Software · head to head
Outlook Calendar vs Google Calendar
Outlook Calendar
Software
Professional calendar management for Microsoft 365
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Outlook Calendar offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable; Google Calendar no AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
- They diverge on capability: Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Google Calendar covers Event scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Outlook Calendar | Google Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Founded | 1975 | 1998 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Outlook Calendar
- Meeting scheduling
- Shared calendars
- Room booking
- Availability sharing
- Recurring events
- Microsoft Teams
- OneDrive
- SharePoint
Only in Google Calendar
- Event scheduling
- Multiple calendars
- Reminders and notifications
- Event sharing
- Video conferencing integration
- Gmail
- Google Meet
- Google Tasks
Both cover
- Slack
- Zoom
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Outlook Calendar
- Scheduling
- Appointment booking
- Time tracking
- Resource management
- Team coordination
Google Calendar
- Scheduling
- Appointment booking
- Time tracking
- Resource management
- Team coordination
Both are used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management, team coordination, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Outlook Calendar
- Offline support limited to only past 30 days of events, older events unavailable
- Shared calendars and group calendars not available offline
- Cached Exchange Mode issues can limit available offline data
- Occasional sync conflicts when coming back online
Google Calendar
- No AI-driven scheduling assistance or automatic meeting time optimization
- Lacks built-in appointment booking pages or payment integrations for scheduling
- Limited mobile support for shared calendars and unreliable push notifications on phones
- No native task management or project tracking features within the calendar interface
- Limited offline functionality on the web (read-only mode only)
- Strict usage limits (maximum 60 calendars, 750 shares per time period)
Pricing, plan by plan
Outlook Calendar
Free- FreeFree
- Outlook.com email and calendar
- 50MB attachment limit
- 1GB cloud storage
- Microsoft 365 Basic$19.99/year
- Outlook with limited features
- Cloud storage
- Microsoft 365 Personal$99.99/year
- Premium Outlook
- Ad-free email
- 100GB mailbox storage
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
- Business-class email
- 1TB cloud storage
- Microsoft Teams
Google Calendar
Free- PersonalFree
- Event scheduling
- Sharing
- Notifications
- Google Workspace Business Starter$7/month
- All personal features
- Team collaboration
- 30GB storage
Which should you pick?
Choose Outlook Calendar if
- You need meeting scheduling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want shared calendars.
Choose Google Calendar if
- You need event scheduling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want multiple calendars.
Questions people ask
- Is Outlook Calendar or Google Calendar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Outlook Calendar starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Outlook Calendar or Google Calendar?
- Outlook Calendar starts at Free and Google Calendar at Free.
- Does Outlook Calendar or Google Calendar run on more platforms?
- Outlook Calendar runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Google Calendar runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Outlook Calendar for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Outlook Calendar best used for?
- Outlook Calendar is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management.
- What can Outlook Calendar do that Google Calendar cannot?
- Outlook Calendar covers Meeting scheduling, Shared calendars, Room booking, Availability sharing. Google Calendar covers Event scheduling, Multiple calendars, Reminders and notifications, Event sharing. Both handle Slack, Zoom, Web support, Ios support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Outlook Calendar: Is Outlook Calendar free?
Outlook.com with calendar is free via a Microsoft account. Outlook Calendar also comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99/year), Family ($129.99/year), or Business plans starting at $6/user/month.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I use Google Calendar offline?
Yes. On the web, Google Calendar works in read-only mode offline for cached events. On iOS and Android, the Google Calendar app automatically caches recent events and lets you create, edit, and respond to events offline. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect to the internet.
SourceOutlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar work offline?
Outlook Calendar has limited offline support. New Outlook caches only the past 30 days of calendar items. Shared calendars and group calendars are not supported offline. Changes sync when you reconnect.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I export my calendar data?
Yes. Google Calendar exports as ICS files through Settings > Import & export > Export. ICS files are readable by Outlook, Apple Calendar, Thunderbird, and most other calendar applications.
SourceOutlook Calendar: What platforms does Outlook Calendar support?
Outlook Calendar is available on Windows (desktop and web), macOS (desktop and web), iOS, and Android. Real-time synchronization works across all devices.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Does Google Calendar integrate with video conferencing?
Yes. Google Calendar integrates natively with Google Meet and Zoom. When you create an event, you can add a video conference link directly. Other platforms like Webex and GoTo Meeting can be integrated via Zapier or third-party automation.
SourceOutlook Calendar: Does Outlook Calendar integrate with Slack?
Yes. Outlook Calendar integrates with Slack to sync your status and receive meeting notifications. You can RSVP to invites directly in Slack and join Microsoft Teams meetings from Slack reminders.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Can I share my calendar with teams?
Yes. You can share individual calendars with specific people or make them publicly viewable. However, accessing shared calendars on mobile devices has limitations, and push notifications for shared calendars may not work reliably on phones.
SourceOutlook Calendar: Can you share calendars and set delegate permissions?
Yes. Outlook Calendar supports calendar sharing with delegate permissions, color categories for organization, and the Scheduling Assistant to view attendee availability for meeting times.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Does Google Calendar work with Outlook?
No direct integration. You can manually import/export using ICS files or use third-party tools like Zapier to sync events. This is different from Outlook, which integrates seamlessly within Microsoft 365.
SourceGoogle Calendar: Is there a cost to use Google Calendar?
Google Calendar is free for personal use. Google Workspace plans (which include Calendar) start at $7 per user per month for business use.
Source