Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the industry leaders of business productivity tools. If you are a business owner or decision-maker within a growing company, chances are you’ve contemplated which suite is best for your organization at one time or another. These productivity tools each have unique and robust offerings, which can make the decision difficult.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, comparing their pricing, storage, applications, communication tools, and security features, to help you decide which tool is right for your business.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace Comparison Chart
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are both great for boosting productivity and enhancing communication between business teams. However, the applications and tools differ in how they work and integrate with existing workflows.
Each suite includes vital applications that businesses rely on to run smoothly, like word processors, spreadsheets, email, and other important tools. For a quick overview of the features and applications included in each suite, please review the comparison chart below. Later in the blog, we will dive into each feature to help you decide which tool may be best for you.
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Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace – Plan Pricing
Knowing which plans are available and at what price can help you choose which suite is more suited to your budget and organizational needs.
Microsoft 365 Plan Pricing
Microsoft Business Basic
The Business Basic plan is the lowest tier offered by Microsoft 365. It’s a great plan for businesses that only require basic tools to use in everyday workflows. The Business Basic plan is available for only $6 per user per month and includes business email, OneDrive storage, and access to applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online or on mobile. It also offers phone and web support for its users along with automatic spam and malware filtering. Keep in mind that desktop versions of these applications are not included in the Business Basic plan.
Microsoft Business Standard
The Business Standard plan is the next tier up offered by Microsoft 365. This plan is available at $12.50 per user/month and is a great option for businesses that are looking for a more complete set of tools to use to optimize workflows and efficiency. It includes all the features offered in the Business Basic plan as well as desktop versions of Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Microsoft Business Premium
The Business Premium plan is the highest business tier offered by Microsoft 365. This plan is available at $22 per user per month and includes all the features from the Business Basic and Business Standard plans along with enhanced security services including protection against viruses and phishing attacks. This plan is a great choice for businesses that need advanced threat protection.
The Apps for Business plan is a great option for smaller businesses and startups. At $8.25 per user per month, this plan gives businesses access to Office applications and cloud storage without the need for a business email. This plan does not include Microsoft Teams or SharePoint.
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Google Workspace Plan Pricing
Business Starter
The Business Starter plan is the lowest tier offered by Google Workspace. It’s a great choice for smaller businesses or startups. The plan costs $6 per user per month and includes 30GB of storage. This plan does not include many of the collaborative features offered in higher Google Workspace tiers, like shared drives, AppSheet, or Cloud Search.
Business Standard
Business Standard is the next tier offered by Google Workspace. This plan is the most popular offered by Google Workspace and is available for $12 per user per month. It includes support for video meetings with up to 150 participants and meeting recordings. This plan does not include Vault or eDiscovery features, which are included in the Business Plus plan.
Business Plus
The Business Plus plan is a high-tier plan that includes more storage capacity and enhanced security features. This plan is available for $18 per user per month and includes meeting hosting for up to 250 people, attendance tracking, and cloud search capabilities. This plan also includes Vault capabilities and more endpoint management features.
Enterprise
The Enterprise plan is the highest tier offered by Google Workspace. The Enterprise plan comes with an unlimited amount of cloud storage and all the features included in the Business Plus tier. The Enterprise plan is custom priced so you will need to contact Google for an estimate for your business.
Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace – Features
Both suites offer robust features across multiple tiers. For most businesses, the most important features to consider are email, applications, and communication platforms. Let’s compare these features across each suite.
Email: Outlook Vs. Gmail
Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have tiers that provide business emails with custom domain names. The email platforms used by Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are Outlook and Gmail, respectively.
Outlook is Microsoft’s email platform commonly used for business communications and sending emails between team members. It is an advanced platform that allows for managing and organizing emails, scheduling, and keeping track of day-to-day tasks. Outlook is available across multiple platforms including PC and mobile.
Gmail is a popular email platform that gives users access to third-party applications that enhance overall functionality and performance. Keep in mind that since Gmail utilizes third-party applications to add and enhance features, it is not as seamless to use as Outlook for business needs. Gmail also lacks a dedicated desktop application though third-party applications can be used to connect Outlook and Thunderbird accounts.
Applications
The different applications included with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are similar but vary in performance and accessibility. The common applications included are word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation creators.
Microsoft 365 offers their line of already popular applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These tools are available on PC or mobile and even include web-based versions of the applications. Teams using the Microsoft 365 suite of applications will have access to features like real-time coauthoring, which will allow for instant updates to collaborative documents and projects.
