Best email app for Outlook accounts on Mac

The best email app for Outlook accounts on a Mac is Alrighty if your account is Outlook.com, Hotmail or Microsoft 365 and you want it in one inbox with iCloud and Gmail, without the junk. Outlook itself is the pick for shared mailboxes, on-premises Exchange and a calendar in the same app. eM Client and Spark suit people who want mail and calendar from another company, Canary suits people who want a free app on their phone too, and Thunderbird and Mailspring are the free picks.

Which app works depends on the kind of Microsoft account you have. A personal Outlook.com address, a Microsoft 365 account from work, and a company Exchange server each connect in a different way, and since October 2026 one of those ways is being switched off. This page says how each Mac app connects to each kind of account, what your IT department must approve, and what stops working.

If you want to leave the Outlook app itself, our Outlook alternatives for Mac page covers why people leave. This page is for keeping your Outlook account and picking the app that fits it.

How we checked

We read each app's own help, pricing and release pages, and Microsoft's and Apple's documentation, on November 3, 2026. Every fact about another company links to the page it came from. For each app we noted which kinds of Microsoft account it adds, the protocol it uses, whether a work account may need an admin's approval, and whether shared mailboxes and calendars come with it. Alrighty is our app, and it's listed first.

The apps at a glance

App	Price	Outlook.com, Hotmail	Microsoft 365 work	On-premises Exchange	Connects with	Calendar
Alrighty	14-day trial, then Free or Pro	Yes	Yes; IT may need to approve	No	Microsoft Graph	No
Apple Mail	Comes with macOS	Yes	May stop syncing; see below	Yes	Exchange Web Services	Yes, in Calendar
Outlook	Free with ads; work needs a license	Yes	Yes, with a desktop license	Exchange 2016 or later	Microsoft's own	Yes
Spark	Free; Plus $99/yr	Yes	Yes; IT may need to approve	Exchange 2007 SP1 or later	Microsoft Graph	Yes
Canary Mail	Free; $36/yr or $100/yr	Yes	Yes	Not stated	Microsoft Graph for 365	Yes, on Mac
eM Client	Free for 2 accounts; $49.95/yr	Yes	Yes, in version 11	Yes	Graph online, EWS on-prem	Yes
Thunderbird	Free	Not stated	Yes, from version 154	Yes	Graph online, EWS on-prem	Not yet for Exchange
Mailspring	Free; Pro $85/yr	Yes	Yes, over IMAP	No	IMAP with Microsoft sign-in	Google only, read-only

How Mac apps connect to Microsoft accounts

Microsoft offers three ways in, and the one an app uses decides what works.

• Microsoft Graph is Microsoft's current way in. Microsoft says it reaches "a user's Outlook mail data in a personal or organization account," in Exchange Online or "on Exchange on-premises in a hybrid deployment" (Microsoft). An app that uses Graph works with Outlook.com and Microsoft 365.
• Exchange Web Services (EWS) is the older way in, and Microsoft is shutting it off in Exchange Online. Its timeline says: "October 2026: EWS starts to be disabled globally for all organizations" and "April 2027: EWS is fully disabled" (Microsoft). Company Exchange servers keep EWS. Thunderbird notes "On-premises Exchange servers do not implement the Graph API" (Thunderbird), so EWS stays the way in there.
• IMAP carries mail only, with no calendar or contacts. Microsoft says "Outlook.com requires the use of Modern Auth / OAuth2" (Microsoft), so the app must use a Microsoft sign-in, not your password. In Microsoft 365, IMAP is on by default, but an admin can turn it off for any mailbox (Microsoft).

Will my work IT have to approve the app?

Maybe. When you sign in to a third-party app with a work account, Microsoft asks you to consent to what the app wants to read. Your organization decides whether you're allowed to. Microsoft says an admin can "disable user consent," and then users "aren't allowed to consent to new permissions to applications on their own." If the admin turned on the request workflow, you see an Approval required message and can ask for access (Microsoft). This applies to every app on this page except Outlook, because Outlook is Microsoft's own.

Personal Outlook.com and Hotmail accounts have no admin, so you approve the app yourself.

Alrighty: best for Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 next to iCloud and Gmail

Alrighty is a desktop mail app for Mac, Windows and Linux that puts Outlook, iCloud and Gmail accounts in one inbox. Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Microsoft 365 accounts use Sign in with Microsoft and connect through Microsoft Graph, so the EWS shutdown doesn't touch them. You never type your Microsoft password into Alrighty.

What it asks Microsoft for. Permission to read, file and send mail in your own mailbox, and nothing else. Microsoft lists both permissions as ones a user can approve without an admin (Microsoft). If your company has turned off user consent, your IT admin must approve Alrighty before a work account can sign in.

What it does with your Outlook mail.

