Difference Between Outlook and Exchange (With Table)

As the technology is getting ahead the Internet is also getting a step ahead. The Internet is a result of technology which is helping people in their day to day life. The distance among people has been vanished by the internet.

Earlier people used to talk to each other via sending letters which reached the receiver after a few months or weeks but due to the internet, this time gap and the distance has vanished as it has enabled people to contact each other in a few minutes or seconds.

One of the greatest boons of the internet is email or electronic mail, it is the same way as the letter received or sent to a person but digitally, email is a way to contact people by sending and receiving messages through the internet.

An email client is a web application which enables the user to receive, send, type, or to keep the mails of their account. On the other hand, mail servers are a system within computers to receive or send emails, it uses standard protocols like IMAP and POP3. 

Outlook vs Exchange

The difference between Outlook and exchange is that outlook is an email client whereas, the exchange is a mail server. Both of them help to receive and send emails of the user but the application they use is different one of them is installed on a web server and another uses the standard protocol of the computing system.

Comparison Table Between Outlook and Exchange

Parameters of ComparisonOutlookExchange
DefinitionsAn email client which is a personal information manager available as a part of Microsoft Office Suite.Mail server which is a proprietary Software product of Microsoft.
PurposeKeeping records of emails and managing information about the system like calendar, messages,etc..Enables faster and efficient mailing.
AccessIt is directly accessible on the desktopIt is available on web browsers or servers.
Runs onStandard protocol IMAP or POP3Server
Requirement for installationDoes not require installationRequires installation

What is Outlook?

The outlook is a Microsoft software Which is a personal information manager available as a part of Microsoft Office Suite. Microsoft Outlook is an email client. Although Outlook also manages calendar, note-taking, contacts, messages, etc..

An initiative was taken by Microsoft which enabled combining  Hotmail and windows to live into email service which also enables the features like calendar note-taking, etc..

Outlook also has a free webpage known as outlook.com which is quite similar to the computer version or the already installed version of Outlook. Outlook works on android, windows, iOS types of processors. The version might differ as per the processors  but the work of Outlook remains the same.

It is a desktop email client which is already installed in the computer and does not need any installation, the only requirement is of making an account at Outlook after which it will automatically start managing the features which are there in the system. Outlook does not charge for its use for making the account or to manage the system.

The webpage outlook.com is a better version as it gives more features than just managing the system. Outlook and outlook.com both of them have similarity, and the user does not need to create different accounts for both of them.  

What is Exchange?

Exchange is an email server introduced by Microsoft, it is a personal information management server which runs on a server Operating system. 

Exchange Server enables its users to securely access communications like email messages, voicemails, instant messaging and text from the desktop, web page or mobile devices. 

Unlike Outlook, the exchange provides back end to an integrated system for email, calendaring, messaging, and tasks. Exchange is a product of Microsoft which has made messaging and mails faster and efficient. It is a  proprietary product of Microsoft which comprises Microsoft Outlook email client and Microsoft Exchange mail server. 

Microsoft Exchange provides an integrated system for managing, recording, receiving, and sending the mails and maintaining daily tasks of the system that too in a more centralised database. 

Microsoft Exchange is a software that runs on a server which manages all the emails and tasks of the system more efficiently than Outlook. The other name of Microsoft Exchange is Windows messaging. 

Microsoft Exchange is a cloud-based service which gives its users access to emails and messages from all types of devices for example PCs, mobiles, laptop, tablets, etc.,  and provides access to all kinds of software like  Android, or iOS. 

Difference Between  Outlook and Exchange

  1. Outlook or Microsoft Outlook is an email client on the other hand exchange or Microsoft Exchange is a mail server.
  2. Exchange is a proprietary product of Microsoft whereas outlook is a part of Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft exchange comprises Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange.
  3. The exchange runs on the server on the other hand Outlook runs on the Standard protocols within the desktop using IMAP and POP3.
  4. The outlook is a personal information manager which not only enables the exchange server but also provides management Tu personal contacts emails calendaring,eetc., on the other hand, the exchange has made emailing more faster and efficient.
  5. Outlook does not necessarily need a web browser as it already has a desktop version installed in PCs or mobiles, although Outlook has a web server version as well which is outlook.com, the exchange needs access through a web browser only.


Outlook and exchange both are products of Microsoft, Outlook is an email client-server and exchange is a mail server.

Both of them are somehow interconnected to work upon mails but Outlook can work independently as it has activities of managing calendar, personal contacts, messages, etc..

Although with upgraded Technology with and Microsoft Outlook also has web access which is similar to Outlook available on the desktop.

Users need one account to access all the software and programs of Microsoft. 

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