Outlook — Microsoft's free webmail, calendar, and contacts client, with ad-free and 100GB-mailbox upgrades bundled into Microsoft 365 from $9.99/month.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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Outlook in 20 seconds
Best for: individuals wanting free webmail with the option to upgrade to an ad-free, larger-storage inbox via Microsoft 365
Pricing: Free ad-supported tier available; premium ad-free Outlook (100GB, Copilot) via Microsoft 365 Personal from $9.99/month or Family from $12.99/month.
- Outlook.com's free tier is ad-supported and requires no subscription.
- Ad-free, 100GB-mailbox Outlook is bundled into Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99/month or Family at $12.99/month.
- Outlook holds a 4.5/5 rating from 2,501 reviews on Capterra.
- Standalone Outlook.com Premium was closed to new subscribers in October 2017.
- Microsoft 365 Family supports up to 6 people, each getting the premium Outlook features.
Limitations: No standalone low-cost premium tier; upgrading requires a full Microsoft 365 subscription.; Free tier displays ads throughout the inbox.; Reviewers report slowdowns and sync issues with large mailboxes.
Top alternatives: Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Proton Mail, Fastmail, Zoho Mail — full list
What is Outlook?
Outlook is Microsoft's email, calendar, and contacts application, offered as free ad-supported webmail (Outlook.com) and as a desktop/mobile client bundled into Microsoft 365 subscriptions with an ad-free inbox and larger storage. Beyond sending and receiving mail, Outlook integrates a full calendar with scheduling and meeting invites, a contacts/people directory, and task management, all synced across web, desktop, and mobile apps. On Microsoft 365 plans, Outlook gains Copilot AI features for drafting, summarizing, and replying to email, along with 100GB of mailbox storage instead of the free tier's default allotment. It's used by individuals as a personal webmail client and by Microsoft 365 subscribers and businesses as the default email app tied into the rest of the Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Outlook (Outlook.com) is Microsoft's email, calendar, and contacts client, available free with ads or upgraded through a Microsoft 365 subscription for an ad-free inbox, larger mailbox storage, and Copilot AI drafting features. It's aimed at individuals wanting a full-featured free webmail service, and at Microsoft 365 subscribers who want their email integrated with Word, Excel, and Teams. The free tier requires no subscription; premium, ad-free Outlook with 100GB mailbox storage and Copilot is included in Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99/month ($99.99/year) or Family at $12.99/month ($129.99/year) for up to six people, since the standalone Outlook.com Premium subscription was discontinued for new sign-ups in 2017. Outlook holds a 4.5/5 rating from 2,501 reviews on Capterra, with reviewers praising its integration with other Microsoft apps while citing slowdowns on large mailboxes as a common complaint.
Standout feature: Unified email, calendar, contacts, and (on Microsoft 365 plans) Copilot AI drafting in one interface, tightly integrated with Word, Excel, and Teams rather than functioning as a standalone mail app.
Biggest weakness: The standalone, low-cost Outlook.com Premium subscription was discontinued for new users in 2017, so removing ads and getting 100GB of storage now requires a full Microsoft 365 subscription starting at $9.99/month rather than a cheaper email-only upgrade; reviewers also report slowdowns and sync issues with large inboxes and unreliable attachment search.
Pros
- Free tier is a fully usable webmail client with calendar and contacts, no subscription required.
- Premium features (ad-free, 100GB mailbox, Copilot) are bundled into a Microsoft 365 subscription rather than sold separately.
- Deep integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams for Microsoft 365 subscribers.
- Broad platform support across web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Cons
- Ads appear throughout the free tier.
- Ad-free and expanded-storage upgrades require a full Microsoft 365 subscription, not a low-cost Outlook-only add-on.
- Reviewers report performance slowdowns and sync issues with large mailboxes.
- Attachment search can be unreliable, according to user reviews.
Outlook pricing
Free tier · paid from $9.99/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook.com Free | Free | Ad-supported webmail with calendar, contacts, and standard mailbox storage. No subscription required. |
| Microsoft 365 Personal (Premium Outlook) | $9.99/mo | Ad-free inbox, 100GB mailbox storage, Copilot AI drafting, plus the full Microsoft 365 Personal suite and 1TB OneDrive. $99.99/year if billed annually. |
| Microsoft 365 Family (Premium Outlook) | $12.99/mo | Same premium Outlook features as Personal, shared across up to 6 people, each with their own 1TB OneDrive. $129.99/year if billed annually. |
What reviewers say
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