Google Workspace vs Office 365 – Which One Is The Winner?

It’s Google Workspace vs Office 365, and unsurprisingly, both are powerful and feature-rich. So which productivity suite is best for your business?

Before Google came up with Docs and Sheets apps, Microsoft was the reigning king in the enterprise applications space. But Google Workspace, previously G Suite, gave businesses and individuals a powerful alternative to Microsoft Office, now Microsoft 365.

Over the years, both platforms have elevated their office suites regarding features and usability. Today, both offer tons of excellent cloud-based applications and offline tools.

However, it has only made it more challenging to decide between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

If you have the same dilemma, here’s a detailed comparison of G Suite for Business and Microsoft 365 to assist you in picking the right platform for your business or individual needs.

Let’s dive in!

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Google Workspace leads on simplicity, ease of use, and collaboration front. Likewise, it’s more streamlined and more conducive to catering to the needs of smaller businesses. On the other hand, Microsoft wins big on features as well as its ability to handle both cloud and desktop work environments effectively. Likewise, its specialized enterprise pricing structure makes it more suitable for larger businesses with big in-house teams.

Google Workspace vs Office 365: Complete Comparison

Here is a comparison table that offers you a concise view of the similarities and differences between Google Workspace and Office 365

Key Differences Between Office 365 vs Google Workspace

On the surface, both productivity suits appear to be similar. Indeed, many of their features overlap. However, when you dig deeper, you will find Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 differ in many aspects. In this segment, I have listed the key differences between Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace to help you have a better overview of both platforms;

1. Usability

Between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, the first thing that catches the eye is the simplicity and ease of use. Here, Google Workspace seems ahead, staying true to its value of simplicity. On the other hand, Microsoft favors a bit more functionality than being eye candy.

It could be because the Microsoft Office suite evolved over many years from locally independently installed software. It only recently switched to the cloud environment, while Google Office apps were crafted for the cloud from the very beginning. Its quasi-cloud-native nature and the ecosystem that is cut from the same piece make it smoother.

Take, for example, the auto-save feature in google docs that automatically saves the document in the G drive – it significantly enhances productivity while emphasizing simplicity.

2. Apps

The primary differentiating factor between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 is that the former was tailor-made specifically for the cloud while the latter evolved to be compatible with cloud environments.

Consequently, G Suite apps are only available for web browsers with the possibility of using some of their features offline. On the other hand, Microsoft 365 apps like Word or Excel are available as web, desktop and mobile apps.

This significantly expands the scope and functionality of Microsoft 365 and provides users with more avenues to accomplish various office tasks.

Likewise, Microsoft apps have been around for almost three decades. Therefore a large audience is already familiar with the functionality and interface, which gives Microsoft 365 a slight edge when it comes to usability and adoption.

3. Mobile Usage

Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both maintained a robust mobile app ecosystem. Both offer intuitive apps that allow working on the go. But being a true cloud platform, users find that G Suite provides a more refined and smooth experience.

Per the data, as much as 70 % of Google Workspace users regularly utilize G suite mobile apps to accomplish tasks like editing, collaborating with teams, attending meetings or replying to emails. On the other hand, only about 60% of Microsoft users utilize Office suits on mobile devices.

The ability to work on the move significantly impacts overall productivity, and right now, Google Workspace seems way ahead of Microsoft 365 in this respect.

4. Storage

Another significant difference between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace is the storage space offered. The difference in storage space available per user is enormous. G suits only provides a 30 GB of storage space per user in a basic plan pooled over its different apps. However, you can enjoy unlimited storage if you choose the business plan of Google Workspace. On the other hand, Office 365 has a quota of 1 TB of storage, irrespective of the package you purchase.

5. Administration

While comparing Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, the administration is also a deciding criterion. Here again, the simplicity of G suits wins over Microsoft 365. Therefore, although setting options in Microsoft 365 is slightly more granular, many (including me) appreciate the clarity of the Google Workspace admin panel. This comes in handy for small businesses and start-ups because they have to put minimal initial effort into setting up everything.

6. Security

Both productivity suits are committed to the security and privacy of their users. However, they have a different approach to implementing the security protocols.

Google Workspace implements multi-factor authentication alongside Cloud Identity features to impose stringent security protocols. Likewise, it also enables Suspicious login monitoring, centralized cloud access management and Context-aware access to make the ecosystem more secure.

Meanwhile, Microsoft 365 implements multi-factor authentication and employs AI to monitor user behavior and raise red flags for suspicious activity. Moreover, it also implements robust security protocols for spam, malware and virus detection. On top of that, users also have the option to enable Office 365 DMARC for an additional layer of security.

Tools And Features Offered

Businesses differ in their needs and specific use cases; some might favor certain applications more than others. To assist in choosing the most suitable office productivity suit, here is a detailed comparison of tools and features offered by Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

Microsoft Words And Google Docs

Microsoft Word has no comparison when it comes to functionality. The sheer number of features easily outmatch Google Docs. Word includes interactive templates for whether you want to write a resume, brochure, report or anything else.

