For these 5 reasons, I stick with Outlook Calendar instead of Google Calendar

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The busier my life gets, the more I rely on my calendar to keep track. I have used Google Calendar for years but recently decided to give up Microsoft Outlook one more try. It turned out to be one of my smartest decisions, so now I'm sticking with Outlook to manage my calendars. Here's why.



5 Stronger privacy and security protection

You don't have to worry about your calendar accidentally appearing in search results

The best note-taking apps for privacy and security

Source: Unsplash

Privacy and security are important to me, and I'm sure they are to you too. Although Google promises to never sell the data associated with your calendar or use it for targeted advertising, concerns continue to arise. For one thing, a simple and easy-to-do sharing misconfiguration can cause your Google Calendar to appear unexpectedly in search results.

This issue has led to some pretty embarrassing information being leaked in the past. A team of researchers discovered several Shopify employees with public calendars in Google Calendar. You could access confidential information, including new hire details, an internal presentation, and links to internal Zoom meetings.


Outlook, on the other hand, uses Microsoft's enterprise-level security protocols. This is typically more secure than Google's protection, and you will never accidentally have your shared calendar appear in search engine results pages using Microsoft Outlook.

4 Better and more robust planning features

Google has improved, but still lags behind Outlook when it comes to scheduling options

Screenshot of the Outlook desktop app menu that allows you to create a new calendar event.

Google Calendar offers some key options for advanced scheduling and calendar view customization, but Outlook is far superior to me when it comes to how much I can customize my calendar.


I can create a custom calendar view in Outlook that only shows mine Working days and hours. It also includes a schedule view that allows me to see my upcoming events in a linear list. I can also color code event categories to make it easier to visualize the different types of upcoming events. Google Calendar allows me to set custom colors for individual events, but the only way to really categorize them is to create multiple calendars.

Microsoft Outlook also allows me to poll potential meeting participants about the best time to hold the meeting. This is very helpful when you work with people spread across different time zones. Outlook also allows me to view multiple time zones on my calendar.

Google Calendar has implemented a way to show your invitees' free time slots, but not ask them to suggest or vote on a meeting date.

3 Ability to edit and create new events even offline

Yes, there are still times when I don't have internet access and need to add an event to my calendar

The Google Calendar homepage appears on a solid blue background


One of the biggest drawbacks for me is that Google Calendar remains largely a web-based service. While calendar apps that work with Google Calendar usually allow you to view your events offline, this doesn't always work. Additionally, Google Calendar offers limited offline access to view items, but it doesn't allow you to create new events or manage existing appointments.

Outlook is much more robust. I can easily create, edit and delete events even when I'm not connected to the internet. Additionally, the desktop Outlook app allows me to manage my calendar even from my laptop. Google Calendar doesn't have a native app for desktop computers and only allows offline web access to your calendar.

For anyone who travels frequently or is in a region with limited internet access, Microsoft Outlook is far superior to Google Calendar for offline use.


2 Superior search functionality

Of course, Google Calendar offers faster searches, but Outlook is more powerful

Screenshot showing the search folder in the new Outlook for Windows

I often need to look up past or upcoming events, and you'd think Google Calendar would be great at this. Finally, it leverages Google's robust, powerful search engine. Surprisingly, Microsoft Outlook offers an advanced and more powerful search function.

When you search your Outlook calendars, the app allows you to use multiple filters, category-based search, and much tighter integration with shared calendars and attachments. If you have a complex schedule, this is extremely beneficial.

For quick and uncomplicated search queries, Google Calendar's own search is better. It also doesn't support search based on attachments and doesn't offer built-in category search. If you have many shared calendars, the lack of these important features will make searching for a specific event difficult, if not impossible.


1 Integration with the Microsoft Office Suite

A toggle display "New teams" A cover is drawn on a graphic for the new Teams app

Both Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook allow integration with other apps, but the integration is aimed at different user groups. If I regularly use Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or other Google Workplace apps, Google Calendar may be a better option for me. But not me.

If I use a full-fledged word processor or other productivity app, it's usually part of the Microsoft Office suite. Outlook offers excellent integration with the entire Microsoft ecosystem, making it easy to share documents directly from Word, Excel or PowerPoint for collaboration.


Outlook also integrates better with Zoom, WebEx and Microsoft Teams. While Google Calendar has great support for managing Google Meet video calls, support for other platforms isn't as seamless. Microsoft Outlook handles them all easily.

Finally, Outlook integrates better with project and task management systems. It works well with Microsoft To-Do and many other task management services and project management software. Google Calendar only supports to-do lists and reminders in Google Tasks.

The right calendar app for my use

I know everyone has different needs for their calendar app. Both Google Calendar and Outlook are certainly more robust options than a simple paper calendar, but the game is all about finding the solution that best suits your needs. If your own needs are similar to mine, using Outlook instead of Google Calendar may be more suitable.


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