboration or prioritizes security.

Fortunately, there are numerous alternatives worth exploring. If you value convenience, Hiver allows you to handle all emails directly from your inbox.

Hiver offers more than just shared inboxes. Its smart collision detection feature helps your team avoid duplicate responses and unnecessary delays. Plus, with the advanced analytics feature, you can monitor team performance in real-time, and get valuable insights to help refine your approach to communication.

Why not try Hiver today? It’s free for 7 days!