Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Microsoft OneDrive vs Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft OneDrive 4.7★ · Free to download 60
Winner Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook 4.8★ · Free to download 75

Choose Microsoft Outlook for reliable email and calendar management, but be prepared for potential authentication issues, while Microsoft OneDrive is better for cloud storage and file access, despite its own set of bugs and syncing problems.

Full reviews: Microsoft OneDrive · Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook generally provides a more stable and feature-rich experience for email and calendar management, though users frequently report frustrating authentication loops and search issues. Microsoft OneDrive, while praised for its accessibility and storage, suffers from numerous bugs, crashing, and unreliable syncing, particularly on iOS.

Head to head

Features edge: Microsoft OutlookR1R2R8R12
Microsoft OneDrive OneDrive users appreciate having all their business files in one place and accessible from anywhere, acting as a primary way to transfer files between PC and iPhone R2R8R12. However, recent updates have removed features like opening documents in other apps, and some users miss the functionality of the discontinued Microsoft Lens R1. There are also requests for features like separating photo and video files, a 'select all' option for files, and an alarm clock for nightly uploads .
Microsoft Outlook Outlook is praised for its comprehensive email and calendar management, with users finding it organized and helpful for meetings and reminders . It's considered superior to Apple's native mail app by some . However, users report missing toolbar options, difficulty seeing and moving messages to folders, and a cumbersome calendar interface . The search function is consistently criticized as poor and unreliable R72R104R108R118.
Ease of Use edge: Microsoft OutlookR7R9R12R14
Microsoft OneDrive OneDrive is generally described as clear and easy to navigate for file sharing R14. However, many users find it difficult to use on iPhone, with issues like not being able to set it up, files not appearing in the photo library, and complicated maneuvers to save files R9R12. The vault authentication process is also reported as a repetitive loop R7.
Microsoft Outlook Outlook is often described as easy to use and understand, with a good interface for managing emails . However, some users find the calendar confusing and cumbersome, especially when in a rush . The process of sending new emails can also be hard .
Reliability tieR3R4R6R15
Microsoft OneDrive OneDrive users frequently report issues with the app not opening, crashing randomly, and freezing R3R4R6R15. Synchronization problems are common, with files not refreshing, photos not uploading automatically, and videos having difficulty rendering or playing R54. Some users also experience issues with full-screen video playback and deleting multiple items R18.
Microsoft Outlook Outlook is generally considered fluid and crash-free by some . However, many users report significant reliability issues, including the calendar not refreshing, emails not being received on time, and the app randomly deciding not to allow responses to email threads . The app also frequently logs users out, causing missed work emails R82.
Price/Value edge: Microsoft OutlookR9R13R18R28
Microsoft OneDrive OneDrive is valued for its storage capacity, especially for those with Microsoft 365 subscriptions R9R18. However, users are frustrated by the app automatically uploading photos and filling up free 5GB space, then prompting them to buy more storage, which is seen as a 'customer trust buster' and a tactic to force purchases R13R28.
Microsoft Outlook Outlook is a free download and is highly valued for professional and college use . Users appreciate its organization and the tools it provides .
Support tieR3R6R7R15
Microsoft OneDrive There is no direct feedback on customer support for OneDrive in the provided reviews. However, the prevalence of persistent bugs and issues suggests that user problems are not always being effectively addressed R3R6R7R15.
Microsoft Outlook Outlook users report extreme difficulty in getting support, particularly with account recovery and authentication issues, noting there's no number to call for a real person at Microsoft . The app's frequent requests for password and authentication loops are a major source of frustration R70R88R91.
Pick Microsoft OneDrive if

You need cloud storage for business or personal files and want access across devices, and you are willing to tolerate occasional bugs and syncing issues, especially if you already use Microsoft 365 R2R8R14.

Pick Microsoft Outlook if

You need a robust email and calendar management app for professional or personal use, value organization, and are prepared to navigate potential authentication challenges and a less-than-perfect search function .

Evidence note: Many reviews for both apps mention general dissatisfaction or praise without specific details. Some OneDrive reviews are irrelevant due to being spam or unrelated to app functionality .

