Microsoft makes Outlook for Mac free, no Office or Microsoft 365 required [Updated]

Microsoft recently announced that its popular Outlook for Mac email and calendar application is now available for free to both business users and individual users without the need for an Office or Microsoft 365 subscription.

This move is seen as a response to the increasing dominance of Google’s email and calendar services, which offer a free version to all users. In comparison, Outlook had been limited to those with an Office or Microsoft 365 subscription, with individual users having to pay several dollars per month.

Now, Outlook for Mac is available to all users, regardless of subscription level. This means that individual users can access the same features and functionality found in the Office and Office 365 versions of Outlook, including support for multiple accounts, access to an address book, and the ability to manage email, calendar, and social media accounts in one place.

For business users, this move could be seen as a way to streamline their operations; by having access to a free Outlook, they are no longer required to purchase a separate Office or Office 365 subscription, reducing overall costs. Furthermore, the Outlook application will now be more widely available to users, meaning that team members can all access the same email, calendar, and contacts information from any device, removing the need to sync multiple accounts across multiple devices.

Overall, the move by Microsoft to make Outlook for Mac free to all users represents an important step in helping to make the application more widely available, and to make the Microsoft platform more competitive in the market. It also allows businesses to streamline their operations and reduce costs, while still using a familiar platform to manage their email and calendars. With Outlook now available to all users, regardless of subscription, it’s clear that Microsoft is looking to make the platform more accessible and competitive in a market increasingly dominated by Google.