When comparing Outlook vs Gmail for business, you’re choosing between two of the leading business email providers for small businesses. Both include custom business email, productivity apps, cloud storage, and enterprise-grade security, but each is designed for a different way of working.
I compared Gmail (via Google Workspace) and Outlook (via Microsoft 365) based on pricing, business email features, collaboration, storage, security, ease of use, and overall value to determine which platform is the better fit for different business needs.
| Provider | Best for... | Starting price, billed annually |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Intuitive business email and team collaboration | $7/user/month |
| Outlook | Advanced email management and admin controls | $6/user/month |
- Gmail vs Outlook for business at a glance
- Outlook vs Gmail Pricing: Gmail
- Business email features: Outlook
- Productivity features: It’s a tie
- Third-party integrations: Gmail
- Business email security: Outlook
- Customer support: It’s a tie
- Ease of use: Gmail
- Gmail vs. Outlook: My expert opinion
- Best alternatives to Gmail & Outlook for business email
- Frequently asked questions
- Bottom line
Gmail vs Outlook for business at a glance
Choosing between Gmail or Outlook for business email will come down to your work style, preferences, storage needs, and the niche features you may be looking for. You can’t go wrong with either — they’re the two most popular and best business email providers worldwide.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit Small Business score | 4.80/5 | 4.11/5 |
| Cost per month (per user, annual billing) | $7 | $6 |
| Free custom domain with paid plans | ✓ | ✓ |
| Storage | 30GB to 5TB/user | 1TB/user |
| Attachment limit | Send: 25MB Receive: 50MB | 150MB |
| Antispam & malware protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productivity apps | Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Drive, Chat | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint |
| Real-time team collaboration | Native across apps | Available (best in web apps) |
| Video meeting participants | Up to 500 | Up to 300 |
| Visit Gmail | Visit Outlook |
To compare Outlook and Gmail, I evaluated both suites based on the factors that matter most to small businesses: pricing, productivity, collaboration, advanced business features, security, and overall value. Beyond comparing feature lists, I considered how each solution performs in everyday business scenarios, from managing email and documents to supporting remote collaboration and protecting company data.
I used the following criteria to score each provider:
- Pricing (30%): I compared subscription costs, billing flexibility, storage allowances, free trials, and the overall value each plan delivers for small businesses.
- Productivity and collaboration (20%): I evaluated essential business tools, including custom business email, cloud storage, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, video meetings, and real-time document collaboration.
- Advanced business features (20%): I assessed premium capabilities such as AI assistants, workflow automation, webinar hosting, advanced storage options, website building, and other tools that support growing businesses.
- Security and administration (10%): I reviewed security measures such as multi-factor authentication, spam and malware protection, encryption, admin controls, compliance features, and threat detection.
- Expert score (20%): My final score combines hands-on experience with each platform and an assessment of usability, feature depth, scalability, and overall value for small businesses.
Outlook vs Gmail Pricing: Gmail
| Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per month (per user, annual subscription) | $7 | $14 | $22 |
| Pooled storage per user | 30GB | 2TB | 5TB |
| Custom email domain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video meeting participants | 100 | 150 | 500 |
| Core Google apps | Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites | Same as Starter | Same as Starter |
| Gemini AI assistant | Limited access | Full access | Full access |
| Security | Standard | Standard | Enhanced |
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft 365 Business Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per month (per user, annual subscription) | $6 | $12.50 |
| Custom email domain | ✓ | ✓ |
| Storage per user | 1TB | 1TB |
| User limit | Up to 300 | Up to 300 |
| Microsoft apps | Web and mobile apps | Web, mobile, and desktop apps |
| Microsoft Loop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webinar hosting | ✕ | ✓ |
Gmail and Outlook are the two biggest competitors in the business email space, so it’s no surprise they have almost equal prices ($7 for Gmail and $6 for Outlook). However, here’s where they differ most:
- Gmail offers month-to-month billing, while Outlook only allows annual billing. This means you’ll need to pay $72 upfront with Outlook.
- Outlook offers more storage in its base plan (1TB) than Gmail (30GB).
- Some advanced features in Microsoft 365 software require desktop versions, which are locked behind the second paid plan.
Ultimately, even with Outlook’s storage advantage, Google Workspace’s plans offer more value after the base plan, making it a better option for growing businesses. While its first plan only offers 30GB storage, the Business Plus plan at $22 a month offers 5TB storage, far more than Outlook’s 1TB.
Winner: Gmail.
It’s a close call, but we choose Gmail because it is the more affordable option for businesses that need to scale.
Business email features: Outlook
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Google Calendar | Outlook Calendar |
| Appointment booking | Appointment Schedules | Microsoft Bookings* |
| Chat and meetings | Google Chat, Google Meet | Microsoft Teams |
| Tasks | Google Tasks | Microsoft To Do |
| Email templates | Templates | Templates, Quick Parts |
| AI writing | Smart Compose | Text predictions, Copilot** |
| Schedule send | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inbox rules | Filters | Rules and Quick Steps |
| Out-of-office replies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic email forwarding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email aliases | ✓ | ✓* |
| Custom signatures | ✓ | ✓ |
*Included with Microsoft 365 Business Standard and above.
**Microsoft 365 Copilot requires a separate add-on license.
***Alias creation requires administrator permissions.
You’ll get everything you need to do business with either Gmail or Outlook. The main differences come down to your work style preferences and whether advanced or unique features make either platform stand out more for you.
Outlook
Outlook has advanced features to automate email management. It also offers more advanced security and cyber threat protection in the highest plan tier. Meetings and tasks are more straightforward as you can create them from the Outlook app. There are also more ways to filter emails and set multi-layered rules for email management. It’s also handy for sales and billing email automations.
Easily create messages, appointments, meetings, contacts, and tasks in the Outlook email interface. (Source: Microsoft)
Gmail
Gmail is best for collaborative, time-saving features like work notifications and smart features. For example, it’ll automatically notify you if you’re tagged in another Google app, making it easy for teams to streamline work on projects, documents, and presentations. With Gmail, you also get the ability to send and receive money via email and built-in language translation.
Dynamic emails in Gmail are another big-time saver. They let you complete actions right in the email, like responding to a question or a comment, browsing a catalog, or RSVPing to a meeting or event. This is a huge benefit for our team — we work collaboratively and globally throughout the content creation process, so this feature alone creates economies of scale.
Dynamic emails allow recipients to take action without leaving Gmail. (Source: Google)
Both have team apps for collaboration, including robust video conferencing, chat, and messaging capabilities. But Microsoft users get higher participant caps in lower-priced tiers (up to 10,000 compared to Google’s 1,000. Learn more in our comparison of Google Meet vs. Microsoft Teams.
With either platform, access to these tools requires a paid plan, and with that, you get access to additional software (like Teams and Meet) that your business may need.
Winner: Outlook.
Outlook (
&
Microsoft 365) has the best overall business email feature set, offering in-depth email tools such as booking and automations.
Productivity features: It’s a tie
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity apps | Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Calendar, Drive, Chat, Forms, Sites | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, Forms, SharePoint, OneNote |
| AI tools | Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Vids | Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, Designer |
When it comes to Outlook or Gmail for business productivity, both platforms are toe-to-toe. Outlook (via Microsoft 365) has its well-loved Office suite, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, while Gmail (Google Workspace) has its equivalent Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Both also have tools for booking calendar appointments, hosting meetings, and creating forms and websites.
Microsoft has the upper hand for webinars, though, as its Business Standard plan lets you host webinars for up to 300 attendees, unlike Google. However, Google has the better AI tools, as it has an AI assistant, video generator, and researcher, while Microsoft only has an AI assistant and image generator.
Winner: It’s a tie.
It really all comes down to your personal needs and preferences. If webinars are part of your marketing strategy, Microsoft 365 will be a better choice. But if you do a lot more research and want an AI assistant, Google Workspace has the tools.
Third-party integrations: Gmail
| |
|---|---|
| Partner apps: Asana, Canva, Figma, Lucidchart, Loom, Salesforce, Zapier, and thousands more through the Google Workspace Marketplace.. | Partner apps: Adobe Acrobat, Asana, DocuSign, Salesforce, Trello, Zoom, and thousands more through Microsoft AppSource.. |
Both providers boast app marketplaces with thousands of third-party apps you can integrate with your email platform. But Gmail ultimately has the better partner apps for small businesses, including Zapier, Asana, Canva, Figma, and Salesforce. Outlook’s partner apps are more technical, like Inova Solutions and Code Architects, and not always useful to small businesses.
Winner: Gmail.
Gmail ultimately has the more useful partner apps for small businesses.
Business email security: Outlook
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Email protection | Anti-spam, anti-phishing, malware, and ransomware protection | Anti-spam, anti-phishing, and malware protection |
| Authentication | MFA and passwordless sign-in | 2-step verification, passkeys, and security keys |
| Encryption | Encryption in transit and at rest | Encryption in transit and at rest |
| Admin controls | Identity, access, and device management | Admin controls and endpoint management |
| Advanced security | Defender for Business on Business Premium | Security Center and investigation tools on select plans |
Both Microsoft Outlook and Gmail offer secure business-class email and offer security measures like two-factor authentication. For most businesses, either choice would be fine. In fact, Gmail could be the better option for the average small business as it proactively protects emails from malware and spam.
However, Outlook is better for businesses that handle a lot of sensitive or confidential information, such as patient records or legal contracts. In addition to message encryption capabilities, it also lets you filter attachments by file types, create multi-layered email handling rules, and customize protection controls for groups as well as individual inboxes.
Winner: Outlook
. Its security systems are simply more sophisticated. Plus, it has the option to upgrade to even more advanced security.
Customer support: It’s a tie
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Support channels | Phone and online support | Phone, email, and chat* |
| Help center | Microsoft 365 Help | Google Workspace Help Center |
| Setup guides | Step-by-step documentation | Step-by-step documentation |
| Community forum | Microsoft Community | Google Workspace Community |
| Service status | Microsoft 365 Service Health | Google Workspace Status Dashboard |
Microsoft Outlook vs Gmail has always been a close race. Microsoft Outlook initially held the edge in this category because Google Workspace didn’t offer 24/7 customer support, but that’s no longer the case. Both offer 24/7 phone support to help you set up your business email and get the most value from your email app.
However, it’s worth mentioning that Outlook only provides email support for OneDrive concerns — all others can only be supported via phone or live chat. On the other hand, while Google Workspace offers round-the-clock support, it’s only available for Workspace admins, not for individual team members, so unless you’re an admin, contacting Google support isn’t possible.
Winner: It’s a tie.
Both platforms have identical support channels and hours, and neither has proven better than the other yet.
Ease of use: Gmail
There’s always been a clear winner when it comes to Gmail versus Outlook’s ease of use, and it’s Gmail. Gmail’s (and Google Workspace’s as a whole) user-friendly interface has always been one of its best assets and a reason why it’s a top choice for beginners.
Google Workspace’s interface is much more modern, intuitive, and easy to navigate than Microsoft 365’s, which has a more serious business feel because of its advanced features.
I often get overwhelmed navigating Microsoft’s many features, but that’s never been a problem with Google Workspace. However, I will say that Microsoft has steadily improved its interface over the years, although it still isn’t quite at Google’s level yet. Our in-depth Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace guide takes a much more comprehensive look at both platforms.
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Winner: Gmail.
While ease of use ultimately comes down to your personal experience and familiarity with each platform, Gmail will be the easier one to navigate if you’re a complete beginner. It’s always what I recommend most to first-timers.
Gmail vs. Outlook: My expert opinion
So, is Outlook better than Gmail, or is Gmail still the ultimate business email titan? You can’t go wrong with either platform. But Outlook (and Microsoft 365) has more advanced features and interfaces, and its plans are better catered to large teams, so I find it a better fit for bigger, more established businesses. Its email automation tools can also be especially helpful if you do a lot of cold emailing.
Meanwhile, Gmail (and Google Workspace) is a significantly more beginner-friendly tool with more scalable plans for small and growing businesses. It also has the edge for real-time collaboration and AI tools, and it’s overall a lot more accessible and easy to navigate.
Here’s my overall verdict on when to use Gmail vs Outlook for business:
- When to use Outlook: If you need more advanced email tools like multi-layered email automation, the ability to set meetings and tasks directly from your email platform, and more advanced security.
- When to use Gmail: If you’re a complete beginner at business emails and want something easy to set up and navigate and plans that can scale up along with your business.
Best alternatives to Gmail & Outlook for business email
There’s no question that Outlook and Gmail are the heavyweight champs of business email and productivity software. But below are some alternative email platforms worth considering.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key feature | Advanced email security, including end-to-end encryption and HIPAA compliance | Business email with a website builder all in one | Email with productivity software, collaboration tools, and video conferencing for $3 a month |
| Free Domain & SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Starting Monthly Cost of Paid Plans | $3.99 | $1 | $1 |
| Visit Proton Mail | Visit IONOS | Visit ZohoMail |
Frequently asked questions
Outlook is the better option for more advanced email tools like multi-level email automation and advanced email security. It also has access management capabilities for up to 300 users, so it’s good for large teams. Meanwhile, Gmail is more user-friendly, so it’s a better fit for beginners to business email. Google Workspace also has better real-time team collaboration, making it a good fit for remote teams.
Larger companies may find Outlook a better fit than Gmail because of its more advanced email capabilities and ability to accommodate and manage more team members. Microsoft 365 (which includes Outlook) also has more storage per user. Meanwhile, Gmail (and Google Workspace) is better suited to small and growing businesses that need easily scalable pricing plans.
Either Gmail or Outlook would work well for sending resumes or for job applications in general. What matters more is that your email address looks professional and trustworthy, even if it doesn’t have a custom domain. For example, a good professional email address format to use is your first and last name as your username, like janedoe@gmail.com or janedoe@outlook.com.
Bottom line
When choosing between Outlook vs Gmail, it’ll ultimately come down to the features you need most for your business email, your comfort level, and your overall budget. My overall evaluation has found Gmail the better option for beginners and remote teams because of its user-friendly interface and real-time collaboration. Its plans are also more easily scalable. Outlook, meanwhile, has more advanced email tools and is better suited for more established teams.
