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Outlook on the web is Microsoft’s browser-based Outlook for work or school accounts. It lets you use your organization’s email, calendar, and contacts in a web browser. Outlook.com is the similar-looking web service for personal Microsoft accounts.
What Outlook on the web does
Rather than being a separate desktop program, Outlook on the web is an online version of Outlook. You open it in a browser and sign in with the work or school account provided or managed by your organization. Microsoft describes it as a way to access the email, calendar, and contacts associated with that account.
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Organizations using Microsoft 365 commonly provide access to it. The precise sign-in page can vary by organization or region; Microsoft’s general instructions direct users to Microsoft365.com or an Outlook web address, where they sign in with their work or school credentials. Microsoft’s sign-in guidance explains the process.
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| Product | Account or context | What distinguishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook on the web | Work or school account, generally managed by an organization | Browser access to organizational email, calendar, and contacts. |
| Outlook.com | Personal Microsoft account | Microsoft’s web email service for personal accounts, including Outlook.com and Hotmail accounts. |
| Outlook for PC or desktop | Desktop application | A separately installed app with workflows and features that differ from the browser version. |
Microsoft’s guidance on identifying Outlook versions distinguishes the organizational web experience from Outlook.com’s personal-account service. The desktop and web apps also do not have identical feature sets; differences depend on the task, such as mail, contacts, or search. See Microsoft’s Outlook feature comparison for specifics.
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Is Outlook on the web the same as Outlook Web App?
Not exactly. Outlook Web App is an older name used in connection with earlier Exchange Server deployments. Microsoft’s legacy guidance covers Exchange Server 2013 and 2010; it directs users on Microsoft 365 or Exchange Server 2016 and 2019 to Outlook on the web instead. The name you encounter can therefore depend on your organization’s Exchange environment. Microsoft’s Outlook Web App guidance describes that distinction.
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