10 popular Outlook add-ins

01 out of 09

Duplicate Email Remover

what we like
  • Find and clear duplicate emails.

  • Configurable array of conditions.

  • Add menu and toolbar buttons.

what we don't like
  • Slowness when checking large message stores.

  • More selection options would be helpful.

  • The free trial version handles up to 10 emails per task.

Duplicate Email Remover does exactly what the title says: it finds and deletes duplicate emails. With its powerful search tool, it can browse any email or folder in Outlook. Searching with many fields such as subject, sender, recipients, and even internet titles makes finding all those extra emails a breeze.

Once this Outlook add-in finds duplicates, the program marks the emails for easier viewing. You can also set it up to move these messages directly to the Trash folder or any folder of your choice. The trial version has limitations, but the flexibility of options with the full license makes Duplicate Email Remover a useful tool.

02 out of 09

Additional features for Outlook

what we like
  • User friendly program.

  • Easy to insert boilerplate text.

  • You are reminded to leave a blank subject line.

  • More than 40 features improve productivity.

what we don't like
  • There is no setup tutorial.

  • All trial mode settings are lost after 30 days.

  • Office 365 compatibility is limited to desktop applications.

Bells and Whistles for Outlook is an extensive collection of tweaks, add-ons, and productivity settings that make your email tasks more efficient. With features like adding templates to email metrics reports, Bells and Whistles offers a variety of feature items. There's even a handy Outlook Add-In utility to find your loaded add-ins, as well as enable or disable add-ins.

Many features make Outlook customization less daunting. With Bells and Whistles, you can automatically add a greeting, signature, disclaimer section, or boilerplate text. You can also set up notification alerts to notify you when you add an attachment or use too many capital letters.

One additional feature that's perfect for small to home offices is email metrics. Here you can view trends in your email traffic, the recipients of your emails most often, and who you email frequently.

03 out of 09

clear context

what we like
  • Extensive online product support.

  • Create projects based on folders or emails.

  • Intuitive file messaging functionality.

  • The menu includes the Home tab and within Personal Email.

  • Schedule email follow-ups with just a few clicks.

what we don't like
  • There is no advanced search.

  • Cannot be edited in preview.

  • With multiple emails, email sorting can be slow.

  • There is no way to automatically send emails to the trash folder.

ClearContext is like your personal assistant for electronic communications. The add-in seamlessly plugs into Outlook and automatically transforms your inbox into a cleaner, leaner, more organized and better place. You can assign emails as to-dos, create projects to organize your tasks, and simplify email archiving with just one click.

Its two main features include automatic archiving and file messaging. AutoFile organizes your inbox by setting aside automated emails (such as shopping and social networking) for later viewing in the Daily Digest. Archiving Sent Messages automatically archives received messages together for better organization.

The Email to Task and Appointment feature quickly turns any email into a task or appointment. If you need some peace and quiet, you can use the snooze tool to snooze your inbox messages to reduce distractions.

04 out of 09

simple file

what we like
  • Easily jump to any folder.

  • Excellent support.

  • Archive with one click.

  • Batch folder creation.

what we don't like
  • Predictive features are not always accurate.

  • Generic Outlook is not supported.

  • Some known compatibility issues with Gmail IMAP.

SimplyFile is a powerful yet simple Outlook email organization tool. In just a few simple steps, you can set up one-click email filtering. The system learns from your inbox and predicts the correct destination for incoming messages. Its feature-rich interface includes task creation, batch folder creation, and email sending delays.

Other handy features include one-click search and detailed email usage reporting, snooze messages for a specified time, and undo send functionality. SimplyFile is ideal for both personal and business-level solutions and offers three subscription levels to best suit your needs.

05 out of 09

grammar

what we like
  • Format text for any situation.

  • Run always or on demand.

  • Plagiarism check for originality.

  • Simple and easy to use interface.

what we don't like
  • May slow down the loading of Outlook and email.

  • expensive.

  • To get full functionality you must subscribe.

Grammarly is a useful writing and editing plug-in for Outlook and Microsoft Word. When composing an email, just make a few adjustments to keep your grammar correct and clear.

Grammarly has several types of text checks, including overall correctness of grammar, clarity of message, and help setting tone. Grammarly also has a plagiarism check feature to ensure your email text is original.

Whether you want to see Grammarly suggestions all the time or just want to check your email when you're ready to send it, Grammarly lets you use it the way you want. Configuring Grammarly takes a few minutes and can be easily adjusted to suit any type of communication. While it's free to use, some of the most useful features require a full subscription.

06 out of 09

Professional writing aids

what we like
  • Plagiarism checker.

  • Built-in thesaurus.

  • Summary reports provide a quick overview of corrections.

  • Readability reports keep the target audience in mind.

what we don't like
  • Reporting and premium features require subscription.

  • Not suitable for casual users.

  • Subscription costs are higher than other add-on options.

ProWritingAid is a grammar and writing plug-in for applications such as Outlook and Microsoft Word. It's a basic grammar checker that can improve your email writing skills. With over 25 writing reports and checks, you can create emails smartly and clearly.

Checks include grammar, overused words, sentence structure, sticky sentences and overuse of clichés. ProWritingAid also includes plagiarism checking, a built-in thesaurus, and real-time checking.

While these features may be a bit overkill for most email purposes, for those who want to sound professional and polished, you can't go wrong with this powerful tool.

07 out of 09

Outlook Zoom plug-in

what we like
  • Easily integrates with existing Zoom accounts.

  • Scheduling work is the same as Outlook appointments.

  • Attendees can suggest alternative dates and times.

  • Participants are not required to own the plugin.

what we don't like
  • Zoom icons are sometimes missing after installation.

  • Some possible synchronization issues.

  • Some installation troubleshooting may be required.

Zoom video conferencing software is a common application used by many remote workers for meetings, seminars, or presentations. With the Zoom plug-in for Outlook, you can set up a Zoom meeting in just a few clicks.

The add-on gives you two basic options: schedule a meeting or start an instant meeting. The scheduling tool opens a blank email using the room finder so you can easily see the dates when your meeting is available.

Other aspects of the scheduled meeting can be set up like any other appointment in Outlook. The Zoom Plugin for Outlook automatically pastes the rest of the meeting information.

08/09

Lukin

what we like
  • Search email archives, hard drives and network drives.

  • Enterprise-grade solutions, including Group Policy.

  • The license is lifetime.

  • Highly customized search.

what we don't like
  • Sometimes it causes Outlook to stop responding.

  • There is only a 14-day trial period.

  • A bit expensive.

Lookeen is a powerful search tool, not just for your Outlook emails, but for your entire hard drive. This Outlook add-in allows you to customize searches for any field using any text string, including date and time.

You can use the inline search field, or, for more advanced searches, open the Advanced dialog box. Lookeen can search network drives. While it's not free to use, you will get a lifetime license with your purchase.

09 out of 09

text lightning

what we like
  • Customize pre-generated messages.

  • Add a custom message.

  • Lightweight installation.

  • Create custom folders to organize messages.

what we don't like
  • Sometimes not responding to text selection.

  • There is no online support or help files.

  • Windows operating system only.

Text Lightning is the perfect Outlook add-in for those who create duplicate email responses. If you reply to or compose an email with the same content, you can instantly send the email with just a few clicks in Text Lightning.

The add-in has a small library of pre-made custom texts to which you can add your own custom content. If you have other common phrases, you can create new text templates to quickly add to new messages. There is also an option to create folders for better organization of custom text.