Frequently asked

Does Microsoft OneDrive work well on iPhone?
Microsoft OneDrive has significant reliability issues on iPhone, with users reporting the app not opening, crashing, freezing, and failing to sync files or play videos correctly R4R6R9R15.
Are there common problems with Microsoft Outlook's authentication?
Yes, common problems with Microsoft Outlook's authentication include being frequently logged out, constant password requests, and getting stuck in an endless loop with the Authenticator app, making it difficult to access emails R70R82R88R91.
Is Microsoft OneDrive good for photo storage?
While OneDrive allows access to photos from anywhere, users report issues with automatic photo backup not working, downloaded photos not appearing in the main photo library, and the app filling up free 5GB space to prompt storage upgrades R12R13R41R54.
How is the search function in Microsoft Outlook?
The search function in Microsoft Outlook is widely criticized as miserable, slow, and unreliable, with users often unable to find emails even when they know they exist in specific folders R72R104R108R118.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Microsoft OneDrive 1/5 · US Update broke features: Used to be able to open documents inside another app. That function is now missing since the recent update
  2. [R2] Microsoft OneDrive 5/5 · US Love!!: We use this app for our business and it’s nice to have everything all in one place and on hand at all times.
  3. [R8] Microsoft OneDrive 5/5 · US Access to everything from anywhere: Just can’t place value on access to all my laptop files from my phone. I can do pretty whatever I want from wherever I am.
  4. [R12] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US Good, But Needs Improvements: This app is my primary way of transferring files from my PC to my iPhone and it is mostly reliable. But no matter how much I tinker, photos that I download from OneDrive app rarely appear in my main photo library for easy access. My current work around is to take a screenshot because they are easy to find.
  5. [R7] Microsoft OneDrive 1/5 · US Terrible for years in a row: The OneDrive iPhone app has been a disaster forever. Every single time I open the app to use some files in the vault it asks me to authenticate (that’s fine) then create a PIN for the vault (why ask me every time?) then asks me if I want to enable Face ID. Then it asks again and again in a loop until sometimes it works. Most times I can’t open the vault area of the dri
  6. [R9] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US Not usable on iPhone: I have a subscriber to Microsoft 365. Supposedly it includes Microsoft OneDrive. OneDrive works on my computer with no problem and with my Microsoft 365 account. But it won’t work on the iPhone. On the iPhone it just says one account found and when you click that button, you get a white page with nothing on it. So you can’t set it up.
  7. [R14] Microsoft OneDrive 5/5 · US Does the job!: Yep - very pleased. Clear, easy to nativagate. No problem sharing files. Appreciate the security.
  8. [R3] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US Not always reliable: It happens with inconvenient frequency that I’m unable to open a file unless I shut down and re-open the OneDrive app. Not good.
  9. [R4] Microsoft OneDrive 1/5 · US Doesn’t open: App does not even open. Shows cloud and stays there then shuts down my app.
  10. [R6] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US Random freezes: So I barely use it unless I’m posting game clips right and while I’m trying to save clips to my phone the app freezes randomly . That needs to be looked into . Good app overall but why this bug happening now but when I select anything on my computer it dont freeze
  11. [R15] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US App keeps crashing: App keeps crashing. Cannot access it for work
  12. [R13] Microsoft OneDrive 1/5 · US Customer trust buster!: I had this app installed for storing and viewing documents. Somewhere along the way they added some feature to start uploading photos as default option. Then they filled up my free space of 5GB and started sending me reminders to add more storage. Complete customer trust buster! If you need to install this app please check the settings turn off ALL unnecessary options and
  13. [R18] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · US Good but needs improvement: So I’ve been using OneDrive for years now and it great and has massive storage. A couple of improvements. 1) I’m sure it’s a bug but recently, I can’t enlarge my screen when watching videos. That ↙️↗️ doesn’t work. 2) can’t airplay videos from OneDrive at all. 3) it didn’t have my email registered but then sent the code to my registered email. lol. But overall I like On
  14. [R28] Microsoft OneDrive 1/5 · US Awful: Designed to force user to continually buy more storage space. Abysmal!
  15. [R70] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Buggy, drains the battery: The app keeps on asking for my email account password at random times and it drains the battery fast. The phone is always warm. I have to delete it. Those needless weekly updates do more damage than good.
  16. [R82] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Logs me out weekly: So work emails are missed until I notice.
  17. [R88] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Authentication is atrocious: If you use this on mobile they make it impossible to authenticate on a single device, the app tries to authenticate on the authentication app via the authentication app. If you have a meeting to get to on mobile and you get signed out good luck. Also the outlook sign in solution also failed. This process all around is a failure.
  18. [R91] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Truly poor: Truly unusable, Authenticator is terrible. What a bad product.
  19. [R41] Microsoft OneDrive 5/5 · US Great photo experience: I love being able to access the pictures from my digital camera anywhere. Thanks to OneDrive, I can see them on my phone or my computers and even share them with my family .
  20. [R54] Microsoft OneDrive 3/5 · GB BEWARE: Not all pictures are uploaded: Lots of synchronisation problems, so bad they even have an option specifically to reset the app and re-sync, which doesn’t always fix the problem. I stopped counting the number of times I had to reinstall this app. Also, images that were downloaded onto the phone from external sources (such as WhatsApp) are not always all uploaded onto OneDrive. The latest is
  21. [R72] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · US Good email bad search: Outlook search is miserable. Calendar, mail sorting and options otherwise are fantastic.
  22. [R104] Microsoft Outlook 4/5 · US Search feature: The search feature still needs some work because I can find an email in a specific folder but not always in the “search all folders”
  23. [R108] Microsoft Outlook 3/5 · GB Works for email: terrible search: The email works fine and integrates well with other O365 applications. The search feature however is so bad it’s almost comical. I actually have had to move to Apple mail to find emails that should be so easy.
  24. [R118] Microsoft Outlook 1/5 · US Bug: Select All Has no options available.: Please reach out via email so I can send a screenshot. When searching/filtering received emails there are no built options available after hitting “Select all” I cannot swipe for an action or anything. In the normal in box there are options but not when hitting search on the top right -> typing in an address -> holding down and email item.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store