Free Microsoft Outlook alternatives

Top Email Clients & Providers like Microsoft Outlook

Updated Oct 12, 2026

The most popular alternative to Microsoft Outlook is Gmail, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Microsoft Outlook are Thunderbird, Apple Mail, eM Client, and Google Calendar.

Most alternatives to Microsoft Outlook are in the Email Clients & Providers category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Microsoft Outlook alternatives

All Free Open source

11 apps

Gmail
4.7(2.4M) · App Store
Gmail is Google's email service, used through the web and mobile apps or any IMAP client. It offers automatic spam filtering, labels and inbox categories, fast search, scheduled sending and close links with Calendar, Drive and Meet. Personal accounts are free and share storage with Drive and Photos, while Google Workspace adds custom domains and admin tools; Gemini can draft and summarize emails.
12 Gmail alternatives
Pros
Excellent spam filtering and fast search
Tight links with Google Calendar, Drive and Meet
Free personal accounts on web, mobile and any IMAP client
Cons
Free storage is shared with Drive and Photos and fills up quickly
Google’s data practices raise privacy concerns
Custom domains require a paid Google Workspace plan
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Web iPhone Android
Features
AI assistant Custom email domain Offline mode Send later Two-factor authentication
Visit website More about Gmail
Thunderbird
Thunderbird is a free and open-source email client for Windows, macOS and Linux, with an Android app based on K-9 Mail. It manages multiple accounts in a unified inbox and includes a calendar, address book, chat and built-in OpenPGP encryption. Add-ons and themes customize it extensively, and it is developed by MZLA Technologies, a Mozilla Foundation subsidiary funded by user donations.
9 Thunderbird alternatives
Pros
Free and open source, funded by donations rather than ads
Built-in OpenPGP encryption, calendar and address book
Highly customizable with add-ons and themes
Cons
Interface feels busier than minimalist modern clients
Getting the most out of it takes some setup and add-ons
Cost / License
FreeOpen source
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Windows Mac Linux Android
Features
Ad-free Calendar view End-to-end encryption Offline mode Plugins & extensions Unified inbox
Visit website More about Thunderbird
Apple Mail
Apple Mail is the email app included with macOS, iOS and iPadOS, supporting iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and other IMAP accounts in a unified inbox. It offers send later, follow-up reminders, smart search and Mail Privacy Protection, which hides your IP address and stops senders from seeing when you open messages. With iCloud+, Hide My Email creates random addresses that forward to your inbox.
9 Apple Mail alternatives
Pros
Free and preinstalled on Mac, iPhone and iPad
Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP and blocks open tracking
Unified inbox for iCloud, Gmail, Exchange and IMAP accounts
Cons
Only available on Apple devices
Few power-user features or extensions compared with dedicated clients
Hide My Email requires an iCloud+ subscription
Cost / License
FreeProprietary
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Mac iPhone
Features
Ad-free Email aliases Send later Tracker blocking Unified inbox
Visit website More about Apple Mail
eM Client
eM Client is a desktop email client for Windows and macOS that brings email, calendar, tasks, contacts and notes together in one app. It works with Gmail, Exchange, Microsoft 365, iCloud and IMAP accounts, and includes built-in PGP encryption, snoozing, send later and quick templates. A free version is available for personal use with a limited number of accounts, and the Pro license unlocks the rest.
7 eM Client alternatives
Pros
Email, calendar, tasks, contacts and notes in one desktop app
Built-in PGP encryption without extra plugins
Works with Gmail, Exchange, Microsoft 365, iCloud and IMAP
Cons
Free version is for personal use with a limited number of accounts
No Linux version, only Windows and Mac
Interface can feel dense because of its many features
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Windows Mac
Features
Calendar view End-to-end encryption Send later Templates Unified inbox
Visit website More about eM Client
Google Calendar
4.5(132.3K) · App Store
Google Calendar is a free calendar service tied to your Google account, with shared calendars, event invitations, events detected from Gmail and Google Meet links added to meetings. Appointment schedules provide simple booking pages, and Google Workspace accounts add features such as focus time, working locations and room booking.
12 Google Calendar alternatives
Pros
Free and tightly integrated with Gmail and Google Meet
Calendar sharing and event invitations are easy to manage
Appointment schedules provide simple booking pages
Cons
Advanced appointment schedule options require a paid Workspace plan
No official desktop app, only web and mobile
Cost / License
FreeProprietary
Categories
Scheduling & Calendars
Platforms
Web iPhone Android
Features
Booking pages Calendar view Cross-device sync Integrations Team collaboration
Visit website More about Google Calendar
Spark
4.6(82.7K) · App Store
Spark is an email client from Readdle that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud and other IMAP accounts on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Its smart inbox separates personal mail, notifications and newsletters, and it supports send later, snoozing, a gatekeeper for new senders and AI writing help. Teams can share email threads, comment on them privately and draft replies together.
11 Spark alternatives
Pros
Smart inbox separates personal mail, notifications and newsletters
Shared threads and private comments for team email
