You now have another major alternative to the built-in mail application on Mac. Microsoft has made the Mac version of Outlook free. Previously, you had to subscribe to Microsoft 365 or purchase Office to use the email client. It is now available through the Mac App Store.

As expected, Microsoft uses it as a good complement to the iOS version of Outlook. For example, if you haven't finished writing on Mac, you can send a draft email to your iPhone. An upcoming profile feature will be combined with macOS's focus mode to help you limit notifications when you concentrate on your work. As with all Outlook versions, you can use email accounts for a variety of third-party services, including Gmail, iCloud and Yahoo (the parent company of Engadget).

The company made no secret of some of the reasons behind the move. The team is in the process of rebuilding the Outlook for Mac with performance, reliability, and accessibility in mind. Free downloads may stimulate users who have never tried to use it. Of course, this may spur customers who want tight integration between email software and productivity applications to adopt Microsoft 365 and Office.

This increase may be welcome. There are not many large e-mail clients on Mac, and Mozilla's Thunderbird is the most noteworthy. Some are paid for, or unlocked through subscriptions. Even if Outlook doesn't always match their functionality, you now have an easy way to try it.