Hotmail is not a third email service sitting next to Gmail and Outlook. Hotmail is Outlook.com. The @hotmail.com address still works. Sign-in is a Microsoft account. The web app is Outlook. People search "hotmail vs gmail vs outlook" because the old name never left their keyboard.
The useful comparison in 2026 is therefore: Gmail vs Outlook.com, with Hotmail as the leftover word for the Microsoft side. Gmail is the safer default for most personal users. Outlook (including Hotmail) is the fit if you already live in Microsoft 365. A modern client like Faraday sits on that same Outlook account — no new address. Hotmail's Focused Inbox still dumps people, bills, and newsletters in one list. Faraday splits them so the mail you actually answer is not buried in the mail you do not.
Hotmail vs Outlook is a naming problem. Hotmail vs Gmail is the real choice.
Quick verdict
Choose Gmail if you want the strongest free all-rounder: search, spam filtering, Android, Drive, Gemini.
Choose Outlook / keep Hotmail if Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams, OneDrive, or work Exchange already run your day. You do not "switch to Outlook" from Hotmail. You are already there.
Choose Faraday on Outlook if the address is fine and the inbox is the problem. Faraday signs in with the Microsoft account that owns @hotmail.com. It does not host mail. It classifies humans, bills, bookings, and newsletters automatically — no filters, no prompts — so you open Hotmail to what needs you, not to another chronological pile with nicer chrome.
Is Hotmail the same as Outlook.com?
Yes. Microsoft retired the Hotmail product name in 2013 and moved consumer mail to Outlook.com. @hotmail.com, @live.com, @msn.com, and @outlook.com are aliases on that service. You sign in at outlook.live.com (or the Outlook app) with a Microsoft account. There is no separate Hotmail server to migrate off unless you are leaving Microsoft entirely.
Keep the address. Stop looking for a Hotmail website that no longer exists.
Hotmail vs Gmail vs Outlook: the actual differences
Storage: Gmail 15 GB shared with Drive and Photos. Outlook.com / Hotmail 15 GB mailbox plus separate OneDrive. Neither matches old Yahoo's 1 TB — Yahoo later cut that to 20 GB; see Yahoo Mail vs Gmail vs Outlook.
Attachments: Gmail personal sends up to 25 MB. Outlook.com / Hotmail is commonly 20 MB. Over that, use a Drive or OneDrive link. Limits and workarounds: email attachment size limits.
Search: Gmail still wins on operators and messy archives. Outlook web is good enough for Microsoft mail. Hotmail did not keep a separate search product.
AI: Gmail has Gemini. Outlook has Copilot on paid Microsoft 365. Free Hotmail / Outlook.com is Focused Inbox, not an AI-native inbox.
Ads: Free Gmail and free Outlook.com both show ads. Paid Workspace / 365 cleans that up.
Who it is for: Gmail = Google / Android. Outlook / Hotmail = Microsoft. Neither automatically organises humans, bills, and bookings.
How do I log in to Hotmail in 2026?
Open outlook.live.com (or outlook.office.com for work). Sign in with the Microsoft account that owns the @hotmail.com address. If a bookmark still says hotmail.com, Microsoft redirects you. If the website works but Apple Mail or Thunderbird does not, generate an app password under Microsoft account security — same pattern as Yahoo IMAP app passwords.
Should I switch from Hotmail to Gmail?
Only if you want Google's stack more than Microsoft's. Switching providers is real work: import, forwarding, banks, recoveries. If you are already on a Microsoft account, the cheaper upgrade is a better client on that account, not a new @gmail.com you then have to babysit for 90 days. If you do leave Microsoft, Gmail's importer can pull Outlook.com / Hotmail over IMAP. Keep Hotmail for 90 days while recoveries catch up.
Does Faraday work with Hotmail?
Yes — because Hotmail is Outlook. Sign in with Outlook on Faraday using the Microsoft account behind @hotmail.com. Faraday does not create a Hotmail mailbox and there is no separate Hotmail server left to connect to.
What you get is the reason to bother. Hotmail / Outlook.com still shows you a list. Focused Inbox is a slightly quieter list. Faraday processes every message — classifies it, extracts the useful bit, and puts humans, bills, bookings, and newsletters in their own places. No prompt. No filter. A glance of what actually needs you today instead of scrolling 2009–2026 by hand. Attachments go up to 500 MB on that same Microsoft account, past Hotmail's 20 MB wall.
Yahoo and AOL need a migrate-first step. Hotmail does not. One-week trial, no new address. You can be in Faraday this afternoon.
Yahoo needs a new provider. Hotmail already has one: Microsoft.
Is Hotmail still around?
Yes. The product is Outlook.com. The @hotmail.com address still receives mail. Full answer: is Hotmail still around in 2026?
Which is better, Hotmail or Gmail?
Gmail for most people starting fresh. Hotmail / Outlook if you already live in Microsoft 365. They are not three peers.
What is Hotmail's attachment size limit?
Outlook.com commonly caps outgoing attachments around 20 MB. Gmail personal is 25 MB. See the attachment limits guide.
Can I keep my @hotmail.com address?
Yes. It is an Outlook.com alias. You do not need a new Microsoft address unless you want one.
What is the best Hotmail alternative?
If you stay on Microsoft: Faraday on Outlook. If you leave Microsoft: Gmail. Comparison: best Hotmail alternatives 2026.
