Gmail is the most popular email provider globally, leading in market share for both personal and business use due to its powerful search, integration with other Google services, generous storage, and advanced features like email scheduling and undo send. Microsoft Outlook (including Hotmail) and Yahoo Mail are major competitors, while services like ProtonMail and Tutanota gain popularity for enhanced privacy and security.
Protonmail or Tutanota: The security-forward Gmail alternatives. If you're looking for more security and privacy features than Gmail, then you'll want to swap in Protonmail or Tutanota as your email service provider. They both offer true end-to-end encryption which Gmail does not.
The best email provider in Australia depends on your needs, with Gmail being great for overall features and integration, Proton Mail and Tuta (Tutanota) leading for privacy and encryption, and Fastmail offering a strong balance of simplicity, speed, and privacy, especially good for migrating from services like Bigpond. For businesses, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer powerful tools, while Zoho Mail provides excellent value.
Outlook can be used individually as a standalone application. However, it's usually used for business purposes as a multi-user software for shared functionalities. Its popularity is only second to Gmail — Outlook has more than 400 million worldwide users daily (16% of users are in the US.).
Choose Apple Mail if you value simplicity, privacy, and tight integration with iOS and macOS. It's perfect for Apple users who want a clean, distraction-free inbox. Choose Gmail if you need advanced features, powerful search, AI tools, and cross-platform compatibility.
There isn't one single "most hacked" provider, but Gmail (Google) and Microsoft Outlook are the most targeted due to their massive user bases, making them prime targets for attackers, with reports showing massive increases in attempts against Gmail and Microsoft being the most impersonated brand in phishing. While these giants face high attack volumes, their security is robust; services like Proton Mail and Tuta (Tutanota) are considered more secure for privacy due to features like zero-access encryption, though they are less frequently targeted because of smaller user bases.
Privacy Concerns and Ads
However, that data collection can feel like an invasion of privacy as Google scans Gmail for usable information. And speaking of ads, those advertisements are also a con of using Gmail as they display right within the interface making them distracting as well as annoying.
Gmail and Outlook are the two most used email providers worldwide. Although it all boils down to personal preference, many find that Outlook provides more features beneficial to businesses, prioritizing structure and integration with other Microsoft tools.
Microsoft is continuing its journey of modernising the Outlook experience, and that means one big change: the classic Desktop Outlook is being phased out, with users gradually being moved over to the New Outlook.
Gmail offers strong built-in spam and phishing protection, while Outlook becomes stronger when upgraded to Microsoft 365 security features. Deliverability depends more on your setup than the provider.
For the most secure free email, Proton Mail and Tuta (formerly Tutanota) are top choices due to strong end-to-end encryption (E2EE), zero-access encryption, and strong privacy laws in their host countries (Switzerland/Germany), blocking trackers, hiding IP addresses, and offering features like self-destructing messages in their free tiers. Mailfence also offers good security with OpenPGP encryption and a free plan, while open-source desktop clients like Thunderbird provide security when paired with encrypted email providers.
If your email ends in @gmail.com , @outlook.com , @icloud.com or similar, then great news — you're free to switch internet providers without worrying at all. Your email is not tied to your internet service, so you can change plans or companies anytime without it affecting your inbox.
ProtonMail is the most well-known secure email provider. It's open source, based in Switzerland, and provides end-to-end asymmetric encryption. You can use ProtonMail for free if you're sending fewer than 150 messages per day and don't need a lot of storage. One neat feature of ProtonMail is self-destructing emails.
If you want to keep your email simple, eM Client is a great option. It's an email app that enables you to receive and send emails easily, without any additional hassle. It does have various advanced features as well, but is still comfortable to use for the elderly, thanks to its simple user interface.
The best Gmail trick is Plus Addressing: you can add a + sign and any word (e.g., [email protected]) to your email address, and all mail still arrives in your main inbox, letting you easily filter, organize, or track spam from different sign-ups without creating new accounts. You can also use dots (e.g., [email protected]) as they are ignored by Gmail, giving you more variations for organizing emails.
Corrupted Outlook data files: Having damaged PST or OST files may cause instability and crash the application prematurely. This could cause Outlook to crash while opening. Add-ins Conflicts: Add-ins are small software-like features within the Outlook application.
Outlook for Windows is being rebranded to "Outlook Classic," which indicates that New Outlook is here to stay. Starting in late July 2024, Outlook for Windows will be rebranded as "Outlook Classic" to differentiate it from the New Outlook email client. The new name will apply to version 2407 and above.
Should I use Outlook or Gmail for work? Both Outlook and Gmail are reliable for day-to-day email. The right choice depends on your organization's ecosystem: Microsoft 365 environments typically prefer Outlook, while Google Workspace environments favor Gmail for its simplicity and collaboration features.
Below, you will see some of the most common issues that users run into, and what the most efficient way to troubleshoot Outlook is.
Microsoft Outlook is an email and personal information manager software primarily used in professional settings. As part of the Microsoft Office suite, it offers email management, contact storage, calendar scheduling, and task tracking.
The 8 Best Gmail Alternatives for 2026
The core flaws of the Gmail experience for me
Gmail's Promotions and Social tabs were a flimsy barrier against a flood of machine-generated mail. Gmail couldn't tell these emails were auto-generated since real people sent them. The flood of notifications was constantly drowning out important messages.
For top-tier security, Proton Mail and Tuta (formerly Tutanota) lead, offering end-to-end encryption (E2EE), zero-access storage, and strong privacy policies, with Proton based in Switzerland and Tuta in Germany, making them ideal for sensitive data. Other strong contenders include Mailbox.org, Hushmail, and PreVeil, catering to specific needs like HIPAA compliance or professional use, while even major providers like Gmail and Outlook offer robust standard security (2FA, encryption) but less privacy than specialized services.