In fact, Microsoft Word supports more than 300 plus pre-built templates compared to Google Docs, which has around 50. But when it comes to collaboration, Google Docs seem way ahead. Also, collaboration on Google Docs is seamless and built upon from the start. But on Microsoft Word, it appears more contrived and restricted.

Microsoft Excel Vs Google Sheets

Here again, the functionality and the extensive feature push Microsoft Excel way ahead of Google Sheets. The number of templates, chart types, subtypes, etc., is far superior in Microsoft Excel than in Google Sheets. Apart from the extensive features, Google Sheets also needs to catch up in terms of ease of use. Performing functions on Microsoft Excel is way smoother than Google Sheets. The only area where Google Sheets came on top is again collaboration. Collaboration for editing and anointing sheets is far easier on Google Sheets than on Excel.

Microsoft PowerPoint Vs Google Slides

Again, if your work is more collaborative in nature, Google Slide can serve you best. For everything else, Microsoft PowerPoint beats Slides by a margin. PowerPoint has more graphics, animations, transitions and multimedia features than Slide. Likewise, its QuickStarter feature makes things far more straightforward than its counterpart on Slides, the exploration tool.

Microsoft Outlook Vs Gmail

For simplicity, go with Gmail – it certainly has no match. Its interface is clutter-free and smooth. Besides, it offers a perfect balance of features and usability, which can favour smaller businesses. But in terms of features, the Outlook has the upper hand. For example, you can send files up to 150 mb via Outlook. Gmail restricts sending and receiving files of only 25 mb size. Also, Microsoft has allocated separate storage for Outlook rather than merging it with OneDrive; however, that’s not the case with Gmail – it shares storage with G Drive. Outlook is a suitable option if you yearn for features, but if you want things done quickly, Gmail is undoubtedly better.

Microsoft Teams Vs Google Meet

The biggest differentiator between Teams and Meet is that Teams has audio, video and chat integrated into a single platform. However, with Google, for chatting, you have Google Chat, and for audio and video conferences, you have Google Meet. Obviously, juggling between the two is tedious and impacts hassle-free collaborations. Also, Teams seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Office platforms like Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive etc. In this context, Microsoft Teams is leagues ahead of Google Meet.

Pricing Comparison

When you compare Google Workspace plans with Microsoft 365, you will find that Google keeps things simple.

Pricing Details For Google Workspace

• Business Starter – $6 per user/month with a one-year commitment
• Business Standard – $12 per user/month with a 1-year commitment.
• Business Plus – $18 per user/month with a 1-year commitment.
• Enterprise – Available on request.

On top of that, there’s a 14-day free trial offer that is tied to each plan.

Pricing Details For Microsoft 365

Interestingly, pricing plans for Microsoft 365 are a bit complex. First, the productivity suit is available in different tiers for small businesses and enterprises. Secondly, several stand-alone offers are available that allow businesses to expand specific functionality without committing to a higher-tier plan.

Here are Microsoft 365 Pricing Details for Small Businesses

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic – $6.00 monthly per user.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard – $10.63 monthly per user.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium – $18.70 monthly per user

On top of that, Microsoft 365 Apps for Business package is also available for $8.25 monthly per user. The package continues the desktop version of Office 365 apps. The package includes all the premium features and offers 1 TB of storage.

Note: Each of these subscription pricing is applicable for an annual commitment.

Here are Microsoft 365 Pricing Details for Enterprises

• Office 365 E1 – $10 per user per month.
• Office 365 E3 – $23.00 per user per month.
• Office 365 E5 – $38.00 per user per month.

The Enterprise plan also includes a stand-alone Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise package that costs $12.00 per user per month.

Deciding Between Google Workspace And Microsoft 365 For Your Business

The comparison between Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365 will only bear significance if you clearly define your business needs and put your business model at the center of the comparison. Both platforms are powerful and offer near-identical features but have completely different approaches to office productivity.

In short, you must be aware of your

• Storage demands;
• Collaboration requirements;
• Your team’s expertise;
• Your budget;
• Scalability of your business operations;

Final Verdict: Google Workspace vs Office 365

Ultimately, the choice between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace comes down to individual requirements and specific areas of interest for the company. You should undoubtedly go for it if you have the budget and an expert team that could effectively churn Microsoft 365 to its full potential.

However, if your team values collaborations more and wants to benefit from the seamless, cross-location and mobile accessibility of data, then Google Office apps will definitely work better for you. Likewise, the significant cost savings compared to Microsoft 365 and the user-friendly Google products also favor Workspace.

Likewise, the fact that Google Workspace is much easier to configure and set up than Microsoft makes it particularly interesting for small to medium-sized companies.

FAQs