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Trying to understand the difference between Outlook Classic and New Outlook application? Classic Outlook by Microsoft, introduced more than two decades ago, is widely known for its offline accessibility and efficient integration with the COM add-ins. On the other hand, the New Outlook version is used mainly due to its modern yet simple user interface. It provides access to a centralized inbox, accommodating multiple email service providers.
To learn about the comparison, scroll down through the guide that explains the clear differences.
What is the New Outlook?
New Outlook is the web-based and improved version of Outlook, designed to provide a unified experience to its users across all devices, including Mac and Windows OS. You can easily switch to New Outlook using the “Try the new Outlook” toggle button. You can also download this version of Outlook from the Microsoft and configure your account in it.
This advanced version of Outlook integrates easily with the Microsoft components like OneDrive, Teams, and Copilot.
Is Classic Outlook Going Away?
Microsoft is gradually moving away towards the end of life from its quintessential version, that is, Classic Outlook for Windows. It’s time for your business to do the preparations and shift to New Outlook or other Outlook versions.
This end-of-life will be conducted in three phases: Opt-in (2024 to early 2027), Opt-out (starting from April 2027), and Cutover/ End-of-life (2028 to 2029). Microsoft has already launched the New Outlook for general use, and the Classic version will still be available during this period.
As a result of this, users who are purchasing new PCs will get New Outlook installed in their systems, and it’s now difficult to install Classic Outlook on their systems.
Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Feature-wise Comparison
Let’s look at a feature-wise comparison for Classic Outlook vs New Outlook:
User Interface in Both Outlook
- Classic Outlook: The old Outlook offers a highly customizable interface that we are all familiar with. You can modify the ribbon, create complex folder structures, and utilize features like Quick Steps for multi-action automation. It’s simple, easy-to-use, and provides useful features like the multi-window support to use email, calendar, tasks, etc., components simultaneously.
- New Outlook: Microsoft developers have developed it with a cleaner, more minimalist design that matches the modern Microsoft 365 interface. It displays fewer icons and options, making it easier to navigate. A few things you can try are functions like pinning important emails to the top of your inbox and a “My Day” view that integrates your calendar and to-do list.
Account Support and Offline Access
- Classic Outlook: You get support for a wide range of account types, including POP, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, HostGator, and many. Additionally, you can easily access the emails & other mailbox data without internet with the OST file or import PST files to O365 as well.
- New Outlook: It is primarily designed for Microsoft 365 and Exchange accounts. It supports various IMAP accounts, too, but currently lacks support for POP accounts. Also, the support for PST files and the Public folder is limited. If you are someone who extensively uses Public folders through Outlook, then the new Outlook will not be of much help.
Productivity and Smart Features
- Classic Outlook: You are using Outlook to get work done, so it’s obvious that we include the productivity part in our New Outlook vs Old Outlook discussion. When it comes to managing your inbox, classic Outlook depends on the tried-and-tested tools like rules and alerts. These features are very powerful once you configure them correctly. However, to be honest and as an Outlook user myself, I can say they often require a bit of manual action & some patience for the right set-up.
- New Outlook: With the new Outlook, you get several AI-powered tools that, without a doubt, work well in making things easier. Some smart features you get are:
- Snooze: Temporarily remove an email from your inbox and have it reappeared when you want to reply.
- Sweep: Quickly delete or archive all emails from a specific sender.
- Undo Send: Allows you to retract an email after you hit send, only available for a small time.
- Search: The search functionality in the new Outlook is enhanced with the help of AI, for faster searching of related emails and other data items.
Add-ins and Integration
- Classic Outlook: Compatible with a wide range of COM (Component Object Model) add-ins. Over time, many add-ins have been developed for the old versions of Outlook that are used by several businesses and users for their day-to-day tasks.
- New Outlook: The new Outlook version makes use of modern web-based add-ins only. This means that legacy COM add-ins are not compatible with it. Therefore, at present, in terms of third-party add-ins integration, the classic Outlook wins.
Other factors like reliability, security, basic working, and other common stuff, both the Outlook versions are as robust as they can be. You can fully depend on any version as per your requirements without any privacy concerns.
What will be the Future of Outlook?
In various web sources like Microsoft forums, users are saying that the new Outlook will replace the classic one at some point in time. The continuous integration of new features shows the seriousness of Microsoft towards its new product. However, the replacement will not happen any time soon due to some major backlash from many users.
The New Outlook has undergone several modifications and updates to become your primary email client. Also, looking at Microsoft’s past trends, we can say the classic Outlook will continue to be supported for several years. Over these years, users of classic Outlook will likely see encouragement to migrate to the New Outlook version for better workflow & experience.
Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Which One is Right for You?
The most important factor in deciding your pick out of New Outlook vs Old Outlook is the user’s objective. Understand the difference a little better through this side-by-side comparison.
| Features | Classic Outlook | New Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Traditional ribbon menu with extensive options | Simplified and minimal tool bar |
| COM Add-ins support | Supported | Not supported |
| Create multiple user profiles | Supported | Not Supported |
| Flag or pin message | Not Supported | Available |
| Import/Export Rules | Available | Not Supported |
| SharePoint calendar sync | Available | Not Supported |
| Office 365 integrations(Teams, OneDrive, etc.) | Not supported | Supported |
| Performance | Slow loading specifically with large mailboxes | Load quickly and is a lightweight application |
| Security | Less secured (using legacy protocols like S/MIME encryption) | Cloud-native security with multi-factor authentication and phishing protection, etc |
Conclusion
Switching to New Outlook can bring a whole new experience to the users. However, this can also turn into a terrible experience if things go south and as a result, you’ve to lose your email data. This Classic Outlook vs New Outlook help guide is your way to make sure you choose the Outlook application wisely and plan the switch with carefulness.
The most crucial tip for the journey will be to backup Outlook emails so that you have your data secured under all circumstances. Use our Kernel PST Converter Tool to backup your emails and then import them safely to the New Outlook. The tool will help you extract mailbox data to PST, EML, MSG, and other file formats
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Yes, you can configure your Gmail account on the new Outlook. For this, you must enable IMAP in Gmail and then add the account in Outlook.
A. Yes, this version of Outlook is better for you if you’re looking for a minimal interface that can help you access Microsoft components efficiently.
A. The new Outlook doesn’t support COM add-ins. Instead, you have to install their web add-in counterpart, if available. However, since the new Outlook is new, some add-ins may be missing.
A. In many Outlook versions, you get an easy-to-access toggle button that allows you to switch between the new and old Outlook with just a click.
