[REQUEST] Outlook Alternative

[Blues]

I find the most frequent application people look for that has few well known freeware or budget friendly options is an email client. Back in Windows 7 and earlier the built in email client was decent enough for most people but I get complaints from users of it today and I myself really dislike it. I have tried a few I can find but none really seem to satisfy myself or customers. Customers either deal with the few aspects they dislike or purchase some version of MS to get Outlook so Outlook has become the model I compare to for general satisfaction. What do you all recommend for email application besides MS Outlook/O365? For myself, haven't had a client suffer this yet, I know a big feature I am looking for is being able to import/load my old PST/OST files which I believe support for is gone or fading within MS so a definite concern for possible recovery needs down the road.

I would like to see recommendations for both Free and Paid obviously the paid bar is something more budget friendly than MS Outlook. Most the users either have no need for other MS apps or already have an in place MS product that didn't include Outlook.

 

[HCHTech]

eM Client would be the front-runner in the free category, IMO. Can do Exchange, POP, IMAP.

 

[Blues]

If I have someone using exchange and asking for free stuff I think that's a red flag. Thanks for the information.

 

[River Valley Computer]

I find the most frequent application people look for that has few well known freeware or budget friendly options is an email client. Back in Windows 7 and earlier the built in email client was decent enough for most people but I get complaints from users of it today and I myself really dislike it. I have tried a few I can find but none really seem to satisfy myself or customers. Customers either deal with the few aspects they dislike or purchase some version of MS to get Outlook so Outlook has become the model I compare to for general satisfaction. What do you all recommend for email application besides MS Outlook/O365? For myself, haven't had a client suffer this yet, I know a big feature I am looking for is being able to import/load my old PST/OST files which I believe support for is gone or fading within MS so a definite concern for possible recovery needs down the road.

I would like to see recommendations for both Free and Paid obviously the paid bar is something more budget friendly than MS Outlook. Most the users either have no need for other MS apps or already have an in place MS product that didn't include Outlook.

We have in the past used OEClassic for the hardcore Outlook Express users. https://www.oeclassic.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIovDH65q28gIVg9zICh25EgO2EAAYASAAEgJ2efD_BwE

 

[Blues]

OEClassic definitely will have its place with certain clients. I will say a quick glance over eM Client is enticing for general replacement but still open to any other input from you all.

 

[mikeroq]

Honestly I try to have my home users use webmail. Outlook is popular in the business segment but not so much for my home users. Webmail seems like the best solution for Gmail and outlook/hotmail users. Gmail works best on the web and Outlook has OWA.

I've used emClient for people that just must have an email client.

Outlook still reigns supreme.

 

[Blues]

For my users either they want the Outlook experience they get at work for home or they have used Outlook Express and the usable replacements we got in Windows Vista, 7 & 8. I also get a lot of complaints from people using Gmail even if it is through an app so I tend to steer people away from most google products in general too these days.

 

[britechguy]

I love eM Client and Thunderbird. That being said I, too, try to steer everyone toward webmail unless they are adamant about having an email client.

Any major webmail provider I can think of allows you to add accounts that are "outside their ecosystem" and work quite well with them.

 

[Blues]

When you refer to webmail what do you mean? When I think of webmail I think of the web based interface for free email accounts ie gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc which last I used any of them they didn't have any options for adding other email accounts. I could see where gmail might be more of a web app now as they have made a lot of moves toward that but hadn't seen or heard much of anyone besides MS releasing a web app for email.

 

[HCHTech]

Gmail works best on the web

Unless you have a client that likes folders. Good luck ever explaining the concept of labels to them in a way that they understand. I've given up on that one.

 

[britechguy]

@Blues,

Then you haven't used Gmail in a very, very long time.



or Yahoo:



As the ability to add external (outside their ecosystem) email addresses has existed in these two (and others) for some years now.

@HCHTech: I simply explain Labels as though they are folders, but that Inbox acts as a unified inbox showing all folders. I also show them how to remove the Inbox label manually and create filters that result in specific incoming messages having the Inbox label omitted and going straight to the label/folder they want. Getting into the concept of symbolic links (which is really what's going on here) goes over the head of the vast majority of users and is not generally relevant.

