What is the difference between Salesforce for outlook and lightning for outlook?

Salesforce for Outlook

Salesforce for Outlook (commonly referenced as SFO) was the first major iteration in connecting your email to Salesforce. Salesforce for Outlook is an executable application (.exe) that is installed on a Windows computer and allows a user to relate emails from their Outlook client to records in Salesforce.

Emails can be related to Contacts, Leads, Accounts, Opportunities, Cases, and even custom objects. It also can synchronize Contacts, Events, and Tasks between Outlook and Salesforce, as well as directly create Cases from received emails.

Salesforce for Outlook will work with Outlook client versions 2012/2013/2016, however, will not work with Mac, and is a purely client-based application, meaning that Outlook will need to be up and running on your computer for it to synchronize data.

Salesforce for Outlook runs as a sidebar plugin within the main mail window of Outlook, with or without the reading pane active. Keep in mind that if you open an email message full screen, the sidebar will not be viewable as it is only displayed in the primary Outlook window.

Lightning for Outlook

Lightning for Outlook (LFO) has very similar functionality and can be thought of as the successor to SFO. Rather than a standalone application, however, Lightning for Outlook is a cloud-based application that will run both within the client and on the web (OWA).

Since it was built with newer technology and coding practices, Lightning for Outlook will only work with Outlook 2013/2016 (PC), however, it is also available for Mac with the Outlook 2016 client.

Since it is a plugin app, and not an EXE application, it also requires Exchange 2013/2016 on premise, or Exchange Online with Office 365. To stay up to date with changing requirements, be sure to see the Resources section below for an updated list.

Lightning for Outlook can link emails to Contacts, Leads, Accounts, Opportunities, and Cases. It can also relate Events to records within Salesforce, however if you’re looking for a more automated sync of Events, you’ll need to look into Lightning Sync.

Lightning for Outlook also does not sync Contacts (Tasks will sync with an upcoming release) as that is also being handled by Lightning Sync.

when using Lightning for Outlook is its design and layout – something very familiar if you are already using the Lightning interface within Salesforce. It also holds an advantage over Salesforce for Outlook in that you can navigate through Salesforce records within the app, edit existing fields, and create new records on-the-fly.

Salesforce lightning for outlook side setup:

Go sit with someone you like on your IT staff. ...

In Salesforce go to Setup -> Lightning for Outlook -> Settings.

Click Enable Lightning for Outlook.

You may choose to set up Enhanced Email which has the attached emails stored as email in Salesforce instead of tasks – I am going to skip this for now.