Microsoft 365 - Choosing a Client

A "client" is an application that you use to access and manage your email and calendar. Examples include Outlook on the web -- the interface you can use to access Office 365 using a web browser -- or desktop clients like Outlook. To better prepare for and interact with Office 365, select a client that meets your needs.

Important: For the best experience with Microsoft 365, Microsoft recommends connecting via Exchange protocol via Outlook M365/O365/ProPlus/2021, Outlook App for iOS/Android, or connecting to Outlook on the web via recommended/supported web browser. In addition to Exchange/Active Sync protocols, Microsoft 365 also supports IMAP/POP3 protocols but with limited functionality. Please refer to the Supported clients/protocols document for further information.

Question: Will you primarily be using Microsoft 365 for email only, calendar only, or both email and calendar?

Based on your answer to the above question, we have the following recommendations regarding which client to choose
Mail Only	Calendar Only	Mail and Calendar
Supported clients that connect via supported protocols. Review Supported Clients/Protocols Why: Clients connecting via non-exchange protocols will have limited functionality and features that are unique to each client.	Latest version of Microsoft 365 Outlook desktop client or Outlook on the web are best suited for calendar interactions. Why: Calendar interactions only work on clients configured for Exchange/Active Sync. Non-Outlook clients experience limited calendaring functionality and features.	Latest version of Microsoft 365 Outlook desktop client or Outlook on the web are best suited for calendar/mail interactions. Why: Outlook or Outlook on the web best handle all calendar/mail interactions.

Important considerations for choosing a client:

Hardware/Software Requirements

Microsoft 365 - Choosing a Client

Question: Will you primarily be using Microsoft 365 for email only, calendar only, or both email and calendar?

See Also