• Stop mail. One click ends a sender's mail. Alrighty unsubscribes in every way the message offers, archives their mail, and moves their new mail out as it arrives. See how Stop mail works.
• Clean up. It lists the senders you probably don't want, such as scams, cold outreach and newsletters you never open, so you can stop them all at once.
• Phishing checks. A message that is sure to be phishing goes to Junk. A likely one stays with a warning.
• Search that finds what you remember. "When is my flight" finds the airline's confirmation even though it never says "flight." Search runs on your Mac, across every account.
• Your own AI. Claude, ChatGPT's desktop app, Codex, Cursor or a local model can read and search your mail, and work in a window you watch. Nothing sends until you click Send. Our guide on letting Claude read your email shows the setup, and our Outlook MCP servers list compares other ways to connect.

Where your mail goes. Your mail stays with Microsoft. Alrighty keeps its copy and its search index on your Mac, and your sign-in stays on your Mac, encrypted with a key from your system's keychain. Your own AI is off until you turn it on with Connect AI. When you're signed in, opening a reply starts a suggested draft, and Clean up sorts senders in the background. These send only the emails they need to Alrighty's server, which passes them to an AI model (OpenAI's for answers and replies). Clean up sends each sender's address and up to three of their newest emails. If your company has rules about work mail and AI, check them before you add a work account.

Price. A 14-day trial with no card, then a Free plan or Pro.

What it can't do. It's mail only, with no calendar. It opens your own mailbox, not shared mailboxes. It can't add an on-premises Exchange server. On a Mac, it needs Apple silicon. There's no iPhone app, and it adds iCloud, Gmail and Outlook accounts only.

Pick it if you have an Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 account plus iCloud or Gmail, and you want one inbox with less junk.

Apple Mail: best for on-premises Exchange, free

Apple Mail comes with macOS and adds "iCloud, Gmail (Google), Exchange, school, work, or other" accounts (Apple). Microsoft's own setup page tells you to choose Exchange, then pick the Mac apps to use: "Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, and Notes." If you choose IMAP instead, you get only "Mail and Notes" (Microsoft).

The catch for Microsoft 365. On the Mac, Apple connects to Exchange through EWS (Apple). Apple's support note of October 13, 2026 says that from October 2026, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Notes and Reminders accounts may stop syncing with Exchange or stop letting you sign in. To keep them working, your Exchange admin must keep EWS on and add Apple Internet Accounts to the EWS allow list (Apple). After April 2027, Microsoft turns EWS off for everyone.

What it can't do. Reach Microsoft 365 reliably while it depends on EWS. Apple's pages don't say whether personal Outlook.com accounts added as Exchange are affected.

Pick it if your company runs its own Exchange server, or your admin has allow-listed Apple Mail, and you want mail, calendar and contacts for free.

Outlook: best for shared mailboxes and work calendars

Outlook for Mac works with "Microsoft 365, Outlook.com (including Hotmail and MSN), Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, iCloud, IMAP, and POP accounts" (Mac App Store). It's the only app here that never needs a third-party approval, because Microsoft makes it.

• Personal accounts. Free, with ads. Microsoft 365 Personal removes them.
• Work accounts. You need "a license assigned by your IT administrator that includes the desktop versions" of the apps, such as Business Standard, Business Premium or Apps for business. A license for "web and mobile app access" only gives an error when you add the account (Microsoft).
• On-premises Exchange. The mailboxes "must be in Exchange Server 2016 or a later version," Outlook must be downloaded from the Microsoft 365 portal, not the App Store, and it "doesn't support Kerberos or certificate authentication" (Microsoft).
• Shared mailboxes. Choose File > Open > Shared Mailbox. "Outlook for Mac currently supports only Full Access permissions for shared mailboxes" (Microsoft).

What it can't do. Run without ads on a free personal account, or run at all on a work account without a desktop license. Legacy Outlook for Mac also used EWS, and Microsoft's support for it ended in October 2026 (Microsoft).

Pick it if you need a shared mailbox, delegated calendars, or an on-premises Exchange server, and your company pays for the license.

Spark: best for mail and calendar on every device

Spark runs on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android and takes Exchange and Outlook accounts (Spark). It moved Microsoft accounts to Microsoft Graph "after the deprecation of EWS in Exchange Online," so you may have to sign in once more (Spark). The free plan has unlimited accounts and a calendar, which works with "Exchange (including Microsoft 365)," Google and iCloud (Spark). Plus is $99 a year and Pro $199 a year (pricing).

Work accounts. Spark says "Some Microsoft 365 accounts require IT administrator approval before third-party apps can connect," and "your account will not reconnect until your admin grants access." Its Legacy option used EWS, which "ends in October 2026" (Spark). For an Exchange server, Spark needs "2007 Service Pack 1 or newer" and "doesn't support Exchange ActiveSync and POP3 protocols" (Spark).

Where your mail goes. For Outlook accounts, "we store an application-specific token." For Exchange accounts, Spark stores your login and says "we additionally encrypt your password in the database" (Spark). Your IT team may want to know that before they approve it.

Pick it if you want your Outlook mail and calendar on your Mac and your phone. Our Spark alternatives page covers apps that keep logins off the vendor's servers.

