Choosing an email service provider is an important decision. You’ll probably use your email address for the next few years before deciding to change again. If you’re deciding between Gmail and iCloud Mail, which option is best?
Gmail and iCloud Mail offer similar features, but iCloud Mail has more intuitive swipe functions on mobile devices. iCloud+ provides more robust features, but Gmail might be better as a standalone email client. Gmail provides users with 15GB of storage, while basic iCloud accounts provide 5GB.
Don’t worry if you’re having trouble deciding between iCloud Mail and Gmail. Let’s take a look at differences between each.
What Are the Differences Between Gmail and iCloud Mail?
Gmail and iCloud are two of the most popular applications and email clients in the world. As you might expect, Gmail and iCloud offer similar features. But there are some key differences to keep in mind.
- Gmail and iCloud serve different purposes: Gmail acts as an email service provider and email client. iCloud acts as an email client and cloud-storage service. You can connect an email to iCloud, but it isn’t included when you sign up.
- Email: You can use external email accounts and addresses to your mailbox on either platform. Each platform includes high-quality spam filters, organization tools, and security measures.
- Storage: Gmail provides users with 15GB of storage, while basic iCloud accounts provide 5GB. You’ll need to pay more if you want additional storage on the iCloud platform.
- Accessibility: Gmail offers users web access, mobile apps, and browser extensions for Google Chrome. iCloud doesn’t have a browser extension, but you can download the iCloud desktop app to your PC.
Either option can be used on any device, but iCloud is best suited to iOS devices and Gmail on Android products.
Which Is Safer: Gmail or iCloud?
Google and Apple have excellent reputations when it comes to security and protection. But it’s essential to consider safety features since you’ll be using these platforms for your email.
First, iCloud allows you to connect an email address or Apple Mail account to your profile. This means if your linked email address is breached, your data on iCloud might be vulnerable or at risk.
However, an iCloud+ subscription offers more robust security features like generating random email addresses, so you don’t have to link your standard address when signing up for accounts online. You can use as many random email addresses as you need and remove them at any time.
Both applications offer two-factor authentication features for additional security. You can require the platforms to request an SMS code for any message or login attempt. However, Gmail offers robust security features that are top-notch across all platforms.
Gmail has one of the most advanced phishing protection measures in place and blocks out most malicious emails. Gmail doesn’t use user data for ads and encrypts all messages. Either option is fine, as both companies have robust security measures in place to protect user data.
Organization Features in Gmail and iCloud Mail
Gmail and iCloud Mail both offer helpful organization tools to keep your inbox clean. However, iCloud might be better for iOS users seeking to organize files and folders across all their devices. The iCloud Drive allows users to have everything from their Mac Desktop available across all their devices.
On top of that, iCloud allows users to collaborate with other users on popular apps like Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Notes. You can also sync multiple emails to your iCloud account, allowing you to manage multiple areas of your life from one app.
But you can sync other accounts to the Gmail platform as well. Gmail makes it a bit more tricky to access different messages from different accounts, but it’s still feasible.
Gmail provides users with several organizational tools to manage their inbox, like “Labels.” Labels have a unique advantage that allows you to assign several labels to an individual email.
Gmail also offers users different default email categories, including Social, Promotions, and Forums, in order to separate emails into miniature inboxes without crowding the main inbox. You can adjust these categories, their appearance, and how they function through Gmail’s settings menu for added personalization.
Gmail has more organization features for inbox and email purposes. However, iCloud allows users to easily access and share files, documents, and photos across several devices. If you’re looking for an email client, it might be best to go with Gmail. iCloud might be best for users seeking cloud storage and accessibility.
Which Platform is More User-Friendly?
The accessibility and appearance of a product might be subjective, but these are essential parts of choosing a platform that works for you. It’s no secret that Google and Apple are the reigning kings of user-friendly designs. But there are some considerations to keep in mind before jumping in.
In Gmail, emails are sorted into three categories accessible across the top of the inbox by default. The majority of the screen is occupied by individual email threads, allowing you to easily see what’s new, read, unread, and more. On the left of the screen, you’ll notice straightforward menus and icons, giving you access to your inbox, drafts, sent messages, and more.
iCloud allows you to connect any email service provider or client to the platform. However, if you’re using the default iCloud Mail, you’ll notice a similar layout to the Gmail platform. The screen will be split into three sections: the left-hand menu, the inbox in the middle, and the selected message on the right. This design is intuitive and easy to use.
iCloud Mail also offers a bit more accessibility features, like “3D Touch.” 3D Touch provides different swipe and tap functions, like using more pressure to see a preview of a given email. But the iCloud Mail client has a few caveats.
It’s a bit more difficult to add attachments to emails on the iCloud Mail platform. There isn’t an attachment button, so you’ll need to use additional swipe functions to add files to a message. Both platforms provide effective notification features, but iCloud allows users to receive alerts from different email addresses.
So which platform is more user-friendly? The short answer is: if you prefer Apple products and iOS designs, go with iCloud. If you prefer Google products and Android designs, go with Gmail. Each platform is exceptionally designed with the user in mind.
Which Platform is Faster?
Both platforms have robust back-end designs and networks that provide users with a reliable experience. It can be challenging to say which platform is faster because it will partly depend on your internet speed. But unfortunately, iCloud has a poor reputation for being slow.
iCloud is a cloud storage service, so upload and download speeds are essential factors to keep in mind. Unfortunately, iCloud has a higher average upload and download speed compared to other products in the market, such as Google Drive. iCloud might be slower due to the indexing process, as it takes a few minutes for uploads to start.