Choosing between Gmail vs Outlook for business is a big decision. These are the tools your team will use every day to communicate, schedule, share and collaborate.
Both are trusted by millions of organisations. Both come with a full suite of features. But when it comes to real business use, there are some clear differences.
In this blog, we take a closer look at Gmail vs Outlook for business, including key areas like usability, collaboration, security and admin control.
Table of Contents
- Email Experience and Usability
- Gmail vs Outlook Security
- Business Pricing Compared
- Collaboration and Workflow Integration
- Storage and File Management
- Admin Controls and Support
- Is Gmail or Outlook Better for Your Business?
- Ready to Decide?
Gmail vs Outlook for Business: A Quick Overview
Gmail sits at the heart of Google Workspace, alongside Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and Drive. Everything is browser‑first, though an offline‑capable progressive‑web‑app lets you keep working without a connection.
Outlook lives inside Microsoft 365, working hand‑in‑hand with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. Outlook is equally comfortable in the browser or as a rich desktop app.
Both platforms deliver custom business email addresses, calendars, mobile access and robust admin tooling. Your decision often comes down to which ecosystem you’re already invested in and how your users prefer to work.
Email Experience and Usability
Gmail is clean and intuitive. The interface is easy to navigate, with smart filters and helpful features like Smart Compose and Priority Inbox. It is designed for speed and clarity, which makes it ideal for teams who want simplicity and efficiency.
Outlook offers more customisation but comes with a more complex layout. It works well for users who are familiar with Microsoft’s traditional apps. For new users, it can feel busy and sometimes harder to manage.
Best for ease of use: Gmail
Gmail vs Outlook Security
Security is one of the most important factors in choosing an email platform for business. Both Gmail and Outlook offer strong protection against threats like phishing and malware, but they take different approaches.
Gmail is built on Google’s secure cloud infrastructure. Even on the Business Starter plan, it includes AI-powered threat detection, two-step verification and a user-friendly admin console. Some advanced features, like attachment sandboxing and data loss prevention, are only available on higher plans, but the default security setup is still very strong.
Outlook, through Microsoft 365 Business Basic, also includes essential protection through Exchange Online Protection. Features like Safe Links, message encryption and conditional access are not included at this level and require either add-ons or upgrades. The admin tools are powerful but can be more complex to manage, especially for smaller teams without IT support.
If your priority is strong, built-in protection that is easy to manage, Gmail is the more accessible choice.
Best for simple and effective email security: Gmail
Gmail vs Outlook: Business Pricing Compared
When comparing Gmail vs Outlook for business, pricing plays a big role in the decision. Both platforms follow a subscription model and offer different pricing tiers depending on the size of your organisation and the features you need.
To keep the comparison simple, we are looking at the monthly pay-as-you-go prices and focusing on the first two tiers from each provider.
Gmail for Business (Google Workspace)
Google Workspace starts at £5.90 per user per month with the Business Starter plan. This gives you custom email addresses, 30GB of pooled storage per user, access to core tools like Gmail, Google Docs, Meet and Drive, along with standard admin and security controls.
The next level up is Business Standard, priced at £11.80 per user per month. This plan includes 2TB of pooled storage per user, enhanced video meeting features like noise cancellation and recording, and full access to Google's AI tools including Gemini and NotebookLM Plus. These AI features are already included in the subscription and do not require any additional payment.
Outlook for Business (Microsoft 365)
Microsoft 365 begins with the Business Basic plan at £5.52 per user per month. This includes email hosting, web access to Office apps like Word and Excel, 1TB of OneDrive storage and Teams for video calls. However, this plan only includes web versions of Microsoft’s apps.
To get the desktop apps such as Outlook, Word and Excel, you will need the Business Standard plan, which costs £11.52 per user per month. This adds more collaboration features such as webinar tools and desktop integration, but AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are not included in this price. These must be purchased separately as add-ons.
What to consider
On paper, Gmail and Outlook appear closely matched in price. The difference becomes more noticeable when you look at what is actually included.
Google includes its Gemini AI assistant and NotebookLM Plus within the standard subscription, so every user already has access to smart AI features across Gmail, Docs, Sheets and more. Microsoft, by contrast, charges extra for its AI offering through Copilot, which is not included in the base plans.
If your organisation wants access to built-in AI tools without additional costs, Google Workspace offers stronger value and simpler pricing.
Best for all-in-one value: Gmail
Collaboration and Workflow Integration
As part of Google Workspace, Gmail is deeply connected to Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet. You can collaborate on a document from your inbox, jump into a video call with one click, or assign tasks in real time.
Outlook integrates with Microsoft tools, especially Teams and Word. It is powerful, but the experience can feel fragmented. You often need to jump between apps to complete simple tasks, which can slow down your team.
If your organisation values collaboration without the back-and-forth, Gmail is built for modern workflows.
Best for collaboration and productivity: Gmail
Storage and File Management
Gmail for business uses pooled storage across the organisation, starting at 30GB on Business Starter and increasing to 2TB on Business Standard. This flexible model means storage can be shared across Gmail, Drive and other Workspace apps, depending on where it is most needed. Files can be attached directly from Google Drive and opened or edited in the browser with no downloads required.
Outlook, through Microsoft 365 Business Basic, provides 50GB of mailbox storage per user and includes 1TB of OneDrive storage for files per employee. This setup works well, especially for organisations already using Microsoft apps. However, it does not match the same level of seamless, browser-based collaboration that Google Workspace offers by default.
Best for flexible storage and smooth file collaboration: Gmail
Admin Controls and Support
Both Gmail and Outlook provide admin dashboards to manage users, permissions and settings.
Outlook’s admin centre is highly capable but better suited to experienced IT teams. The interface can be overwhelming for smaller businesses or those without in-house technical support.
Gmail’s admin console is clean and clear. Most teams can handle setup and maintenance with minimal training. Cobry also offers managed services and expert support for those who want a trusted partner to handle the details.
Best for simple, effective admin control: Gmail
Is Gmail or Outlook Better for Your Business?
Here is the honest answer. It depends on how your teams prefer to work.
If your organisation is already using Microsoft tools and values the familiarity of desktop software, Outlook will do the job.
But if you are looking for a modern, cloud-first approach that supports collaboration, ease of use and fast decision-making, Gmail is the stronger option.
Ready to Decide or Thinking About Switching?
Whether you're still weighing up Gmail vs Outlook for your business, or you are already using Outlook and thinking about making the switch, we can help.
At Cobry, we support organisations through every step of the journey with Google Workspace. From planning and migration to training and ongoing support, we make sure your team gets the most out of the tools.
Get in touch and let’s chat about what moving to Gmail could look like for your business.
