Reasons to Look for Outlook Alternatives on Windows 10
Same old ribbon UI Slow development Integration with other Microsoft services (Irrelevant for those using these services)No feature parity among Outlook apps on other platformsMicrosoft will eventually replace the Outlook app with the Outlook-web based client
Best Outlook Alternatives for Windows 10
1. Thunderbird
Thunderbird is one of the best third-party email clients for Windows 10. It packs a beautiful UI with all the necessary add-ons such as Calendar, Tasks, and Chat. The iconography is spot on as well. You won’t have a hard time finding the option you are looking for, something that we can’t say about the Outlook app. Thunderbird is highly customizable as well. You can personalize the look with multiple theme options and add-ons. Pros
Fast email experience Multiple theming options Open-source project Built-in Do not track and remote content blocking for a secure email experience Easily move among tabs to access email, calendar, tasks, and chatFree to use
Cons
The calendar UI is outdated
Price Free to download and use. If you like the offering, you can use the Donate button on the website. Get Thunderbird for Windows 10
2. Mailbird
Mailbird has nailed the email experience on Windows 10. And no, we are not throwing random statements out of the air. Mailbird is feature-rich, customizable with dozens of themes, offers a unified inbox, Speed Reader, and more. Mailbird’s killer feature is app integrations. You can connect popular third-party apps like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Google Drive, Asana, Todoist, and use them without leaving the email client on Windows. Pros
Custom sounds Keyboard shortcuts Multi-language support Customized sidebar Integration with third-party social and productivity apps A central Inbox experience
Cons
None
Price $49.99 as a one-time payment. You can pay via subscription as well. Get Mailbird for Windows 10
3. ProtonMail
Privacy advocates! This one is for you. Based in Switzerland, the company vows to protect user data with strict Swiss privacy laws. The UI is right up there with other modern email clients. It features a nice sidebar with the search bar at the top. ProtonMail delivers a secure environment with end-to-end encryption and no IP logs. We like the email compose add-on. It’s feature-rich and offers all the editing options you can think of. Pros
Open-source project Modern Inbox design Security and privacy at the heart Free to download and use
Cons
No unified inbox Lack of theming options
Price Free to use. Pay $5 per month for custom domain and more storage. Get ProtonMail for Windows
4. Spike
If you are fed up with Outlook’s cumbersome UI, look no further and go with Spike on Windows 10. Spike offers the best user interface on any email client on Windows 10. Yes, there we said it. That’s not all. It comes with a unique approach to take your email experience to the next level. Allow us to elaborate. Spike turns your email into simple, chat conversations, so you can work and collaborate seamlessly with clients and team members – in a more natural way. At first glance, you might mistake it for Messenger or WhatsApp on Windows. Pros
Priority Inbox to focus on most important emails Excellent and modern UI Notes integration with Google Docs like sharing functionality Live collaborationChat function with groupsTask management Available for all platforms
Cons
New users might get confused by UI and layoutExpensive No third-party apps integration
Price The free version comes with 5GB of storage. Upgrade at $8 per month to unlock more features such as 50GB storage, 200 notes, up to 10 participants in group calls, and more. Get Spike Mail for Windows
5. eM Email Client
eM offers a clean UI with all the relevant options in the sidebar and top. We like the iconography here. It’s modern-looking and plays perfectly fine with the rest of the OS. eM is available for both Windows and Mac and it offers useful functions such as contact management, instant messenger, RSS reader, and more. eM supports all the email services including Gmail, Exchange, iCloud, and Outlook. The search function surprised us. It’s lightning-quick and makes your workday productive. Pros
Available for Windows and Mac Quick search High-security standards to protect user dataFree for personal use for up to two accounts
Cons
The free version is very limited
Price 30-days of free trial and after $29.99 as a one-time payment. Get eM for Windows 10
Which Outlook You Prefer on Windows 10
Outlook desperately needs a big revamp on Windows 10. Microsoft is certainly aware of it and working on a new web-based Outlook client for both Windows and macOS. We don’t know the exact timeline or how it will look or perform. Until then, use the mentioned apps above and improve your email experience on Windows 10. As for us, the TechWiser team is currently divided between eM and Spike. Mailbird is a solid option as well. Those worried about privacy should take a look at ProtonMail.
