The short version
- No rules to write. Every organisation gets its own folder automatically.
- New senders covered from day one. No waiting until you notice and add a rule.
- No 256 KB rules limit. Sortfully's rules aren't stored in Exchange, so they don't use your rules quota.
- Undo any filing. From your activity log, and your email is never deleted.
Sortfully and Outlook rules at a glance
| Feature | Sortfully | Inbox rules | Sweep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | •£5 per mailbox a month plus VAT (£6 with UK VAT) | ✓Included with Outlook | ✓Included with Outlook |
| New senders filed automatically | ✓Yes, with a folder made for each | ✕Only senders you've named | ✕Only senders you've set up |
| A company's different addresses | ✓Grouped automatically | •Possible with a domain rule you write | ✕One sender at a time |
| Limit | ✓No cap on sorting rules | ✕256 KB of rules per mailbox | •Set up per sender |
| Works in every Outlook app | ✓Runs in the cloud | •Client-only rules need classic Outlook open | ✕Not in classic Outlook |
| When it runs | ✓As mail arrives, or after you've read it | ✓As mail arrives | •Once a day |
| Undo | ✓From your activity log | ✕Move mail back by hand | ✕Move mail back by hand |
| Never deletes your email | ✓Never | •Only if a rule says so | •Can delete |
Competitor details are from Outlook rules's own public pages: Exchange Online limits, Inbox rules quota, Rules in Outlook, Sweep, Sweep in Outlook on the web, Focused Inbox. Last updated 28 October 2026. Competitor prices are as listed on their sites. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll correct it.
Why people choose Sortfully
Every sender, with no setup
An Outlook rule covers the senders or domains you name, and you need a folder ready for each. Every new supplier, client or service means another rule, and you have to know the company's domain to write it. Sortfully groups senders by organisation from the first email, making the folder as it goes, with nothing to set up.
No rules quota to hit
Exchange Online allows up to 256 KB of rules per mailbox, and it can't be raised above that. If you make a rule for each sender, you can reach it. Sortfully keeps its own sorting rules, so they don't count towards that limit.
Undo, and nothing deleted
If a rule moves the wrong thing, you move it back by hand. Any Sortfully filing can be undone from your activity log, and it never deletes your email.
Works with the rules you have
You don't have to choose. Sortfully reads your rules when you connect (it never changes them), and when one of your rules moves new mail out of the Inbox, Sortfully leaves it alone.
For more detail, read Outlook rules vs automatic filing: why native rules fall short.
Getting started takes a few minutes
- Sign in with MicrosoftConnect your Outlook or Microsoft 365 mailbox. Sortfully lists the Microsoft permissions it asks for before you connect.
- Check the previewSortfully previews the folders it would make for the senders in your Inbox before anything moves. Protect any folders you want left alone.
- Let it runNew mail is filed for you from then on. You can also run a cleanup to file your older mail, and undo any filing from your activity log.
Questions
How many Outlook rules can I have?
Exchange Online allows up to 256 KB of rules per mailbox. There's no fixed number: how many fit depends on how long each rule is, and only switched-on rules count. Admins can set the limit anywhere from 32 KB to 256 KB, but not higher.
Can I keep the folders I already have?
Yes. When you connect, Sortfully finds your existing folders and reuses any with a matching name, and you can protect folders you want left alone. It reads your Outlook rules but never changes them, and when one of your rules moves new mail out of the Inbox, Sortfully leaves it alone.
Will Sortfully delete my email?
No. Sortfully moves or tags mail, and any filing can be undone from your activity log. Its code blocks deleting messages, and it never moves mail to Trash or Deleted Items. The only thing it ever removes is a folder that is already empty.
Does Sortfully use AI?
No. There's no AI model, no machine-learning classifier and no language model anywhere in Sortfully, and your mail is never sent to an AI service. Filing follows plain rules: your own overrides first, then the organisation that sent the message.
What can Sortfully see?
The details it needs to file mail: who sent a message, which folder it's in, when it arrived, whether it's been read, its Outlook categories and technical IDs. It also reads your folder names and Outlook rules. The subject line and sender address are saved to your activity log too; that's on by default and can be switched off, and on a team, admins can see it. Message bodies and attachments are never read; the code is built to refuse them.
How much does Sortfully cost?
Standard is £5 per mailbox a month, or £50 a year. Business, which adds team management, is £9 per mailbox a month, or £90 a year. Prices exclude VAT. New customers get a 14 day free trial, no card required.