Microsoft has launched Outlook Premium out of beta. This means anyone can now sign up to use the premium version of Microsoft's email service... for a price. Thankfully, anyone signing up between now and the end of March can get a full year of Outlook Premium for just $19.95.

In February 2016, Microsoft began trialling a new premium version of Outlook.com. In April 2016, Microsoft invited selected users to participate in the beta. In October 2016, Outlook Premium went live, becoming available as a public preview. And now it's launching out of beta.

Outlook Premium Comes Out of Beta

As first spotted by Thurrott.com, Microsoft has quietly dropped the "Preview" tag, meaning Outlook.com Premium is now available to anyone willing to pay for it. The basic price is $49.99-a-year with custom domains costing extra after the first year.

An Outlook Premium subscription offers:

  • Support for custom domains with up to five personalized email addresses.
  • Advanced sharing options for contacts, documents, and calendars between those users.
  • No banner ads, meaning you can enjoy a "distraction-free view of your email".

If you sign up to try Outlook Premium before March 31, you'll pay $19.95 for the first year. The price will then shoot up to $49.99. Sadly, Outlook Premium is only available in the United States, so the rest of us schmucks will have to wait until Microsoft remembers we exist.

Outlook Premium Is a Tough Sell

Outlook Premium is going to be a tough sell for Microsoft, especially at $49.99-a-year. However, Microsoft isn't exactly overcharging here. Even at the regular non-trial price, Outlook Premium looks to be good value for money. The problem is, does anyone actually want a premium version of Microsoft's email offerings?

Do you use Outlook.com? Do you like it enough to consider upgrading to Outlook Premium? If so, which feature makes Outlook Premium worth paying for? If not, what puts you off? Is Outlook Premium worth $50-a-year? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Dennis Skley via Flickr