Gmail vs. Hotmail 2024 Comparison

So what’s the difference between Gmail and Hotmail? Which of the two is better?

Well, that’s one of the easiest questions that we’ve answered on the Right Inbox blog…ever.

It’s hands down Gmail. And why’s that? Well, Hotmail was rebranded as Outlook several years ago. Hotmail doesn’t exist as a provider any longer. So Gmail wins this one by default.

That said, we wrote an in-depth comparison between Outlook and Gmail worth checking out.

If you’re interested in Hotmail’s past and the rebrand, read on for a brief history.

The History of Hotmail

Launching in 1996, Hotmail was one of the earliest – and most popular – email service providers around. By 1997, it was already popular enough to sell to MSN and become part of their suite of tools for over $400 million.

When Gmail was launched in 2004, it put a lot of pressure on both Hotmail and Yahoo since it had better features – and it was providing those features to users for free.

In the end, Hotmail just couldn’t compete, and despite an update to Windows Live Hotmail in 2005, it was ultimately doomed.

Microsoft launched Outlook in 2012, and all Hotmail users were allowed to upgrade to Outlook for free. At that point, they had the choice to either keep their original Hotmail address or get a new Outlook address.

It was a good move for Microsoft. To this day, they are Gmail’s biggest competitor.

Is It Still Possible to Sign up for a Hotmail Account?

We’re afraid not. While hotmail.com email addresses still exist for users who opted to keep them when Outlook took over, Hotmail is completely shut for new users.

Email Provider Comparisons

As we’ve covered in this post, Hotmail no longer exists as an email service provider, so it’s not possible to compare it to Gmail.

However, we’re big fans of Gmail here at Right Inbox, so we’ve compared it to several other service providers on the blog in the past.

If you want to check those out, you can do so by clicking on the links below.

Gmail vs. Outlook: Which Is Better in 2024?

Gmail vs. Yahoo Mail (2024 Comparison)

Both of these articles cover the following categories in their evaluation of the various tools:

• Features
• Design
• Productivity
• Cost
• Usability
• Storage
• Ads
• Virus and spam handling

So what makes Gmail so great? Why is it so loved by so many users?

Here are the top 4 reasons we love Gmail so much:

Storage – every single Gmail account comes with 15 GB of free storage. Not only is this very generous, but it’s also across Gmail, Google Drive, and images that are stored within Google Photos.

Mobile App – when your average worker receives around 120 business emails a day, you need to make sure your mobile app is up to scratch. The solid UX of the Gmail app is designed to be a breeze to use and doesn’t keep you in the app for any longer than you need to be.

Features – Gmail has always been head and shoulders above the competition with fantastic productivity features like labels, filters, and automation to keep you more productive every day.

Extensions and add-ons – No matter what you want to achieve in your inbox, you can grab a Gmail extension for it. Whether you want to increase your productivity or see who opens your emails with Right Inbox, keep your writing in check with Grammarly or start a Zoom call, you can do so from right inside your inbox.