, Outlook is the third most popular email client, right after 

. 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 

 and security areas. In this article, you will learn more about those shortcomings and 

discover some alternatives for Outlook worth looking into.

As a security-first email service, Skiff never compromises your safety or privacy

Prioritize your online security

, Outlook originally focused on email management. Over the years, it has evolved into a comprehensive personal information manager. It’s most recognizable for features such as:

 with folders, labels, and rules. Outlook also supports threaded conversations, making it easy to track and respond to ongoing discussions

: You can schedule appointments, set reminders, and share calendars with colleagues

: Outlook’s task management system helps you keep track of your to-do lists. You can assign task deadlines and priorities and categorize them

: The address book in Outlook allows you to store and manage contact information. It also enables easy integration with other Microsoft services like Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams

: You can create and organize notes, as well as keep a digital journal for personal or professional insights

: Outlook integrates with other Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This allows for easy sharing and collaboration on documents

Still, Outlook is not the only email provider with such features, and some of its disadvantages are a reason enough to 

Why you should explore Outlook alternatives

Outlook comes with several limitations that damage its usability and overall user experience. Here are some key considerations.

While the service is free to use, you don’t get much unless you upgrade to a 

. The free version has ads that can cause distraction and comes with only 5 GB of cloud storage. You do get 15 GB of dedicated email storage, but an average user might need more for their files.

The only way to get more storage and remove ads is to upgrade to a paid plan, starting at 

$6.99 per month for personal users and $6 for business users

. Even those plans aren’t as comprehensive as you might need since 

you won’t get access to the desktop client

 Business Standard, which comes at $12.50/month.

 unless you upgrade—only the paid Outlook versions offer features like attachment scanning and link checking. 

, which isn’t strong enough to safeguard your correspondence.

This is a major problem because encryption is a key component of email security. There are several encryption types, but 

. Itensures that only the recipient can access plaintext email versions, so nobody else—including the provider—can see your correspondence. While Outlook offers E2EE, 

it’s only included in the highest-priced tiers

Outlook also disappoints when it comes to reliability, as many users have reported 

. It’s also not particularly well optimized for all operating systems and can be slow at times. Luckily, there are plenty of 

The above issues make Outlook a subpar option for many user categories. The good news is that you can explore various platforms that make up for its shortcomings.

While there are numerous Outlook alternatives on the market, a few 

 stand out, and this review singles out the 12 best solutions. Before dissecting them in detail, here is an overview of each option and their most notable features:

 and confidential. It has several advantages over other privacy-first providers and is suitable for personal and business use.

—Used for message encryption and shared between the sender and the recipient

—Safely stored on the user’s device and used for decryption

The platform prioritizes data privacy, so 

it does not store your login credentials and encryption keys

. Emails and data you share will remain confidential, as not even Skiff’s team can access them.

, so its codebase is available to the public. You can check out the 

The user interface is elegant and easy to navigate

—all features are laid out intuitively to maximize efficiency.

To let users communicate and share files 

, Skiff integrates with various crypto wallets, most notably:

Skiff Mail offers a generous free version

 to ensure no important features are hidden behind a paywall. The free plan gets you the following:

If you decide to upgrade, you can get up to 

The downside that Skiff shares with other email services is that it 

 offers a robust free plan and three affordable 

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, weak security makes it a subpar option for safe correspondence.

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:

—A customizable content management system designed to help companies streamline their projects

—Besides the standard document management platforms, the integration encompasses collaboration tools like Calendar, Meet, and Chat

—A comprehensive messaging app for business

, 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).

handy features like Email Tracking, Undo Send

that lets you avoid looking for attachments manually.

While Mailbird has many advantages over Outlook, 

—there’s no end-to-end encryption regardless of your chosen plan, so your correspondence may be vulnerable.

Mailbird is currently available only for Windows

. The macOS version is in development, and you can sign up for early access.

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:

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

Front is a communication hub with a modern interface inspired by email clients. It’s an out-of-the-box solution aimed primarily at 

 that need more than an email client, but its many functions come at a price that an average user might not be comfortable with.

Together with the strongest E2E encryption, Skiff Mail delivers sleek design and intuitive features

Choose true email encryption

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

This communication hub provides a 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 

, you can streamline your workflow and automate various tasks.

Front is GDPR-compliant and offers various security measures like IP restrictions, but there’s no end-to-end encryption—

the platform uses AES-256 for encryption at rest and TLS for encryption in transit.

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:

12 alternatives for Outlook you should consider

Gmail is among the most widely adopted email platforms for personal and 

The data-safety concerns paved the way for many privacy-first email providers, ProtonMail being at the forefront. The Swiss platform promises outstanding safety and confidentiality, which makes it a compelling option compared to a typical Big Tech player.

To help you see if the platform’s reputation is well deserved,

 this ProtonMail vs. Gmail comparison will show you how it stands against Google’s solution

. You will find answers to the most important questions, including:

What are the main differences between these 

 is worth considering over both solutions?