Google Workspace uses Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides in place of the more popular Microsoft applications.
Communication
The communication tools offered by Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, respectively.
Microsoft Teams has been designed with business use in mind and includes over 250 different applications that can all be used inside Teams to collaborate in real-time. Video calls on Teams can include up to 300 people and allows for personal chats between team members.
You may also like: Microsoft Teams Noise Suppression Feature Helps to Quiet Your Surroundings
Google Meet is a video and text chat application that supports up to 250 people, depending on the plan chosen. Google Meet is integrated with other Google Workspace applications like Google Calendar and Gmail.
Some common features shared between the two suites are file and screen sharing capabilities, and advanced encryption.
Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace – Security Features
Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have been designed with advanced security features and data privacy protection. Both suites are updated regularly, ensuring that any vulnerabilities are discovered and resolved quickly. Administrators may customize any available security protocols they wish using either suite.
Microsoft 365 has built-in spam and malware protection for emails and offers Exchange Online Protection features. This provides hundreds of different security controls that can ensure that industry standards for data privacy are maintained.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans go even further and give users advanced protection features including identity management to ensure secure connections between users and devices. Some additional security features included in the Enterprise plans are:
- Advanced Threat Analytics
- Windows Information Protections
- Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Google Workspace includes both phishing and spam protection as well as two-factor authentication, and endpoint management tools. Business Plus users will also be able to access the Vault services, allowing for the retention and archiving of search data.
Microsoft vs. Google Workspace – Key Differences
Although both suites have similar features and functions, there are some key differences to consider when making the choice for your business.
One key difference is the availability of dedicated desktop applications for offline use that Microsoft provides. All Microsoft 365 applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel have licensing available for full desktop versions of the applications. Google Workspace does not offer any desktop applications, making offline work more difficult and less efficient overall.
Microsoft 365 also offers a wider variety of different applications across the available tiers. Some of these applications include Publisher, Planner, and Project.
Cloud storage is another area where Microsoft 365 outshines Google Workspace. Microsoft 365 offers a full 1TB of cloud storage while Google Workspace offers 5TB in their highest Enterprise plan.
Finally, security is handled much more comprehensively by Microsoft 365, as the multi-factor authentication tools offer a much safer environment. Google Workspace offers two-factor authentication but the use of third-party applications adds additional security risks that Microsoft 365 is not subject to.
Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace – Which Is Right for My Business?
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are two of the leading solutions for workplace optimization and collaboration tools. While both are viable choices, Microsoft 365 offers more features for more affordable prices, while also providing some of the most popular applications like Word and Excel for use team wide.
Larger businesses will fare better with Microsoft 365 due to the more robust features included. Google Workspace may be enough for smaller businesses to get by with until they expand and need more features.
FAQ: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365
1. What are the main differences between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace?
Microsoft 365 offers robust desktop applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which are not available offline with Google Workspace. Google Workspace relies more on web-based tools like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Microsoft 365 includes advanced security features and broader application offerings, while Google Workspace focuses on seamless integration with other Google services and simpler collaboration tools.
2. Is Google Workspace or Office 365 better?
It depends on your business needs. Google Workspace is great for businesses that prioritize web-based collaboration and integration with Google services. Microsoft 365 is better for businesses that need powerful desktop applications, advanced security features, and offline capabilities.
3. Is it better to use Google or Microsoft?
Choosing between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 depends on factors like business size, budget, security requirements, and preferred applications. Google Workspace is ideal for smaller businesses and startups, while Microsoft 365 is better suited for larger businesses needing comprehensive features and robust security.
4. Why do people use Microsoft over Google?
People often choose Microsoft 365 for its advanced desktop applications, comprehensive security features, and extensive offline capabilities. Businesses that require tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with enhanced security and management features, tend to prefer Microsoft 365.
5. Does Microsoft have an equivalent to Google Workspace?
Yes, Microsoft 365 is the equivalent to Google Workspace. Both suites offer a range of productivity tools, including email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and collaboration applications. They are designed to enhance business productivity and communication.
6. What business applications are included in Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace?
Microsoft 365 includes well-known applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Teams, Outlook, Exchange, and SharePoint. Google Workspace offers Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Sites, Google Drive, Calendar, Meet, and Gmail.
7. Is Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace better for large businesses?
Microsoft 365 is generally better suited for large businesses due to its extensive feature set, advanced security options, and robust desktop applications. Google Workspace can be sufficient for smaller businesses or startups but might fall short as business needs grow.
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