4 alternatives for Outlook you should consider

According to recent statistics, Outlook is the third most popular email client, right after Apple Mail and Gmail. Its popularity does not come as a surprise, as it’s a highly versatile platform that can meet the needs of many personal and business users.

Still, Outlook is far from perfect. It has a few significant drawbacks, particularly in the areas of productivity and automation. In this article, you will learn more about those shortcomings and discover some alternatives for Outlook worth looking into.

Outlook is a widely used email service, but it comes with several limitations that can hinder usability and the overall user experience, especially for users seeking advanced features. Some of them include:

• Free version drawbacks: Outlook’s free version has distracting ads that can decrease productivity. It also offers limited cloud storage (5 GB), though you get additional 15 GB for email. To get more storage and remove ads, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which still doesn’t offer essential features.

• Automation challenges: Outlook offers robust features like Rules and Macros for email automation. However, these features require significant manual setup and ongoing maintenance to keep them effective. For truly hands-off automation, such as meeting scheduling and email composition, you’ll need Microsoft Copilot, which is available as a costly add-on with a steep learning curve. 

• Reliability concerns: Many users report issues with Outlook’s reliability, including crashes and errors. It’s also not well-optimized for all operating systems and can sometimes be slow.

These issues can make Outlook less than ideal for many users who need a seamless and highly efficient email management experience. Fortunately, you can explore various alternative platforms that make up for its shortcomings.

While there are numerous Outlook alternatives on the market, a few services stand out:

1. Notion Mail

2. Mailbird

3. Front

4. Spark

Notion Mail is an AI-first client that enhances workflow automation. It utilizes AI to automate routine tasks and provide intelligent assistance, reducing the time and effort you spend managing your email. 

Notion Mail is free and offers a wide range of productivity enhancement features when you sign up, making it an excellent option for price-sensitive customers or businesses on a budget. 

You can also leverage the platform’s advanced AI capabilities by purchasing Notion AI, a paid add-on feature.

Notion Mail is a dedicated Gmail client that connects effectively with your existing account. It enhances your emailing experience with advanced features designed to streamline your workflow, including: 

• AI autopilot: An AI-driven organization tool that helps you auto-categorize and label your emails based on your custom criteria. 

• AI writing assistance: A smart, automated tool that helps you draft and respond to emails more effectively with intelligent suggestions. 

• Customizable views: This is another feature that sets Notion Mail apart. It allows you to tailor your inbox layout to match specific projects, tasks, or clients so you can focus on work that matters. 

Notion Mail integrates seamlessly with Notion’s suite of productivity tools—including Notion docs, Notion wikis, and Notion Calendar—to create a more connected workflow. You can link emails to relevant project information, convert emails into actionable items, or schedule meetings directly from your inbox. For example, with a simple command like /schedule, you can instantly add meetings to the Calendar without leaving your inbox.

One key advantage of Notion Mail over Outlook is its user-friendly approach to automation, so there isn’t a steep learning curve. Instead of complex rules or scripts, it uses simple AI prompts to automate your inbox with ease. 

A minor drawback, however, is that Notion Mail currently works only with Gmail and Google accounts, so you need one to sign up.

Mailbird has proven itself as a reliable and highly functional email client. The platform’s main selling point is that it’s straightforward and easy to use, so even beginners won’t face a significant learning curve. Still, its productivity tools may not be in-depth enough for power users, especially if you need advanced customization and automation. It mainly offers AI-powered email authoring, which is only available on its premium plans.

Mailbird offers various plans with a 14-day money-back guarantee. You can try it for free but must pay to keep using it after the trial ends. If you decide to proceed, you can choose between four plans:

1. Standard Yearly: $2.28/month billed annually

2. Standard Pay Once: $49.50 per user

3. Premium Yearly: $2.46/month per user billed annually

4. Premium Pay Once: $73.80 per user

Note that these prices include the discount Mailbird is offering as of this writing, so they might change soon.