Skiff provides a robust and user-friendly email service that prioritizes security

Achieve total email security

Founded in 2014 by a team of scientists and engineers, ProtonMail was born out of the need for a more secure and private email platform.

, ensuring that only the intended recipient can decrypt and read messages. This means that even ProtonMail's servers cannot access the content of your emails. The provider operates under strict Swiss privacy laws, which are among the most rigorous in the world. This provides an added layer of protection for user data.

While privacy is ProtonMail's priority, it still offers useful emailing features. It boasts a user-friendly interface with a range of tools and functionalities 

, which you’ll learn more about in the next section.

Aside from the desktop version, ProtonMail offers dedicated 

 and iOS apps. They uphold the same standards of security and user-friendliness as their desktop counterpart.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is an 

overview of ProtonMail’s most notable advantages and disadvantages

If you’re interested in privacy-first providers with different sets of features, you can check out some 

Gmail, a product of a BigTech giant, Google, offers generous storage capacity, an intuitive interface, and seamless integration with other Google services.

security and privacy are not Gmail’s strong points

Rather, Gmail is known for its feature variety and extensive functionality. Some of the distinguishing features include powerful organizational tools like labels, filters, and priority inbox settings. Integrating with 

 also allows for attaching large files directly from the cloud.

 in terms of security, Gmail offers a sense of familiarity with a simple and accessible user interface. The clean UI and 

 make it suitable for beginners, while advanced features make it useful for power users who require integrations with other productivity tools.

Accessibility goes beyond the desktop version, as Gmail’s mobile application supports Android and iOS operating systems. Moreover, its offline capabilities ensure that users can access and compose emails even without an internet connection.

overview of Gmail’s strong and weak points

If you’re interested in how Gmail compares to providers like 

, you can find in-depth analyses of their notable features in these reviews.

Gmail vs. ProtonMail—five key differences

When choosing between any two email platforms, you should look at five criteria:

significant differences between Gmail’s and ProtonMail’s approach to these factors

, as you’ll see in the below breakdowns.

Gmail’s simplicity is one of its main selling points. Both the web and mobile apps are intuitive and easy to navigate. The familiar design features a left-hand menu with categories and labels, which can be collapsed for a clearer overview of the inbox.

ProtonMail’s interface looks similar at first glance. Composing a new email 

, which is the main complaint users have had about Gmail as well. There aren’t any significant issues besides this, as all the features are laid out clearly.

One notable difference lies in the tab view above the inbox. Gmail offers three main tabs you can use to filter your mail:

ProtonMail takes a different approach, letting users choose between seeing read, unread, and emails with files.

If customization is high on your priority list, you’ll appreciate Gmail more. Their options are more extensive, offering 30 themes to choose from, while ProtonMail has eight theme colors, including the dark mode.

there aren’t any deal-breakers when it comes to the user interface

—both options let users manage emails without clutter or complications, so the overall experience is smooth enough.

Gmail and ProtonMail offer various features to help keep your inbox clean, search through your emails, and make emailing efficient.

You can create custom labels to associate emails with any criteria you want. You can also use multiple labels per email if they don’t fit into a single category.

The aforementioned Primary, Social, and Promotions categories rely on various algorithms to recognize which email belongs in which category and sort them appropriately, keeping your inbox neat.

ProtonMail uses similar features, except 

. An email can only be in one folder at a time, but it can have any number of labels. The main drawback is that the 

free plan only includes three folders and labels

, which may not be enough if you receive a lot of mail.

Email search is another important function that Gmail makes easier. It lets you use 

advanced filters to find emails based on various criteria, 

ProtonMail lets you browse emails through similar categories, but 

—text search. You can’t search emails’ contents unless you upgrade to a 

Both providers also have a few time-saving features, though Gmail is more robust. It lets you set custom message alerts, schedule email sending, and snooze incoming mail. Smart Reply uses AI to suggest responses based on what you’re most likely to write back, though 

 with the free plan. Note that the storage is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, so it might fill up quite quickly if you use Drive to back up your files.

ProtonMail’s free account only includes 1 GB of storage

, which is quite low. If you’re an advanced user, you might have to delete emails regularly or subscribe to one of the platform’s paid plans. Even this might not be enough, as 

the highest tier caps the storage at 500 GB

both services let you upload files of up to 25 MB

. Gmail will automatically turn any larger attachments into Google Drive links, so this may be a decent way to circumvent the limitation. ProtonMail does not support such an option, so you might need to zip large files before sending them.

Gmail and ProtonMail are free to use but limited in features unless you subscribe to paid tiers.

ProtonMail’s tiers include custom domains, unlimited folders and labels, and access to Proton’s other products:

Gmail’s premium plans are more expensive, but they include up to 5 TB of storage

, compared to ProtonMail’s aforementioned 500 GB. All Gmail’s paid plans also provide features like 

, video and voice conferencing, and group policy controls.

individual Proton Unlimited plan starting at $7.99/month

Skiff offers free end-to-end encryption to all users, always prioritizing security

Choose a security-first alternative

Security is the most important factor when choosing an email service provider. Users often send sensitive information via email, which must 

. Emails stay unprotected while resting on the server, and the provider owns the decryption key.

