Short answer: Apple Mail is the better choice if you only use Apple devices: it's free, has no ads, connects straight to your email provider and includes Apple Intelligence on recent devices. Outlook is better if you use Microsoft 365 for work, want your calendar and contacts in the same app, or need the same app on Windows and Android. Outlook is free on Mac and iPhone too, but shows ads unless you pay for Microsoft 365.
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail, another email app, which we mention at the end. Facts were checked on Apple's and Microsoft's own sites in October 2026.
Apple Mail vs Outlook at a glance
| Apple Mail | Outlook | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free with ads; ad-free from $1.99/month (Microsoft 365 Basic) |
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android, web |
| Calendar and contacts | Separate Calendar and Contacts apps | Built into the same app |
| Inbox sorting | Categories, Priority Messages, VIPs, Smart Mailboxes | Focused and Other tabs |
| AI | Apple Intelligence, free on supported devices | Copilot with Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99/month) and up |
| Encryption | S/MIME | S/MIME; Microsoft 365 Message Encryption on qualifying plans |
| Gmail and iCloud accounts | Connects directly | Can sync a copy to Microsoft's cloud |
| Work accounts | Exchange and Microsoft 365 supported | Needs a Microsoft 365 licence with desktop apps |
On the Mac
Apple Mail is built into macOS. It brings your accounts together in All Inboxes, sorts mail into categories, puts time-sensitive messages at the top with Priority Messages, and lets you build rules and Smart Mailboxes that collect mail by any criteria. You can mark up to 100 people as VIPs, undo a send, schedule mail and get reminders to follow up. Your calendar lives in the separate Calendar app.
Outlook for Mac is free from the Mac App Store and works with Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and IMAP accounts. It keeps mail, calendar and contacts in one app, splits your inbox into Focused and Other, and has rules and saved searches. Some features, like send later and read receipts, need Microsoft 365, and a built-in task list is still listed as upcoming. If you sign in with a work or school Microsoft 365 account, your organization's licence has to include the desktop apps.
Verdict: Apple Mail for personal mail on a Mac; Outlook if you want one app for mail and calendar, or your work runs on Microsoft 365.
On the iPhone
Apple Mail on iPhone has categories, Remind Me, VIPs and Hide My Email (with iCloud+), and you can add an Outlook.com account in Settings in a few taps; Microsoft documents the steps itself. Outlook for iPhone is free, rated 4.8 on the US App Store, and puts mail and calendar in one app, with a smart inbox that separates mail you need to act on. Work accounts on Outlook for iPhone need a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription.
Verdict: a tie. Apple Mail if you want the built-in app, Outlook if you want mail and calendar together.
AI: Apple Intelligence vs Copilot
Apple Mail's AI is part of Apple Intelligence and costs nothing extra. Writing Tools can write, rewrite and proofread, Smart Reply drafts answers, a summary appears under each unread email, and Priority Messages picks out urgent mail. It needs an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later, or an iPad or Mac with M1 or later, and not every feature is in every language or region.
Copilot in Outlook summarizes threads, drafts emails from a prompt, and coaches you on tone and clarity, on Mac, iPhone and the other Outlook apps. It also works on Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud accounts you've added to Outlook. For personal use it needs Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99 a month), Family or Premium; businesses pay for a Copilot add-on.
Verdict: Apple Mail if your device supports Apple Intelligence, since it's free. Outlook if you already pay for Microsoft 365 or need AI on Windows and Android.
Privacy and encryption
Apple Mail connects straight to your email provider. Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP address and loads images in the background so senders can't tell when you open a message, and Mail has S/MIME signing and encryption built in. Apple says Apple Intelligence runs on your device where it can, and that its Private Cloud Compute servers don't store your data.
Outlook also supports S/MIME, and qualifying Microsoft 365 business plans add Microsoft 365 Message Encryption. Two things to know: the free version shows ads, and on Mac and iPhone, Outlook can sync a copy of your Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and IMAP mail, contacts and calendar to Microsoft's data centers, which some of its features depend on. Neither app has PGP built in.
Verdict: Apple Mail, for keeping your mail between you and your provider.
Price
Apple Mail and its Apple Intelligence features are free. Outlook is free on Mac and iPhone with ads; Microsoft 365 Basic ($1.99 a month or $19.99 a year) removes them, and Personal ($9.99 a month or $99.99 a year) adds Copilot and the Office apps.
Verdict: Apple Mail.
Apple Mail vs Outlook: final verdict
Choose Apple Mail if you only use Apple devices and want a free, ad-free app that keeps your mail between you and your provider. Choose Outlook if you rely on Microsoft 365 at work, want mail, calendar and contacts in one app, or switch between a Mac and a Windows PC.
Other options
If neither fits, Canary Mail (ours) runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android, with AI writing and summaries on its $36-a-year Growth plan, tracker blocking by default and PGP encryption on Pro+. For more choices, see the best email clients for Mac, the best email apps for iPhone, or our Apple Mail vs Spark comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Outlook shutting down?
It isn't. What's ending is older software: Windows Mail and Calendar lost support on December 31, 2024, Outlook Lite for Android was retired on May 25, 2026, and the legacy Outlook for Mac stops working with Microsoft 365 mailboxes from October 2026. The current Outlook for Mac, iPhone, Windows and the web carries on, and classic Outlook for Windows is supported until at least 2029.
Can I use my Outlook account in Apple Mail?
Yes. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Mail, Mail Accounts, Add Account and choose Outlook.com; for a work Microsoft 365 account, choose Microsoft Exchange. On a Mac, add it in Mail's account settings.
Is Outlook free on Mac and iPhone?
Yes, with personal accounts, but the free version shows ads. Microsoft 365 removes them, starting at $1.99 a month. Work or school accounts need a licence from your organization.
Does Outlook work with iCloud and Gmail?
Yes. Outlook for Mac and iPhone supports iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo and IMAP accounts. Outlook can sync a copy of those accounts to Microsoft's cloud, which some of its features rely on.
What is the best email app for iPhone?
Apple Mail is a strong default if you only use Apple devices. See our guide to the best email apps for iPhone for other picks.
Is there a better email app than Apple Mail?
For Microsoft 365 work and a built-in calendar, Outlook. For AI and PGP across Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android, Canary Mail. See our Apple Mail alternatives.
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Sources
- Apple: Apple Intelligence requirements and languages
- Apple: Mail User Guide for Mac (rules, Smart Mailboxes, categories)
- Apple: Mail privacy and security
- Microsoft: licensing and access in Outlook for Mac
- Microsoft: ads in Outlook
- Microsoft: Copilot in Outlook FAQ
- Microsoft: Copilot with other email accounts
- Microsoft: encrypted email in Outlook for Mac
- Microsoft: add Outlook.com to another mail app
- Microsoft: end of support for legacy Outlook for Mac
- Microsoft 365 plans
- Canary Mail pricing