 

[fincoder]

If I have someone using exchange and asking for free stuff I think that's a red flag

Exchange is also the backend to free hotmail/live/outlook.com email accounts. emClient uses the native exchange protocol for these commonly used free email accounts, and it works very well.

emClient also works very well with Gmail accounts, automatically configuring it as IMAP along with the Caldev etc for calendar and contacts making it pretty much as good as exchange. For years it has supported the 0auth2 security required by Google (which Outlook has only recently begun supporting).

Note that emClient is only free for personal use, up to 2 accounts, and one device per free license registration based on an email address.

 

[Mick]

If you have any geeky clients who like to be able to do pretty much anything, try The Bat! It's not free and it is purely an email client (no calendars etc), but it has a feature list as long as your arm. Handles POP, IMAP and Exchange accounts - as many as you like.

 

[Blues]

Unless you have a client that likes folders. Good luck ever explaining the concept of labels to them in a way that they understand. I've given up on that one.

This has been one of the triggers for this though I know that Gmail forces this system even when using Outlook but so far it is one of the biggest reasons I have people wanting to flee Gmail.

@britechguy I have never used Gmail and I haven't been able to access my yahoo email in years I had to get in touch with this sites support to recover access to my login here which was tied to my terrible old yahoo email address. I know for myself email through my phone has been one of the primary methods of checking it and I haven't created new accounts or looked into any new features for any webmail I have used in a while.

Which does remind me on a related note what email services do you recommend for home users it is a rare instance but sometimes I get involved in helping someone's mother/grand mother setting themselves up online.

@fincoder I understand that but if a business has exchange email and wants free email clients I think we can all agree that is a red flag for a troublesome client

@Mick interesting one but not sure about losing the calendar though it is tough to say as I never really touch on calendars with customers who aren't using Outlook already so maybe someone might give it up.

 

[britechguy]

I am a big fan of Gmail if you're looking for something free. Even prior to using Gmail, I was never under the illusion that email was or would be private in any meaningful sense of that word. The Google ecosystem has a lot going for it.

Outlook.com is another option.

My choices are as much about probability that the service provider will be "around forever" as anything else. Yahoo has been teetering for quite a while and the smaller and more obscure players seem to come and go. Even certain major players (not free, either) like Verizon have bowed out of email.

 

[cypress]

Agree that I try to get my clients to use webmail if it all possible but if they still want an email client I have them use Thunderbird.

 

[Diggs]

As soon as there are multiple email addresses involved I recommend Thunderbird else for just a single email I recommend what ever web interface the provider has. When multiple email addresses are involved trying to explain multiple email formats across multiple web tabs falls on mostly def and confused ears of the customers..... A unified format across all emails is the only way for most users.

For many years I used Outlook in a corporate environment. I never really liked or appreciated it I guess. I'm a Thunderbird user from way back in the days of Netscape Navigator. My Thunderbird has 7 email addresses in it across 3 different providers. Never an issue. Search works great across all addresses or just a folder. I have Outlook. Just don't use it.

 

[britechguy]

A unified format across all emails is the only way for most users.

Which is available under Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.com (at a minimum) for accounts both in their native scope and out of it (as in a Yahoo address under Gmail). Webmail is no barrier to a single email ecosystem. Many essentially act almost precisely like email client programs do.

 

[Blues]

Thunderbird is the one I get complaints about and had been my free got to up to this point right now I am looking to try out eM Client is the top one to give a try currently. I think most of my users issues with the webmail clients is going to be they want a desktop icon they can click and no login needed to begin seeing and dealing with their emails.

 

[britechguy]

I think most of my users issues with the webmail clients is going to be they want a desktop icon they can click and no login needed to begin seeing and dealing with their emails.

Can be done with a desktop icon for the webmail page and browser password management.

And this is not to say that using an email client is unreasonable. But virtually all of "the usual complaints" about webmail don't stand up if you do the correct setup steps.