Gatekeeper screens new senders before they reach the inbox
Cons
Sync relies on Readdle’s servers, which raises privacy questions
AI and team features require a paid plan
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Windows Mac iPhone Android
Features
AI assistant Send later Team collaboration Unified inbox
Visit website More about Spark
Zoho Mail
4.6(8K) · App Store
Zoho Mail is an ad-free business email service from Zoho that hosts mailboxes on your own domain, with calendar, contacts, tasks and notes included. Admins get a control panel for users, security policies and retention, and the service integrates with Zoho's office, CRM and collaboration apps through Zoho Workplace. A free plan is available for small teams, with paid plans adding more storage and features.
8 Zoho Mail alternatives
Pros
Ad-free business email on your own domain, with a free plan
Admin console for users, security policies and retention
Integrates with Zoho’s office, CRM and collaboration apps
Cons
Free plan lacks IMAP and POP access for desktop clients
Interface feels less polished than Gmail or Outlook
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Web iPhone Android
Features
Ad-free Calendar view Custom email domain Integrations Two-factor authentication
Visit website More about Zoho Mail
Proton Mail
4.8(48.7K) · App Store
Proton Mail is an end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland. Messages between Proton users are encrypted automatically, emails to others can be password-protected, and stored mail uses zero-access encryption so Proton cannot read it. Its apps are open source, paid plans add custom domains and more addresses, and it is part of a suite with Proton Calendar, Drive, VPN and Pass.
9 Proton Mail alternatives
Pros
End-to-end and zero-access encryption protect stored mail
Based in Switzerland, with open source apps
Part of a suite with Proton Calendar, Drive, VPN and Pass
Cons
Free plan is tight on storage and addresses
Using IMAP clients requires Proton Mail Bridge and a paid plan
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Web Windows Mac Linux iPhone Android
Features
Custom email domain Email aliases End-to-end encryption Send later Tracker blocking Two-factor authentication
Visit website More about Proton Mail
Fantastical
4.2(24.5K) · App Store
Fantastical is a calendar app from Flexibits, first built for Apple devices and now also available on Windows, that creates events and reminders from plain sentences such as lunch with Sam Friday at noon. It combines Google, iCloud and Exchange calendars, adds calendar sets, weather and meeting proposals, and a Premium subscription unlocks Openings booking pages.
8 Fantastical alternatives
Pros
Natural language input turns plain sentences into events
Combines Google, iCloud and Exchange calendars in one view
Calendar sets switch between work and personal contexts
Cons
Many features require a Premium subscription
No Android app, unlike most rival calendar apps
Cost / License
FreemiumProprietary
Categories
Scheduling & Calendars
Platforms
Windows Mac iPhone
Features
Booking pages Calendar view Cross-device sync Integrations Natural language input
Visit website More about Fantastical
Notion Calendar
4.7(7.6K) · App Store
Notion Calendar, formerly Cron, is a free calendar for desktop, web and iPhone that works on top of Google Calendar accounts and connects to Notion databases, so pages with dates appear next to meetings. It is designed for keyboard-heavy users, with many shortcuts, a menu bar for joining calls, multiple time zones and availability sharing.
8 Notion Calendar alternatives
Pros
Free, fast and designed for keyboard use
Shows dated Notion database pages next to meetings
Handles multiple time zones and availability sharing well
Cons
Built on Google Calendar accounts, a poor fit for Outlook or iCloud users
Few planning features beyond the link with Notion
Cost / License
FreeProprietary
Categories
Scheduling & Calendars
Platforms
Web Windows Mac iPhone
Features
Calendar view Cross-device sync Dark mode Integrations
Visit website More about Notion Calendar
Mailspring
17.9Kstars
Mailspring is a free, open-source desktop email client for Windows, macOS and Linux that works with Gmail, Office 365, iCloud and any IMAP account. It offers a unified inbox, fast search, themes and templates, and runs its mail sync engine locally rather than in the cloud. An optional Pro subscription adds read receipts, link tracking, send later and reminders.
7 Mailspring alternatives
Pros
Free and open source on Windows, Mac and Linux
Sync engine runs locally rather than through a cloud service
Unified inbox, themes and templates in a clean interface
Cons
Send later, reminders and read receipts require Pro
A Mailspring ID account is required even for the free version
No mobile apps to go with the desktop client
Cost / License
FreemiumOpen source
Categories
Email Clients & Providers
Platforms
Windows Mac Linux
Features
Dark mode Email tracking Send later Templates Unified inbox
Visit website More about Mailspring

Microsoft Outlook vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Microsoft Outlook, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Microsoft Outlook vs its alternatives at a glance
App	Pricing	Platforms
Microsoft Outlook	Freemium	Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android
Gmail	Freemium	Web, iPhone, Android
Thunderbird	FreeOpen source	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Apple Mail	Free	Mac, iPhone
eM Client	Freemium	Windows, Mac
Google Calendar	Free	Web, iPhone, Android

Microsoft Outlook alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Microsoft Outlook?

The most popular alternative to Microsoft Outlook is Gmail: Google's free email service with smart filtering. Other great alternatives are Thunderbird, Apple Mail, eM Client, and Google Calendar.