Apple Mail (officially known as Mail) is an email client included by Apple Inc.
That brings up another key difference between Gmail and Apple Mail. While Gmail is both an email client and an email service, Apple Mail is only an email client. An email client is an application, like Apple Mail or Android Mail, which you use to access your emails.
Also known as Mail on iOS devices, Apple Mail is an email client that serves as a huge inbox for all your mail accounts. You can view all inboxes or tap specific accounts. This app is only for use on iOS or macOS operating systems. It uses SMPT servers, POP3, Exchange and IMAP for messages and S/MIME for encryption.
iCloud email is a popular email service offered by Apple, and it requires SMTP server settings to send emails. The SMTP server for iCloud email is smtp.mail.me.com. This is the server that your email client (such as Outlook or Thunderbird) uses to send messages to other email addresses.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Tap iCloud Mail (or Mail), then follow the onscreen instructions to create an iCloud Mail address.
iCloud Mail: The email service you didn't know about
It's certainly not because the service isn't user-friendly. Instead, the lack of adoption is most likely due to the fact that Apple doesn't actively promote the service and that there are plenty of free or low-cost alternatives available on the market.
Check whether your account is offline or disabled (inactive). If you're missing emails from a specific person or group, check whether you blocked messages from them. Try quitting Mail, then opening it again. Choose Window > Connection Doctor, then follow any instructions in the Details column.
While it provides useful features like quick search, spam filters, and scheduling emails, Apple Mail isn't as feature-rich as Outlook. You can still benefit from it if you're looking for an easy-to-use solution with basic functionalities.
Gmail. Google services are a great solution for people with an Android smartphone but they also work well with Apple. Google includes IMAP with 15 GB of storage as part of their free Gmail service. Like iCloud, Google has a wide range of services that go beyond email.
Outlook for iOS works with Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Outlook.com (including Hotmail and MSN), Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and iCloud. To make an in-app purchase of a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, open the app, go to Settings, and tap on Upgrade next to your Outlook.com or Hotmail.com account.
iCloud Mail is a free professional email address for Apple users. iCloud gives you up to 5GB of storage for emails, documents, and other data stored in the cloud.
The official Gmail app brings the best of Gmail to your iPhone or iPad with robust security, real-time notifications, multiple account support, and search that works across all your mail.
If you already use Apple products, then iCloud email may be the best choice. However, Google's long-standing reputation for security and its integration with productivity apps give Gmail the edge. Plus, most services now allow for Gmail to be used for login credentials, so it has become more universal.
Launch System Preferences by clicking on its Dock icon or by selecting System Preferences from the Apple menu. Select the Mail, Contacts & Calendars preference pane. Select Gmail. Enter your Gmail email address and password, and then click Set Up.
[Related: How to sync all your email accounts]
On a Mac, select the relevant messages in your Google mailbox, then drag them over to a folder in your iCloud mailbox. On an iPhone or iPad, find and select the messages to move, tap Edit and Move, and pick the destination folder in your iCloud mailbox.
If you just need the email basics, Apple Mail is one of the best. Most folks with an iPhone should start by giving it a try—if it doesn't work for you, then you can move on to another app on this list. Deciding between Apple Mail and Gmail?
"Great way to integrate multiple emails"
I really like that I am able to sync all of my emails onto my Apple Mail. I have my school, work, and personal emails all in the same place. I can quickly scan my inbox for anything important, or look at just one email at a time.
You can view your iCloud mail, contacts, and calendar in Microsoft Outlook. Before getting started, make sure you've set up an @icloud.com email address. See Create a primary email address for iCloud Mail in the iCloud User Guide. On your Windows computer, open iCloud for Windows.
With iCloud, you can create an iCloud Mail address and send and receive mail on all your devices. You can also keep Mail settings up to date. If you subscribe to iCloud+, you can set up a custom email domain to personalize iCloud Mail.
Restart your iPhone. Go to App Store and download the Mail app again. Finally, go to Settings > Mail and re-enable your email accounts.
As you can see, the main difference between Apple Mail and iCloud Mail is that they are two different Apple products. Apple Mail can be only used on Apple devices like Mac, iPhone, or iPad. But you can use iCloud Mail on any device since it's a web service.