iOS 13 update has been a nightmare for Apple. It brought tons of issues for the user, and also broke the essential services like Apple Mail for many. The majority is already looking for Apple Mail alternatives. In our search, we have stumbled upon two excellent options for the Apple Mail on iOS, Outlook, and Spike mail. Microsoft purchased the famous email app Acompli and rebranded it as Outlook mail. After some time, the software giant acquired another productivity tool called Sunrise calendar and integrated its functions in the Outlook mail app. As a result, it’s one of the best email apps on the iOS platform. Spike Mail is taking a different route to attract users. It is eliminating the unnecessary elements from the mail and displaying only relevant information to the user. Their unique approach has won them many users in a short span of time. In this post, we are going to compare Outlook and Spike over User Interface, features, calendar add-on, theme, price, and more. Let’s get started.
Cross-Platform Availability
It’s a tie here. I expected Outlook to sweep the floor with accessibility on every platform, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. But to my surprise, the Spike Mail is also available on all major platforms as the Outlook. Download Spike for iOS Download Outlook Mail for iOS
User Interface
Microsoft has nailed it here. The Outlook Mail is one of the best-looking email apps out there. The attention to detail is excellent. The iconography, UX, and gestures are wonderfully designed. It uses the Blue/White theme, which matches their desktop counterparts too. The app supports iOS dark mode too. Spike follows the standard iOS design for the UI. I like how the app ditches a hamburger and sticks to the bottom menus for navigation. The whole UI is designed to make it look like a chat app. It’s Spike’s unique factor and the prime reason why the app is attracting many new users.
Email Organization
Currently, it’s essential to invest in an email app which offers a capable email organization. Apple Mail loses out on this front. As for Outlook, it offers ‘Focused Inbox’ function, which filters out the unnecessary emails and showcases only the relevant ones to the users. You can find the remaining emails in the Other Inbox or the Spam folder. The whole system is AI-driven, and you can even manually set rules for email to land in Focused Inbox. Microsoft provides that flexibility. Another good addition is the Unsubscribe button. You don’t have to scroll down to find that tiny unsubscribe option, the app provides that option upfront. Tap on it, and you are good to go. Speaking of Spike, it will remind you of Google Inbox. It showcases the most important people’s conversation on the home. The rest gets tucked away in the Other inbox. Spike also lets you unsubscribe or block email senders from the email menu. You can tap on the relevant mail and move it to the priority box to see them on the home screen. One can also access the most used conversations from the top user profiles.
Calendar Integration
As I mentioned earlier, Outlook does provide a solid calendar experience in the app. It recently earned a place in our top five calendar apps for the iOS list. Besides the basic event, one can also import event entries from Facebook, Evernote, and Wunderlist. The interesting calendar is an excellent addition. Users can add sports events from Cricket, Tennis, Basketball, and Football. They can also integrate TV series schedules by region. Spike’s calendar add-on fairly basic. You can tap on the upper left corner and select the calendars to make them available in the app. While adding an event, one can add details like event name, time, notes, attachment, URL, and more.
Features Galore
Microsoft Outlook lets you add a custom signature. It also supports iOS widget and long-press menu to compose a new mail, new event, or view calendar. I like the addition of a filter menu and a powerful search. It quickly gets you to the mail that you are looking for. Other features include Siri Shortcuts support, Face ID protection for an extra layer of security, and the ability the open web links in any browser you want. Being a Microsoft product, it perfectly syncs with the Microsoft To-Do app. One can flag an email in Outlook, and it will get saved in the Flagged Email section in the task management app. I use it all the time. I flag my Credit Card statement and set a reminder to pay the bill in the Microsoft To-Do app. Spike’s biggest feature is how it handles the email conversations between you are your friends or family. It removes the unnecessary elements and only presents it in a chat/media way. You can also create groups and have a group conversation via email, and Spike will make it feel like a normal group chat of an IM app. The remaining functions include Face ID support, swipe gestures, and email snoozing.
Price
Microsoft Outlook is completely free to use. However, the Mac desktop app requires an Office 365 subscription. Spike is mostly free for personal use. There is a Pro version that costs $6 per month. With that, you get automated rules, video meetings, voice meetings, unlimited group chats, and more.
Reach Inbox Zero
As you can see from the comparison above, both Outlook and Spike are an excellent alternative to the Apple Mail. Outlook edges out Spike with Focused Inbox, better Calendar integration, and a better UI. Spike is straight-up better for conversational and group emails. The overall organization is superior to Microsoft Outlook. Next up: Apple Calendar is another Apple app with below-average UI and features. Read the post below to find the top alternatives for it. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
