Technology · head to head
Microsoft Outlook vs Raycast
Microsoft Outlook
Technology
Microsoft's email and calendar client, in the middle of a transition from the classic Windows application to a web-based replacement.
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft Outlook microsoft is replacing the classic Win32 client with the new web-based Outlook, and the new one runs only web add-ins, not COM add-ins, so any line-of-business integration for CRM, dictation, document management or telephony must be rewritten or the desktop stays on classic until its support window closes.; Raycast the free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft Outlook covers Exchange calendar integration, Raycast covers Application launcher.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft Outlook and Raycast actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft Outlook | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web | Macos |
| Founded | Unknown | 2020 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Microsoft Outlook
- Exchange calendar integration
- Delegate access
- Shared mailboxes
- Rules and Quick Steps
- Retention, hold and eDiscovery
- Sensitivity labels and encryption
- Add-in platform
- Offline cached mode
Only in Raycast
- Application launcher
- File search
- Clipboard history
- Snippets
- Window management
- Calculator
- System commands
- Extension ecosystem
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft Outlook
- Organisations on Exchange Online or Exchange Server where free/busy scheduling and room booking across everyone is a daily requirementnot Raycast
- Executive assistants managing someone else's calendar and mailbox through delegate access, which no IMAP client supports properlynot Raycast
- Regulated environments that need retention policies, legal hold and eDiscovery applied to mail centrally rather than per usernot Raycast
- Teams handling shared inboxes such as support or accounts, where permissions and tracking matter more than the mail client itselfnot Raycast
Raycast
- App launchingnot Microsoft Outlook
- Quick calculationsnot Microsoft Outlook
- File navigationnot Microsoft Outlook
- Snippet expansionnot Microsoft Outlook
- Workflow automationnot Microsoft Outlook
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft is replacing the classic Win32 client with the new web-based Outlook, and the new one runs only web add-ins, not COM add-ins, so any line-of-business integration for CRM, dictation, document management or telephony must be rewritten or the desktop stays on classic until its support window closes.
- The new client's handling of non-Microsoft accounts synchronises mail through Microsoft's cloud rather than connecting from the machine to the provider, which several organisations' data residency and handling policies do not allow, and it is not an optional behaviour.
- PST and OST files are a single-file, corruptible and effectively unshareable store, and the new client's reduced PST support means years of personal archives sitting in those files need an explicit migration plan rather than carrying forward.
- Large mailboxes turn software problems into administration ones: search index rebuilds, OST files of tens of gigabytes and the mailbox quotas of whichever plan was bought, and the usual fix is archiving policy rather than anything a user can do.
- Against IMAP or Gmail you lose most of what justifies it, including free/busy lookup, room booking, delegate access, and retention and compliance policies, because those are Exchange server features rather than client features.
- The five or six products sharing the Outlook name have materially different feature sets, so internal documentation, training and support procedures must be written per platform and a user moving between desktop, web and mobile finds the same task done differently in each.
Raycast
- The free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
- Advanced AI models are sold only as an add-on to the paid Pro plan at a further $8 per month on top of the $10 subscription
- Free team workspaces cap sharing at 30 snippets, 30 quicklinks and 5 commands across all extensions
- Teams Pro is $15 per user per month, billed per seat rather than per workspace
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft Outlook
Free- Outlook (Free)Free
- 15 GB mailbox storage
- 5 GB cloud storage
- Web and mobile Office app access
- Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99/month
- 100 GB mailbox storage
- 100 GB cloud storage
- Ad-free experience
- Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/month
- 1 TB cloud storage
- Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote)
- Copilot with high usage limits
- Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/month
- 1-6 users
- Up to 6 TB total cloud storage (1 TB per person)
- Same apps and features as Personal
Raycast
Free- FreeFree
- Core features: Clipboard History, Quicklinks, Calculator, Snippets, Window Management
- Thousands of community extensions
- 3-month clipboard history
- Pro$10/month
- Raycast AI with advanced models
- Unlimited clipboard history
- Unlimited notes
- Pro Annual$8/month
- Same as Pro plan
- Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly
- Teams FreeFree
- No cost per user
- Shared extensions, snippets, and quicklinks
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft Outlook if
- You need exchange calendar integration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want delegate access.
Choose Raycast if
- You need application launcher.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Macos.
- You also want file search.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft Outlook or Raycast better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Outlook starts at Free and Raycast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft Outlook or Raycast?
- Microsoft Outlook starts at Free and Raycast at Free.
- Does Microsoft Outlook or Raycast run on more platforms?
- Microsoft Outlook runs on Web. Raycast runs on Macos.
- Can I use Microsoft Outlook for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Microsoft Outlook best used for?
- Microsoft Outlook is most often used for organisations on exchange online or exchange server where free/busy scheduling and room booking across everyone is a daily requirement, executive assistants managing someone else's calendar and mailbox through delegate access, which no imap client supports properly, regulated environments that need retention policies, legal hold and ediscovery applied to mail centrally rather than per user, teams handling shared inboxes such as support or accounts, where permissions and tracking matter more than the mail client itself. Of those, organisations on exchange online or exchange server where free/busy scheduling and room booking across everyone is a daily requirement and executive assistants managing someone else's calendar and mailbox through delegate access, which no imap client supports properly are not what Raycast is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft Outlook do that Raycast cannot?
- Microsoft Outlook covers Exchange calendar integration, Delegate access, Shared mailboxes, Rules and Quick Steps. Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Microsoft Outlook: What is the difference between classic Outlook and the new Outlook for Windows?
Classic is the long-standing Win32 application shipped with Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC. The new Outlook is a web-based client that replaced Windows Mail and Calendar. The most consequential difference is add-ins: the new client supports only web add-ins, not COM add-ins.
Raycast: Does Raycast offer a free plan?
Yes. Raycast has a free plan with core features including clipboard history, quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management, and access to thousands of community extensions.
SourceMicrosoft Outlook: How long will classic Outlook be supported?
Microsoft has stated support through at least 2029. That is a planning window rather than a reprieve, and organisations with COM add-in dependencies should be scoping the replacement work now.
Raycast: How much does Raycast Pro cost?
Raycast Pro costs $10 per month or $8 per month when billed annually, saving 20% with yearly subscription.
SourceMicrosoft Outlook: Can I use Outlook with Gmail or another IMAP provider?
Yes, but with reduced capability. You lose free/busy lookup, room booking, delegate access and server-side compliance policies, because those come from Exchange rather than from the client.
Raycast: Does Raycast offer team plans?
Yes. Teams Free tier is available at no cost per user with shared extensions and snippets. Teams Pro costs $15 per user per month with unlimited team members.
SourceMicrosoft Outlook: Is Outlook free?
Outlook on the web and the mobile apps are free with a Microsoft account, and the new Outlook for Windows is included with Windows 11. The classic desktop application requires a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office perpetual licence.
Microsoft Outlook: Will my COM add-ins work in the new Outlook?
No. The new client supports only the cross-platform web add-in model. Vendors must publish a web add-in, and where they have not, the choice is to stay on classic Outlook or replace the integration.
Related pages
More on Microsoft Outlook
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