Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 – Difference Between Them

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: When do I need?

If you are running a small size business, then you should start using these business tools as soon as possible. Both of these companies offer plans for small businesses, which are priced according to a per-user basis.

Both services provide you access to professional business tools right from the start. This helps you to expand your business growth with productivity features.

Let us compare Google Workspace vs. Office 365 to find out which one is better for your Business.

What is Office 365?

Microsoft Office 365 is a cloud-based productivity suite and collaboration application that integrates all Microsoft’s existing online software like MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, etc., into a cloud service. It also includes Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams as other effective collaboration and communication applications.

This software suite is a stable and most reliable choice for businesses. It is one of the leading collaboration tools that has increased popularity because of its ability to bring more productivity, ROI, and corporate success.

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is a collection of useful productivity suite applications by Google. It includes desktop applications, web apps, and mobile versions. It is very functional for corporate and personal use.

This productivity suite provides easy team collaboration with chat and Google Meet for messaging and video conferencing. You will also get robust security options, so all your important tasks will be safe across all the apps.

Software Suite: Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365

Word processing: Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365

  • Microsoft Word: It is an office 365 tool that helps you to transform documents into web pages. It offers a real-time translation facility with just one tap. This program enables you to read and edit documents attached to the email. Word has added collaborative capacities that keep up with Google Docs.
  • Google Docs is an online application that helps you to format text and paragraphs. It offers numerous fonts and features to work with. This G suite application offers templates for writing documents. You can use this application to create and make changes in files anywhere at any time.

Moreover, since Docs has no native version, there is an increased risk of losing data integrity when switching between on-server versions of Word and the web-based Docs app.

Spreadsheets: Google Sheets vs. Microsoft Excel

Google Sheets vs. Microsoft Excel

  • Excel is a world-renowned tool for creating intelligent business spreadsheets. This spreadsheet software is the most robust and complete option. This Microsoft software offers advanced formatting and scripting features to analyze macros. It provides an ability to run programs that are more complex directly from the Excel platform.
  • Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application. This spreadsheet application is great for keeping track of contacts and allows you to do basic math equations. This G Suite app also has a built-in chat window to discuss spreadsheet changes and helps you collaborate in real-time.When we talk about pivot tables and business intelligence, Google Sheets offers immensely powerful functionality.

Presentations: Google Slides vs. Microsoft PowerPoint

Google Slides vs. Microsoft PowerPoint

  • PowerPoint is a presentation software developed by Microsoft. This presentation tool helps you to create a slide show of important information. This presentation tool also offers formatting and style features, with many attractive and built-in templates.
  • PowerPoint also provides robust media integration with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. When any video files are added to the presentation, you can use them for offline presentations.
  • Slides is a cloud-based online application that is similar to PowerPoint. However, it does not offer the same range of templates and features.
  • This G suite app is quite easy to use and format. Still, it offers limited features that do not allow creative capacity as PowerPoint. Moreover, you need a network connection to create and show presentations with embedded web videos.

Business Email Comparison:

Business Email Comparison

  • Microsoft’s business email: It is Microsoft’s email service. It offers users 50 GB of email hosting and 5,000 emails per day on each of their business plans. This limit is given separately from your overall cloud storage. That means your email attachments never take space in OneDrive. However, you cannot use your full cloud storage for email.
  • Google Workspace: This Business email service tool provides 30 GB of storage and helps you set up your email address on your Business’s web domain. At the same time, you can take advantage of the functionality of Gmail.
  • It allows you to send attachments up to 25MB and share files larger than that directly from Google Drive. This allows you to send up to 2,000 emails per day and receive up to 86,400 daily.

Google Workspace Communication and Collaboration vs. Microsoft 365

Google Workspace Communication and Collaboration vs. Microsoft 365

  • Skype for Business: Skype for Business is a web conference app that allows you to make a free call online for up to 50 people. It also provides voice calls and video chat between tablets, computers, and mobile devices. It also provides both audio and video recording. You can share your presentations with your colleagues.
  • Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is a part of the Office 365 suite. This tool helps you to collaborate with your team. It also allows you to connect in professional communities and with students and staff all in one place. This productivity software also allows you to share your screen with other users.
  • Google Meet: Google Meet is easy to use and free online web and mobile application. It allows you to arrange a web conference according to your Business and personal purpose. This G Suite Software helps you to create and join meetings from Gmail on the web.

Cloud storage: Google Drive vs. One Drive

When we compare Google Drive and Office 365 over storage and cloud, you get unlimited cloud storage with the Google Workspace Enterprise plan. While the Business or Enterprise plan of Office 365 has 1 TB to 6 TB of OneDrive storage.

Pricing: Google Workspace and Office 365 Subscriptions Compared

Google Workspace Pricing:

There are four versions available for Google Workspace, which you can select according to your business requirements.

