Using Exclaimer vs Outlook Roaming Signatures [Comparison]

Microsoft’s feature in Outlook for Windows Desktop, known as Outlook roaming signatures, allows email signatures to be stored within a user’s mailbox rather than on a local device. This means that a user’s personal signature will be available when accessing Outlook for Windows from a different desktop device.

However, Outlook roaming signatures does not provide the same level of design and control third-party email signature management solutions like Exclaimer provide. It is also worth noting that Outlook roaming signatures will not synchronize signatures outside of Outlook for Windows, e.g. non-Windows mobiles and tablets, CRMs like Salesforce, etc.

Choosing Exclaimer over Outlook roaming signatures

If you’re looking for an easier way to manage email signtures over using the Outlook roaming signatures feature, Exclaimer is the perfect choice for you.

Exclaimer worked with the Microsoft product team, releasing an update to our client-side agent that automatically sets the registry key to prevent Microsoft from updating the mailbox. Our client-side signature functionality is significantly more feature-rich than this Outlook roaming signature feature from Microsoft. This means Exclaimer offers the most comprehensive range of email signature management solutions available.

The benefits of choosing Exclaimer

Exclaimer email signature software comes with many benefits over Outlook roaming signatures including:

Signatures on all devices

Ensure all emails get a high-quality signature added using the server-side functionality of Exclaimer. Emails sent from mobile phones are typically plain text by default. However, Exclaimer will convert these emails into HTML, automatically adding an HTML signature to all mobile emails.

Manage signatures online

Access and make updates to your signature templates from the Exclaimer web portal, even if you’re not in the office or working remotely.

Drag-and-drop signature editor

Easily create various template designs using our drag-and-drop signature editor. In other words, you don’t need any HTML skills and updates can be made in minutes.

Additional user access

Give ownership of email signature design and management to non-IT teams like the marketing department.

Signature folders

Separate templates into different folders, ensuring signatures are only applied to the correct users. In addition, you can also restrict user access so they can only amend specific signatures within certain folders.

Mac functionality

Use the client-side functionality of Exclaimer which supports Outlook on Mac, as well as Outlook on PC and OWA.

View our comparison below on how Outlook roaming signatures differs from what Exclaimer offers.

	Exclaimer	Outlook Roaming Signatures
Central design and control	✔	✖1
Ensure all end users use the same email signature template	✔2	✖3
Make changes to signature templates quickly	✔4	✖5
Consistent branding across all emails	✔	✖6
Assign email signature management to specific people or teams	✔	✖
Email signatures on mobile devices	✔	✖
Email signatures on Macs	✔	✖
Compatible with Outlook Web signatures (OWA)	✔	✖
See signatures in Sent Items folder	✔	✔
Rich editor options	✔7	✖2
Create a reply signature (signatures appear on most recent email and not at the bottom of a chain)	✔	✔
Set up different signature templates for internal and external emails	✔	✖9
Automatically convert plain text emails into HTML, e.g. mobile signatures look the same as when sent from a PC	✔	✖10
Synchronize data from Azure AD (auto populate signatures with contact details)	✔	✖
Use Microsoft 365 Custom Attributes or additional Azure AD Attributes	✔	✖
Deploy different signatures based on subject line	✔	✖
Automatically use an alterate signature based on text in the email subject	✔	✖
Deploy different signatures based on recipient domain	✔	✔11
Schedule email signature marketing campaigns based on time-and-date	✔	✖
Add custom fonts	✔	✖
Sync signatures outside of Outlook for Windows	✔	✖
Conditional visibility: fields are shown or hidde based on a user's attributes (e.g. only show mobile if job title contains manager)	✔	✖
Offer multiple signature templates for end users to choose from	✔	✔

Footnotes

1. IT has to send the template out to each individual user, which is then manually added to their Outlook client.

2. Using server-side ensures signatures cannot be modified and are added after any email is sent.

3. IT can create a standard template, but this can still be modified by the end user.

4. Updates can be done in minutes and are deployed in real time.

5. IT has to update the email signature template and then send it out to every user. This request can easily be ignored.

6. End-users can still modify their signatures and on Outlook on Windows only.

7. Full drag-and-drop editor and pre-built template library.

8. Either manually create a signature in Outlook (rich) or email all staff the HTML to add to their Outlook installs.

9. User would have to manually select it - cannot be automated.

10. Signature will only be added in the message format.

11. Would require manual selection each time - no automation.