Mailbird offers a minimalistic user interface free of distractions. If you want to expand its usability, you can leverage its numerous integrations with popular productivity tools, such as:

• Asana: A customizable content management system designed to help companies streamline their projects

• Google Workspace: Besides the standard document management platforms, the integration encompasses collaboration tools like Calendar, Meet, and Chat 

• Slack: A comprehensive messaging app for business

A standout feature is Unified Inbox, which combines messages and emails from multiple addresses. The interface is customizable, so you can adapt it to your needs and even access emails without an internet connection (you’ll still need a connection to sync your inbox).

The platform also comes with some handy features like Email Tracking, Undo Send, and Advanced Attachment Search, which helps you avoid looking for attachments manually.

Mailbird is currently available for Windows and macOS.

Front is a communication hub with a modern interface inspired by email clients. It’s an out-of-the-box solution aimed primarily at businesses that need more than an email client. Because of this, you may find its robust features and pricing structure excessive for personal or small business use.

Front doesn’t offer a free plan, and you’ll need to splurge quite a bit to use it. You can choose between four tiers:

1. Starter: $19/month billed annually

2. Growth: $59/month billed annually

3. Scale: $99/month billed annually

4. Premier: Upon request

Front offers a comprehensive set of features, some of which are overlooked by Outlook and other typical email clients. It can be connected to most major email providers and expand communication beyond them through integrations with messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

This communication hub provides detailed insight into your team’s performance and impact, as well as omnichannel messaging that lets you reach team members more easily. Front also offers analytics and reporting features that allow you to track activities and milestones. 

By using the platform’s Smart Rules, you can streamline your workflow and automate various tasks. You can also use its AI tools to generate quick responses to customers’ queries. Still, Front lacks in-depth customization options, which can be restrictive if you need to create highly tailored views to improve your workflow.

With over 14 million users worldwide, Spark is another popular alternative to Outlook. Like Mailbird, it provides a distraction-free zone and a clean interface suitable for beginners. The platform's main caveat is the lack of productivity-enhancing AI-driven features.

Spark has a free plan, so individuals and small teams can leverage its features without commitments. If you want to upgrade, there are two plans to choose from:

1. Premium Individual: $4.99/month billed annually

2. Premium Teams: $6.99/month per user billed annually

Spark comes with many useful email organization features. It offers Priority and Pin functions that allow you to highlight important contacts and organize your inbox by sender. 

The Smart Inbox feature separates unread mail from read, real messages from ads, and pinned messages from unpinned. It also automatically sorts emails into categories like personal, newsletter, and notification. If you wish to organize messages into folders and use tags and flags, you’ll have to do it manually.

One of the best things about Spark is its free plan. While somewhat limited in features, it lets you test out the environment and use most of the platform’s organization tools. The main drawback of the plan is limited storage, as you only get 5 GB for the whole team. Even if you upgrade to the highest tier, you only get 10 GB per user, which is low for a paid plan.

Another significant limitation of Spark is that its AI features, such as the “+AI” functions for email composition, editing, and summarization, are only available on the paid plan.

If you’re switching from Outlook, you’ll want an email solution that enhances your productivity. With so many options available, having clear criteria can help you make the right choice. 

In addition to reliable email functionality, here are a few other features to look out for:

• Workflow automation: Look for features that exceed basic filters, such as AI-powered sorting, intelligent labeling, and automated email management, to reduce manual effort. 

• Customization options: Check if you can tailor your inbox views and settings to match your specific work style and priorities. 

• Ecosystem integration: Consider how well the platform integrates with other essential productivity tools to help you create a seamless workflow.

• User experience and interface: Ensure the interface is intuitive, clean, and easy to navigate to keep your daily email experience smooth.

Among the available Outlook alternatives, Notion Mail stands out by closely meeting these criteria, offering advanced AI automation combined with a seamless and streamlined email experience.

Getting started with Notion Mail is simple. Sign up with your Google or Gmail account to get instant access to powerful productivity and AI automation tools. For access to more advanced features, get the .

Bonus read: Interested in learning how other tools compare or finding more alternatives? Check out our other unbiased reviews and comparison guides below: 

• Android Outlook alternative

• Apple Mail vs. Outlook

• Office 365 vs. Outlook

• Gmail vs. Outlook for business

• Zoho Mail vs. Office 365

• Fastmail vs. Gmail

• Tutanota vs. Proton Mail

• Proton Mail vs. Gmail