Outlook.com review

Outlook.com is a sensible choice for people who already use Windows or Microsoft Office. The free account works on the web and in the Outlook apps, with a Focused inbox that sorts messages you need to act on from everything else, and the same app can manage Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud accounts. Paying is where it gets interesting: Microsoft 365 Basic costs $1.99 a month on the US App Store and, according to Microsoft, gives a secure, ad-free inbox with 100 GB of mailbox storage plus 100 GB of cloud storage. Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month adds 1 TB, the desktop Office apps and Copilot. The downsides are ads on the free tier, AI features that are excluded from Basic, and no end-to-end encryption option for ordinary personal mail.

Who it is for

Windows users and Microsoft 365 subscribers

Price

Free with ads; Microsoft 365 Basic $1.99 per month, Personal $9.99 and Family $12.99 as in-app purchases on the US App Store.

Microsoft 365 Basic $1.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Microsoft 365 Basic gives an ad-free Outlook inbox with 100 GB of mailbox storage
• Focused inbox separates mail you need to act on
• Outlook apps also connect Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud accounts
• Open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments
• Microsoft 365 Personal and Family add 1 TB of cloud storage per person

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Ad-free mail and 100 GB mailbox from $1.99 a month
• Strength: Works well alongside Office documents
• Strength: One app can manage Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud accounts
• Weakness: Free accounts show ads
• Weakness: Copilot features require Personal or Family, not Basic
• Weakness: No end-to-end encryption for personal mail

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, with ads
• Cheapest paid plan: Microsoft 365 Basic, $1.99 per month
• Paid mailbox: 100 GB, ad-free
• Cloud storage: 100 GB on Basic, 1 TB on Personal
• Other accounts: Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud supported in the app

Where it ranks

Outlook.com is No. 6 in our Best Email Providers verdict.