Gmail can decrypt and access your emails at any time

. It also puts your data at risk of leaking because an attacker that manages to penetrate the server can steal the decryption keys and read plaintext email copies.

The only type of encryption that provides 

 It happens at the device level, and the data remains in encrypted form until it reaches the recipient. The decryption key is created and stored on the user’s device, ensuring no one else can read the emails’ contents.

 The problem is that it relies on the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) protocol, an 

. It doesn’t encrypt subject lines and metadata, which can be an issue if you’re looking for complete confidentiality.

This is why advanced privacy-first email services have moved away from PGP and similar subpar options.

If you need a provider that gives you full control over your data, 

How Skiff Mail protects your correspondence

Skiff Mail combines the best features of the aforementioned providers with 

. It uses strong end-to-end encryption that 

ProtonMail vs. Gmail—a detailed comparison

ProtonMail is a Switzerland-based email service that has garnered significant traction over the years among privacy-focused users. Thanks to its comprehensive 

, it is one of the most popular privacy-oriented email service providers on the market. However, it might not meet all your needs in terms of 

, overall user experience, pricing, or available features, in which case you should look into some of the best ProtonMail alternatives.

 analyze ProtonMail and its most popular competitors. 

ProtonMail’s advantages and disadvantages are

Makes for a suitable ProtonMail alternative

Other privacy-first services you should consider

Enjoy Skiff's user-friendly interface you can navigate easily even if you’re not tech-savvy

Find the perfect privacy-focused email service

Feature overview—How secure is ProtonMail?

Unlike mainstream email service giants such as 

This type of encryption ensures that your messages are secured from the moment they leave your device until they reach the intended recipient, the only person with the decryption key.

When signing up for ProtonMail, no personal information is required, so your identity remains fully hidden. Your IP address also stays invisible, which adds an extra layer of 

. If you pair Proton’s security measures with Switzerland’s strict privacy laws, it becomes quite obvious why the platform has gathered such a loyal user base.

Despite its progressiveness in the world of online privacy, ProtonMail might not completely meet all users’ needs. Security is one aspect that could use improvement as the platform implements 

 displaying numerous vulnerabilities. ProtonMail also doesn’t encrypt the subject line and metadata, which may bother some privacy-focused users.

While ProtonMail has significantly improved its user interface, making it more modern and customizable, it is not as intuitive as those from mainstream email providers. ProtonMail offers a 

 plan, but it includes only 1 GB of free storage (500 MB out of the box) and up to 150 messages a day. This may not even cover an average user’s needs and typically requires them to upgrade to one of the platform’s 

ProtonMail Plus costs $5, and Proton Unlimited costs $13 monthly for a single user. 

These plans provide more storage and advanced features but might be expensive for average consumers on a budget.

What to look for in a suitable alternative

A suitable ProtonMail alternative should deliver in all aspects that influence the overall user experience. There are four crucial factors to consider:

Skiff Mail integrates with three E2E-encrypted tools that offer unrivaled management and safety features

Get a free security-oriented ecosystem

Various email providers are well-known for their superb security measures and comprehensive sets of features, but the following seven are the 

best ProtonMail alternatives to consider:

To help you figure out what service is better than ProtonMail, considering your specific needs, we’ll cover each alternative’s security measures and standout features, focusing on their usability, functionality, and overall user experience.

 platform that uses advanced end-to-end encryption to safeguard your online communications. It ensures your messages can’t be accessed by anyone other than the intended recipient. The platform implements two separate keys to secure your emails:

—used for encryption and distributed among the users

—used for decryption and stored safely on the user’s device

Since the key is created by the recipient and never leaves their device, you can rest assured that nobody—not even Skiff’s own team—can access your messages.

Skiff is completely transparent about the code, allowing everyone to access the public 

The platform implements additional protection layers to fortify email security. You are granted 

, meaning you don’t have to give out any personal information when signing up. Skiff also enables (and encourages) 

You can enjoy a beautifully designed, user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate even if you’re not tech-savvy. Skiff’s generous free plan offers advanced features that most other services place behind a paywall:

—Skiff’s offer is well above the industry standard. You can optionally store your files on the world’s largest decentralized storage system (IPFS)

—You can have multiple Skiff email addresses all going to the same inbox

—Find your files and conversations in a few seconds

—Skiff enables you to sign up using one of the following crypto wallets as login credentials:

Skiff can’t guarantee data safety if your device is 

, which goes for any other email service. Follow the right security practices to keep your device safe.

If you want to unlock up to 1 TB of storage space, get 

, and create up to 15 aliases, Skiff offers three affordable 

 well-known for its privacy-first approach. It uses advanced end-to-end encryption for securing emails and other user data, such as a combination of AES-128 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) encryption. This means that if both you and the recipient use Tutanota, all emails will be automatically end-to-end encrypted. In case the recipient isn’t a Tutanota user, you’ll need to manually exchange private encryption keys with each other. Tutanota also has the edge over Proton because it encrypts the email’s subject line along with the body and 