You are reading this arcticle, in order to understand how to take advantage of our SmarterMail Exchange service without the costs of real Exchange.
Does it work with Outlook?
IF SETTING THE ACCOUNT UP AS EXCHANGE
Our SmarterMail server works with Microsoft Outlook as long as you are using classic Outlook. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, classic Outlook is included and works perfectly. The newer standalone Outlook 2024 app does not work with our server due to a Microsoft decision to remove support for non-Microsoft mail servers.
IF SETTING THE ACCOUNT UP AS IMAP
Yes, IMAP works with any version of Outlook and will sync your email. However IMAP does not support calendar, contact or task synchronisation. If you only need email, IMAP is fine. If you need the full experience including calendar and contacts, you will need classic Outlook with our Exchange connection.
FEATURE |
EXCHANGE |
IMAP |
| Email (full sync) |  |
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| Calendar (full sync, both ways) | |
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| Contacts (full sync, both ways) | |
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| Tasks (full sync, both ways) | |
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| Out of Office / Automatic Replies via Outlook | |
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| Shared Calendars | |
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| Public Folders | |
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| Meeting invites and responses sync | |
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| Works on desktop and phone simultaneously | |
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| Works with New Outlook 2024 | |
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| Requires classic Outlook | |
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Our Recommendation
For most businesses we recommend setting up Outlook using the Exchange connection. The additional features — particularly calendar, contacts and tasks syncing — make a significant difference to day-to-day productivity. IMAP is a perfectly valid option if you only need email and are not concerned about the other features.
What about my phone or tablet?
Your mobile device connects separately using a protocol called Exchange ActiveSync (EAS). This works independently of how Outlook is configured on your desktop, and syncs your email, calendar and contacts to your phone in real time. Setting up your phone is covered in a separate guide.
What about Outlook on Mac?
Outlook for Mac (included with Microsoft 365) works with our Exchange connection and supports email, calendar and contacts sync. The feature set is slightly more limited than Windows Outlook but covers the essentials for most users.
What about webmail?
Everything synced via Exchange is also accessible through our webmail interface in any browser. You do not need Outlook at all to access your email, calendar, contacts or tasks — webmail is always available as a fallback.