Canary Mail: best free app for your Mac and your phone

Canary runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android and lists Outlook and Exchange among its accounts (Canary). Its version 5.28.1 notes say "Microsoft 365 accounts now sync through Microsoft Graph" (Mac App Store). Its calendar "works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, IMAP, and Exchange on Apple devices," but on Windows it "works with Gmail only" (Canary).

Price. Free with unlimited accounts. Growth is $36 a year and Pro+ $100 a year, with no monthly billing (pricing).

What it can't do. Its pages don't say whether it adds on-premises Exchange servers or opens shared mailboxes. For push on phones, it "will temporarily store your email address, credentials" on its servers (privacy policy).

Pick it if you want your Outlook account free on your Mac and your phone, with a calendar on Apple devices.

eM Client: best for both Microsoft 365 and an Exchange server

eM Client has mail, calendar, contacts and tasks, and names "Office 365, Outlook, Exchange" among its accounts (eM Client). It's the one app here that uses the right protocol for each kind of Microsoft account. "eM Client 11 connects to Microsoft 365 through Microsoft Graph," and it says "On-premises Exchange Server installations are not part of the EWS retirement," so those keep using EWS. You install version 11 and sign in to Microsoft once, and eM Client moves your Exchange account over, so most people don't need to add it again (eM Client).

Price. Free is "Home use on 1 device" with 2 accounts and no commercial use. Personal is $49.95 a year or $74.95 once (pricing).

What it can't do. Its EWS page doesn't mention admin approval, so expect the same consent rules as any third-party app. Its pages don't say which Macs or macOS versions it supports.

Pick it if you have a Microsoft 365 account and an Exchange server account, and you want one app with a calendar for both.

Thunderbird: best free app for Exchange

Thunderbird is free and open source (Thunderbird). Microsoft Graph support arrived "in the Thunderbird Release channel in version 154," and "Users on the ESR channel who are using Microsoft 365 will need to migrate to the Release channel." There's no switch in place: you delete the EWS account in Thunderbird, which "will not affect any data stored on Microsoft 365," then add it again and choose Microsoft Graph. Exchange servers stay on EWS (Thunderbird).

What it can't do. "Thunderbird does not yet support Calendar and Address Book functionality with either EWS or Graph," so it's mail only for Microsoft accounts. It sends Mozilla telemetry about how you use the app (privacy notice).

Pick it if you want free and open source for Exchange mail, and you keep your calendar elsewhere. See our Thunderbird alternatives too.

Mailspring: best free app for Outlook.com over IMAP

Mailspring is free and supports "Office 365" and "Outlook.com" (Mailspring). It connects over IMAP: "Exchange Web Services and ActiveSync aren't supported, but IMAP and Microsoft 365 OAuth are" (FAQ). Pro is $8 a month or $85 a year (pricing).

What it can't do. IMAP carries no calendar, and its calendar preview is for Google accounts only. It can't add an Exchange server. If your company turned IMAP off, a work account won't connect.

Pick it if your account is Outlook.com and you want a free, fast mail app.

How to choose

• Outlook.com or Microsoft 365, with iCloud or Gmail too, less junk: Alrighty.
• A company Exchange server, free: Apple Mail.
• Shared mailboxes, delegated calendars, no approvals: Outlook.
• Mail and calendar on your Mac and your phone: Spark.
• Free on your Mac and your phone: Canary.
• Microsoft 365 and an Exchange server in one app with a calendar: eM Client.
• Free and open source, mail only: Thunderbird.
• Outlook.com over IMAP, free: Mailspring.

For more accounts than Outlook, see the best email app for multiple accounts and the best email app for Mac. If your other account is iCloud, see the best email app for iCloud Mail. If spam is the problem, see the best spam filters for Outlook.

Questions

Why did my Microsoft 365 account stop syncing in Apple Mail?

On the Mac, Apple Mail connects to Exchange through Exchange Web Services, and Microsoft began turning EWS off in Exchange Online in October 2026. Apple says your admin can keep it working by adding Apple Internet Accounts to the EWS allow list. Microsoft turns EWS off for everyone in April 2027.

What does "Need admin approval" mean when I add my work account?

Your organization doesn't let you approve third-party apps yourself. Your IT admin must grant consent to the app for you or for the whole company. If you see Approval required instead, you can type a reason and send a request.

Can I use my Hotmail or Outlook.com account in another Mac app?

Yes. Your address and mail stay with Microsoft. Alrighty, Apple Mail, Spark, Canary, eM Client and Mailspring can all add it. The app must use a Microsoft sign-in, because Outlook.com requires OAuth2 and no longer takes your password over IMAP.

Which Mac apps open Microsoft 365 shared mailboxes?

Outlook for Mac does, with Full Access permission, from File > Open > Shared Mailbox. Alrighty opens only your own mailbox. The other apps' pages don't say whether they open shared mailboxes, so test yours before you switch.

Does any app besides Outlook show my Exchange calendar?

Yes. Apple's Calendar app syncs it through an Exchange account, Spark's calendar works with Exchange and Microsoft 365, and Canary's works with Exchange on Apple devices. eM Client has its own calendar too. Alrighty, Mailspring and Thunderbird don't show Microsoft calendars.