Outlook for Mac is available for download for free from the Mac App Store. This article explains how licensing and access works when adding accounts to Outlook for Mac.
Using Outlook for Mac with personal accounts
Outlook is free to use with your personal Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, and IMAP accounts. For an ad-free experience, more storage, and advanced email security, subscribe to Microsoft 365 with the plan that fits your needs. Upgrade to Outlook with Microsoft 365.
Using Outlook for Mac with work or school accounts
To use the Outlook for Mac desktop app with a Microsoft 365 organizational email address provided by your work or school, you will need to have a license assigned by your IT administrator that includes the desktop versions of the Microsoft 365 apps.
Some organizations and schools choose to provide their users with Microsoft 365 licenses that enable you solely for web and mobile app access to the Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. If the license provided by your work or school does not enable access to the desktop version of Outlook for Mac, you will get an error message like this when attempting to add the account.
Actions to take if you get a license error message
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Talk to your company or school IT administrator about upgrading your Microsoft 365 license to one that includes the desktop versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We offer various different pricing options for Small Businesses, Enterprises, Schools and Governments.
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Add a different account that includes a license for the Microsoft 365 applications for desktop. Once Outlook for Mac is activated by a properly licensed account, you can add as many additional accounts as you would like regardless of license status. This can be either a personal account with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, or another work or school account with a higher license. See the next section for a full list of licenses.
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Activate Outlook for Mac with a personal Office (one-time) license like Office for Mac 2021. Once Outlook for Mac is activated by a properly licensed account, you can add as many additional accounts as you like regardless of license status.
Which Microsoft 365 work, school, and personal licenses provide the rights to use the Outlook desktop applications on Mac?
Home (personal license):
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Microsoft 365 Personal, Microsoft 365 Family
Work or school license:
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Small business: Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft 365 Apps for business
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Enterprise: Office 365 E3, Office 365 E5, Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise
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Education: Office 365 A3, Office 365 A5, Microsoft 365 A3, Microsoft 365 A5, Microsoft 365 Apps for education
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Government: Office 365 G3, Office 365 G5, Microsoft 365 G3, Microsoft 365 G5, Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise
