Outlook for Mac is Microsoft's all-in-one app: mail, calendar and contacts, best at home in Microsoft 365 and Exchange, and free to use. GotEmail is a native Mac app that does one thing, mail, for every provider you use. If your day revolves around Teams meetings and a shared work calendar, Outlook makes sense. If it revolves around several inboxes, read on.
At a glance
| Outlook for Mac | GotEmail | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; more with Microsoft 365 | $6.99/month, $79/year, or Lifetime ($79 for the next 100) |
| Focus | Mail, calendar, contacts | Mail, with invitations and contacts |
| Microsoft accounts | Outlook.com, Microsoft 365, Exchange | Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, Microsoft 365, signed in with Microsoft |
| Other accounts | Google, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP | Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail, Zoho, any IMAP |
| AI | Depends on your Microsoft plan | Drafts and summaries built in; or your own AI key |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Outlook's | Mac keys, Gmail's single keys, or your own |
| Sign-in codes up front | — | Beside the subject, in a banner, in the menu bar |
Mail first
Outlook carries a calendar, a people view and much of Microsoft 365 with it. GotEmail keeps to mail and makes it quick: All Inboxes for every account, labels that span them, a search that asks your server too, and a quick reply under every message. Calendar invitations still show at the top of the message, and Add to Calendar sends them to the calendar app you already use.
Your Microsoft account, signed in with Microsoft
GotEmail opens Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Microsoft 365 accounts the way Microsoft asks: you sign in on Microsoft's own page, and GotEmail never sees your password. Custom domains on Microsoft 365 work too. See Outlook on Mac with GotEmail for the details.
Sign-in codes and everyday speed
Codes and magic links show beside the subject, in a banner over any app and in the menu bar for 15 minutes. Send Later and Snooze run on your Mac. One-click Unsubscribe, blocked tracking pixels and read receipts in Activity keep the inbox in order.
Privacy
GotEmail has no account and no server of its own. Mail goes between your Mac and your mail provider, passwords and tokens stay in the macOS Keychain, and every network request the app makes is listed in our privacy policy.
Which one is for you?
Choose Outlook if…
- Your work runs on Microsoft 365 and Teams.
- You want mail and calendar in one window.
- You want a free app.
Choose GotEmail if…
- Your mail is spread across Gmail, iCloud, Outlook and more.
- You want a fast, mail-only Mac app.
- You want sign-in codes, AI drafts and your own shortcuts.
Questions
Does GotEmail work with Outlook.com and Microsoft 365?
Yes. Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Microsoft 365 work accounts, custom domains included, sign in with Microsoft on Microsoft's own page. No password is typed into GotEmail.
Is Outlook for Mac free?
Yes, Microsoft made Outlook for Mac free to use without a Microsoft 365 subscription. Some features still depend on your Microsoft account or license.
Does GotEmail have a calendar like Outlook?
No, GotEmail is a mail app. It does show calendar invitations at the top of the message, with the time in your time zone and the meeting link, and Add to Calendar puts the event in the calendar you already use.
Can I use GotEmail for work mail on Microsoft 365?
Yes, as long as your organization lets you sign in to mail apps. GotEmail signs in with Microsoft, the same way Microsoft's own apps do.
Why choose GotEmail over a free app?
If Outlook works for you, keep it. GotEmail is for people who mostly need mail across several providers and want sign-in codes one click away, AI drafts and summaries, Send Later and Snooze in a smaller app that gets updates every week.