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Head-to-head · Personal Email Services

Outlook.com vs Fastmail Email

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Outlook.com #2 in Personal Email Services 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Outlook.com
Fastmail Email #7 in Personal Email Services 8.5/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Fastmail

Outlook.com leads on 2 checks, Fastmail Email on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOutlook.com · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Outlook.com
  • Free trialonly Fastmail Email

Outlook.com scores higher on our rubric for personal email services: 9.2 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

Outlook.com offers free plan; Fastmail Email doesn't. Outlook.com leads on mailbox storage: 100 GB versus 5 GB. Fastmail Email leads on attachment limit: 50 MB versus 25 MB.

Outlook.com is the better fit for people who use Microsoft services. Fastmail Email is the better fit for ad-free paid email with broad clients.

  • Outlook.com fits best

    People who use Microsoft services

  • Fastmail Email fits best

    Ad-free paid email with broad clients

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Outlook.com 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Fastmail Email 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.5
Ranking #2 in Personal Email Services #7 in Personal Email Services
Best for People who use Microsoft services Ad-free paid email with broad clients
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — 30-day trial
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations 3 integrations 5 integrations
Features Outlook.com 2/3 · Fastmail Email 2/3
Custom domain — —
Email aliases ✓ ✓
Ad-free inbox ✓ ✓
Specs
Mailbox storage 100 GB (best) 5 GB
Attachment limit 25 MB 50 MB (best)
Platform access Web_mobile_desktop Web_mobile_desktop
Our review
Pros
  • Free accounts include 15 GB of mailbox storage.
  • Aliases, inbox rules, Focused Inbox, and Sweep help organize email.
  • Connects with OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox for file sharing.
  • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
  • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
  • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access
Cons
  • Free accounts have less mailbox storage than the 100 GB paid tiers.
  • Ad-free email and calendar require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
  • Custom domains are not supported.
  • There is no free plan
  • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
  • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment
Our verdict

Outlook.com is Microsoft's personal email service, available through a browser and Outlook apps. It brings email, calendar, and contacts together with spam filtering and 15 GB of mailbox storage on the free plan. Focused Inbox, inbox…

Read the review →

Fastmail Email is a paid email service for individuals, families, and businesses that want ad-free mail alongside calendar, contacts, and file storage. It supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android access, with deployment across…

Read the review →
  1. Outlook.comPersonal Email Services 9.2Free plan
  2. Fastmail EmailPersonal Email Services 8.530-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Outlook.com — where it wins

    • Free accounts include 15 GB of mailbox storage.
    • Aliases, inbox rules, Focused Inbox, and Sweep help organize email.
    • Connects with OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox for file sharing.

    Where it doesn't

    • Free accounts have less mailbox storage than the 100 GB paid tiers.
    • Ad-free email and calendar require a Microsoft 365 subscription.
    • Custom domains are not supported.

  • Fastmail Email — where it wins

    • Ad-free mail with aliases, masked addresses, and custom domains on eligible plans
    • Works across web, desktop, mobile, and supported third-party email clients
    • Includes calendar, contacts, file storage, migration, and offline access

    Where it doesn't

    • There is no free plan
    • Custom domains and third-party client support depend on the plan
    • Attachment handling is approximately 50 MB per attachment

More comparisons

All personal email services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update