Free Alternatives for Outlook for Mac

Mac email programs and services that do not expire

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on June 17, 2020
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

Outlook for Mac is not free. You can't download Outlook on your Mac for free unless you try it out as a free 30-day trial version of Microsoft 365. You can use the free webmail version of Outlook at Outlook.com, or there are other POP and IMAP email clients that you may want to explore.

Is there a free Outlook for Mac download?

Information in this article applies to Outlook for Mac.

Outlook for Mac in Microsoft 365 and Alternatives

When you download the Microsoft 356 30-day trial you're asked for your credit card number. You can cancel anytime or continue to use Microsoft 365 for a monthly charge.

The free download gives you access to Outlook and the other Microsoft 365 programs for 30 days on up to five Macs or PCs. You can also install the Office mobile apps on up to five tablets and five phones.

You will get up to 1 TB of cloud storage per user for up to five users. If you have multiple devices and users in your household, you may find it of value.

You don't need Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 to store files online.

Microsoft 365 is a subscription service, meaning that you receive regular updates instead of purchasing and installing updates. If you prefer, you can re-enable full functionality by purchasing a copy of Office for Mac or the product key that allows you to continue using it.

Free Outlook for Mac Alternatives

Outlook has its advantages, especially if you use it at work or at home. The cross-functionality between Mac, PC, tablet, and phone apps ease the learning curve. However, it isn't the only choice.

For free Mac email programs and services that do not expire, consider these choices:

Top Free Mac Email Programs. These email clients can be used with POP and IMAP to handle your email. These programs retain email message copies on your Mac rather than on the cloud or webmail servers.

An advantage of these clients is that messages can be migrated to a different email client. You can import Outlook messages into a new client, and vice versa. If you have multiple email accounts, look for clients that handle multiple addresses.

Top Free Web-Based Email Services. If you don't need an offline email client on your Mac, use a free webmail service to manage your email online from any web browser or computer, regardless of the operating system whether it's Mac, Windows, Android, or Linux.

A disadvantage of these services is the advertisements. There are paid options that are less expensive than Microsoft Office and have different features.

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