Here are the pricing plans for Google Workspace:

  • Business Starter: This plan offers 30 GB of shared storage across Drive and Gmail for each user. However, it lacks Cloud Search, App Maker (custom apps for your Business), and Vault (data retention and eDiscovery for Google Workspace). This basic plan costs you $6/user/month.
  • Business Standard: This plan is also much similar to the Business Starter plan. However, it offers 2 TB of storage instead of 30 GB of the starter plan. This business plan also allows the recording of video meetings. This plan costs $12/user/month.
  • Business Plus: This is an ultimate business plan that offers 5 TB of storage for each user. This Google Workspace version also adds extra utilities like video meetings, attendance tracking, Cloud Search Vault, and app development. This plan costs you $18/ per user/ per month.
  • Enterprise: It is the most advanced plan offered by Google. This plan provides similar features as the Business Plus plan, but it offers unlimited storage for each user. It has advanced video meeting features like noise cancellation and in-domain live streaming. To purchase this plan, you need to contact Google’s sales team.

Microsoft 365 Pricing:

Here is the Pricing structure of Microsoft 365:

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic: This is a basic plan of Microsoft Office. In this plan, you get business email, 1TB of OneDrive for Business storage, and web versions of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook, without desktop apps. This plan costs you $5 per month/per user.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard: This plan combines the two previous Business plans with all the cloud features, plus the latest office desktop programs. This Office 365 edition also includes small-biz tools like Outlook Customer Manager and Microsoft Invoicing. The cost of this plan is $12.50 per month/ per user.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium: This Office 365 plan includes all the desktop apps and cloud services. This solution also offers advanced Threat Protection security and information access control. This plan costs you $12.50 per user/ per month.
  • Microsoft 365 Apps: This plan is best for smaller organizations that use Microsoft Office but do not need Microsoft’s business email. This plan offers a full Click-to-Run collection of desktop programs plus a minimum of 1TB of OneDrive for Business storage per user. However, this Office 365 plan does not include Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. This plan costs you $8 per month/per user.

Customer Service: Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365

Here is a customer service comparison between the two:

Google Workspace:

Google gives Google Workspace users with access to 24/7 phone, email, and chat support in 14 languages. For users, support is available with the help of Google Help, their online knowledge base for self-help. However, if you are still not satisfied, you can contact their support agents to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Microsoft 365 Customer Service:

Microsoft 365 software suite also provides live phone and email support to business customers. Moreover, it has extensive training materials, including self-help guides, how-to videos, and a searchable knowledge base. Microsoft 365 is known for paying attention to its business customers, and there is no difference with its support also.

Google Workspace vs. Office 365 Side by Side Comparison

Parameters Google Workspace Office 365
Content management Google Sites Share Point
Document editing • Google Docs
• Sheets
• Slides
• Office Online
• Office for Desktop
Document sharing • Google Groups
• Google Drive
• Skype for Business
• Outlook Groups
• SharePoint Document Libraries
• OneDrive for Business
Tasks • Gmail Tasks
• Google Keep
• Outlook Tasks
• Planner
Groups and communities • Google Groups • Outlook Groups
• Microsoft Teams
Real-time messaging Google Meet • Skype for Business
• Microsoft Teams
Screen sharing Google Meet • Skype for Business
• Microsoft Teams
Video calls Google Meet • Skype for Business
• Microsoft Teams
Android and iOS devices • Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Gmail, Calendar, Google Keep
• Google Drive
• Google Slides
• Word
• Excel
• Outlook
• OneDrive for Business
• PowerPoint
• Skype for Business
• Outlook Groups
• SharePoint
• Office Drive for Office 365
• Microsoft Teams

Google Workspace vs. Office 365: What is the best productivity suite?

Google Workspace and Google Workspace-offline versions are designed for synchronization with other software so that most files or documents can be synchronized. For facilitating their time synchronization with other software, users can also use Google Workspace on their Internet IP address.

It is one of the familiar and most popular platforms on the market – and it is the market leader for this reason. Microsoft holds up its legacy with continual Office 365 optimization.

Google workspace is a nicely designed, clean, and serviceable platform. It is easy to use and has similar features to those offered in Office 365. However, it is basic. For any organization looking for a robust, feature-rich, professional, and customizable software suite on the market, in this comparison, Office 365 is the outright winner.

When to use an Alternative: Zoho Workplace

Zoho Workplace is another affordable option for teams that want a productivity suite with robust team collaboration tools. It allows users to integrate with a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Its paid plan begins from $1 to $6 per user/ per month.

By this comparison, we can say that Microsoft Office 365 is quite a great choice than Zoho. In effect, Microsoft Office 365 is certainly a stable and reliable choice for businesses.