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VERDICT

Should I use Outlook?

Not disclosed - outlook.live.com

Worth it. Use free Outlook.com for personal email, and it's the default pick if your workplace already runs Microsoft 365. Avoid it as a shared customer-inbox tool, and think twice if recurring RCE CVEs and the forced New Outlook rollout worry you.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~50 public sources; snippets included review counts but no star ratings or exact prices.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Outlook.com Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Microsoft 365 (Outlook included)See Microsoft plan pages

Best for

  • Personal email users
  • Microsoft 365 organizations
  • Office-document-heavy teams
  • Calendar-centric professionals

Not for

  • Customer support teams needing shared inboxes
  • Orgs avoiding Microsoft lock-in
  • Users wanting maximum privacy after hack headlines

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Classic Outlook features missing in New Outlook; migration is effectively forced on Windows users

high

Account hijacking is widespread; enable strong two-factor authentication before trusting it

medium

Advanced security features sit behind a paid Microsoft 365 subscription

medium

PST files and Exchange tie-ins make migrating to other clients painful

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free webmail with calendar and contacts
  • AI-enhanced client with Copilot integration
  • Huge adoption: 3,532 G2 reviews
  • Unified email, calendar and contacts management
  • Runs on web, Windows, iOS and Android

Cons

  • 'New Outlook' widely called inferior by longtime users
  • Recurring remote-code-execution vulnerabilities need constant patching
  • FBI warns attackers hijack Outlook and M365 logins
  • No security page found at.com/security
  • Feedback portals reportedly ignored by Microsoft

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 12 sources - Multiple critical RCE CVEs patched 2025–2026; FBI warns of Outlook/M365 account hijacking.

official x2review x6security x3news x1
  • CVE-2026-42893: Outlook RCE, Remote code execution vulnerability tracked and patched May 2026.
  • Zero-click Outlook vulnerability, Microsoft patched a critical zero-click vulnerability in the May 2026 update.
  • Two RCE vulnerabilities (June 2025), Morphisec reported two newly patched Outlook RCE vulnerabilities in June 2025.
  • FBI hijacking warning, FBI says cyber attackers are hijacking Microsoft Outlook, Teams and 365 log-ins.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free tier; paid plans bundle Office apps
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Familiar interface, but New Outlook migration frustrates
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Email, calendar, contacts, AI in one client
  • Support quality: 2/5. Feedback portals reportedly ignored; complaint threads common
  • Security posture: 2/5. Repeated RCE CVEs; FBI hijacking warning
  • 3,532 G2 review count Microsoft Outlook listing, 2026
  • 2,685 Trustpilot review count Outlook Mail reviews
  • Yes Free tier Outlook.com webmail
  • 3+ Outlook RCE CVEs (2025–26) SentinelOne, Morphisec, BurgiTech

Pricing

Outlook.com Free

$0

  • Free email and calendar
  • Web and mobile access

Microsoft 365 (Outlook included)

See Microsoft plan pages

  • Desktop Outlook
  • Advanced security features
  • Copilot add-on

Security

Multiple critical RCE CVEs patched 2025–2026; FBI warns of Outlook/M365 account hijacking.

  • CVE-2026-42893: Outlook RCERemote code execution vulnerability tracked and patched May 2026.⁶
  • Zero-click Outlook vulnerabilityMicrosoft patched a critical zero-click vulnerability in the May 2026 update.⁷
  • Two RCE vulnerabilities (June 2025)Morphisec reported two newly patched Outlook RCE vulnerabilities in June 2025.⁸
  • FBI hijacking warningFBI says cyber attackers are hijacking Microsoft Outlook, Teams and 365 log-ins.⁹

What users say

Users value Outlook's depth and Microsoft integration, but the forced New Outlook migration drew heavy criticism.

“the new Microsoft Outlook is pure garbage”
Reddit, r/Outlook
“Alternatives to the inferior "New Outlook"”
Microsoft Q&A

Companies that use it

  • Johns Hopkins University
Full analysis

Based on ~50 public sources; snippets included review counts but no star ratings or exact prices.

Free, capable email inside the Microsoft ecosystem — but 'New Outlook' backlash and recurring RCE CVEs are real caveats.

Methodology

Based on ~50 public sources; snippets included review counts but no star ratings or exact prices.

Sources

  1. Microsoft Outlook Reviews 2026 — G2g2.com
    review
  2. Outlook Mail Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  3. Microsoft Outlook review: AI-enhanced email client — ITProitpro.com
    review
  4. the new Microsoft Outlook is pure garbage — Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. Alternatives to the inferior New Outlook — Microsoft Q&Alearn.microsoft.com
    review
  6. CVE-2026-42893: Microsoft Outlook RCE — SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  7. Zero-Click Outlook Vulnerability: May 2026 Patchburgitech.com
    security
  8. Microsoft Patches Two New RCE Vulnerabilities — Morphisecmorphisec.com
    security
  9. Cyber attackers hijacking Outlook, Teams and 365 log-ins, FBI says — The Hillthehill.com
    news
  10. Compare Microsoft 365 Plans & Pricingmicrosoft.com
    official
  11. Advanced Outlook.com security for Microsoft 365 subscriberssupport.microsoft.com
    official
  12. Why companies should stop using Outlook for customer service — SuperOfficesuperoffice.com
    review

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