If you need a help desk that's built for eCommerce, Gorgias is in a completely different league than Outlook. Gorgias plugs right into Shopify and other top eCommerce tools so you can see customer order history and automate responses to common questions. That means faster replies and less manual work, which is critical when you're drowning in support tickets.

Outlook is really just an email and calendar client, bundled into Microsoft 365. It's fine for managing standard email, especially if you're already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, but it doesn't offer the deep integrations or automation that eCommerce support teams need. There's nothing in Outlook that helps you track orders or automate ticket replies for your store.

If you run an eCommerce business and want efficiency handling customer support, Gorgias is the clear pick. Outlook isn't even in the same category for this kind of workflow.

Gorgias Editor's Verdict

What is Gorgias?

We recommend using a more eCommerce focused help desk like Gorgias that will integrate with your Shopify store.

This is helpful because you can see your customer order history as a part of your help desk. And because eCommerce stores tend to get a ton of volume in support tickets, Gorgias also offers automation tools to auto-respond to common inquiries, improving response times and saving time for your team.

Popular eCommerce brands like Olipop, Steve Madden, and Marine Layer use Gorgias.

For that reason, we rank Gorgias as the best help desk for eCommerce companies due to its deep integration with the best eCommerce software & tools like Shopify.

Outlook Editor's Verdict

What is Outlook?

If you're a larger enterprise, you're likely using Outlook instead of Gmail (Google Workspace) to manage your email and calendar for work.

That said, most startups and quickly growing companies use Google Workspace, so if you're looking into Gmail vs Outlook, we believe Gmail is the clear winner here. It just has a more user-friendly experience all-around, and has significantly more integrated tools ( most modern tools integrate with Gmail over Outlook).

If you're "stuck" with Outlook and want to make your email experience 10X better, using Outlook in addition to a platform like Superhuman email is the way to go.

Pros and Cons

Pros

All-in-one email and calendar solution within Microsoft 365
Tight integration with other Microsoft tools
Familiar interface for long-time enterprise users
Standard choice for companies already committed to Microsoft

Cons

Clunkier user experience compared to modern email clients
Fewer modern integrations compared to Google Workspace
Limited “Sign in with Microsoft” support across newer SaaS tools
Most modern startups and tools prioritize Google compatibility
Rarely a proactive choice for small business owners

Key Features

Email + Calendar in One App

Outlook combines your inbox and calendar into a single interface. Giving you the ability to respond to your emails, check calendar availability, schedule a meeting, and send out invites, without switching tools.

For companies already using Microsoft 365, you know it works and that it’s functional. You also know it lacks that modern feel that places importance on speed and focus.

Microsoft 365 Integration

Outlook connects directly with the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem (Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive). And that's great if 365 is what you're committed to, but when you're looking to create a tech stack outside of their system, it suddenly becomes a lot less compelling.

Enterprise-Grade Security

Large enterprises rely on the level of oversight that Microsoft provides. It provides strong security, compliance features, and centralized admin controls, but this is a great example of just because flagship companies are using it doesn't mean it's what's best for you and your team.

If your team is a smaller and fast-moving team, this level of complexity will probably feel like overkill.