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Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: Which is the best office suite for businesses?

Microsoft 365

If you're looking for a cloud-based office suite for your business, you may be wondering which is better: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Both offer a variety of productivity tools, such as email, calendar, word processing, spreadsheets. Presentation, collaboration and presentation functions. But they also have some differences in terms of price, functionality, compatibility and security. In this blog post, we'll compare Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 in these aspects and help you decide which one best suits your business needs.

Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365

Pricing

Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 They have different pricing plans depending on the number of users and the features included. Google Workspace has four plans: Business Starter ($6 per user per month), Business Standard ($12 per user per month), Business Plus ($18 per user per month), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Microsoft 365 has three plans: Business Basic ($5 per user per month), Business Standard ($12,50 per user per month), and Business Premium ($20 per user per month). Both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 offer annual discounts for paying up front.

The main difference between the plans is the amount of cloud storage and advanced features available. For example, Google Workspace Business Starter offers 30 GB of storage per user, while Business Standard offers 2 TB and Business Plus offers 5 TB. Microsoft 365 Business Basic offers 1 TB of storage per user, while Business Standard and Business Premium offer unlimited storage. Some of the advanced features that are only available on higher-tier plans are video conferencing with more participants, data loss prevention, advanced security, and compliance tools.

Functionality

Both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 offer similar features for core office applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and email. However, there are some differences in how they work and what they can do. For example, Google Workspace is designed to work primarily online, while Microsoft 365 can work both online and offline. Google Workspace also has deeper integration with other Google products, such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, and Google Chat. Microsoft 365 has more integration with other Microsoft products, such as Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint.

Another difference is the level of customization and flexibility each suite offers. Google Workspace is more streamlined and easier to use, but it also has fewer options and features than Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 is more powerful and complex, but it also has a steeper learning curve and requires more maintenance than Google Workspace. For example, Google Workspace has fewer formatting options and templates than Microsoft 365, but it also has fewer compatibility issues and errors than Microsoft 365.

Compatibility

Both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are compatible with most devices and browsers, but have different levels of support for different operating systems and file formats. For example, Google Workspace works best with Chrome OS and Android devices, while Microsoft 365 works best with Windows and iOS devices. Google Workspace also supports Linux devices, while Microsoft 365 does not. Both suites can work with Mac devices, but may have some limitations or performance issues.

Another compatibility issue is the file format each suite uses. Google Workspace uses its own proprietary file formats, such as .gdoc, .gsheet, and .gslides, while Microsoft 365 uses standard Office file formats, such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx. Both suites can import and export files from each other's formats, but may lose some formatting or functionality in the process. For example, Google Workspace may not support some of the advanced features or macros that Microsoft 365 files have.

Security

Both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 have high security and privacy standards for their users' data. Both use encryption to protect data in transit and at rest. They also comply with various regulations and certifications, such as GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and SOC 2. However, there are some differences in the way they handle security and privacy issues.

One difference is the location of the data centers that store user data. Google Workspace has data centers in various regions around the world, while Microsoft 365 has data centers in specific countries or regions that users can choose from. This may affect access speed and legal jurisdiction of the data.

Another difference is the level of control users have over their data. Google Workspace gives users more control over their settings and data preferences than Microsoft 365. For example, Google Workspace allows users to opt out of personalized ads or delete their data at any time. Microsoft 365 does not offer these options to its users.

Conclusion

Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are great options for a cloud-based office suite for your business. Both offer a variety of productivity tools that can help you work more efficiently and collaboratively. However, they also have some differences in terms of price, functionality, compatibility, and security that may affect your decision. Depending on your business needs, budget, and preferences, one may be a better fit than the other. To help you make the best decision, you can try both suites for free for a limited time and see which one works best for you.

Microsoft Office was once the undisputed king of the business world, dominating the office software market with its popular applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For many years, it faced no serious challenges as competitors like WordPerfect Office and Lotus SmartSuite faded into obscurity.

But in 2006, a new competitor emerged: Google Docs & Spreadsheets, an online service that allowed users to collaboratively create and edit documents and spreadsheets. It was later integrated with other Google services to form Google Apps, which was renamed G Suite and then Google Workspace. Google's cloud-based suite gradually gained ground, offering a simpler and cheaper alternative to Microsoft products. According to the latest figures from March 2020, Google has 6 million paying customers.

Microsoft, however, did not sit idly by. It transformed its traditional Office software into Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), a subscription-based service that offers frequent updates and new features. Microsoft 365 is the focus of this article.

[Related: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: What is the best office suite for companies? ]

Choosing an office suite today is not as easy as before. There are many factors to consider, such as functionality, compatibility, cost, security, and collaboration. In this article, we will compare Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 in terms of these aspects and help you decide which is best for your business.

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an office suite for your business is price. Both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 offer different plans to suit different needs and budgets. But which one offers more value for your money? Let's compare the prices of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Google Workspace pricing

Google Workspace has four main plans for businesses: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise. Pricing is based on per user, per month and varies by region. Here are the prices for the US:

– Business Starter: $6 per user per month. This plan includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, Keep, Chat, Meet (up to 100 participants), and Currents. It also offers 30GB of cloud storage per user, custom email and security options, and standard support.

– Business Standard: $12 per user per month. This plan includes everything in Business Starter, plus Meet (up to 150 participants and recording), shared drives, Vault, and 2TB of cloud storage per user.

– Business Plus: $18 per user per month. This plan includes everything Business Standard offers, plus Meet (up to 250 participants, live streaming, and noise cancellation), enhanced security and management controls, eDiscovery and retention, and 5TB of cloud storage per user.

– Company: personalized prices. This plan includes everything Business Plus offers, plus advanced security and compliance features, enterprise-grade meeting capabilities, unlimited cloud storage or 1 TB per user if there are fewer than five users, premium support, and access to Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace Marketplace.

Microsoft 365 Pricing

Microsoft 365 has three main plans for businesses: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, and Microsoft 365 Business Premium. There is also a Microsoft 365 Apps plan that only includes Office apps. Pricing is based on a per user, per month basis with annual commitment. Here are the prices for the US:

– Microsoft 365 Apps: $8,25 per user per month. This plan includes Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access (PC only), Publisher (PC only), and OneDrive. It also offers web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.

– Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5 per user per month. This plan includes everything in Microsoft 365 Apps (web versions only), plus Exchange (email hosting), SharePoint (team sites), Teams (chat and video conferencing), Yammer (social network), Stream (video sharing), Sway (interactive presentations). ), Forms (surveys and questionnaires), Planner (task management), To Do (personal productivity), Power Automate (workflow automation), Power Apps (application development), and Whiteboard (collaborative drawing). It also offers 1 TB of cloud storage per user.

– Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12,50 per user per month. This plan includes everything in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, plus the desktop versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

OneNote, Access (PC only), Publisher (PC only).

– Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $20 per user per month. This plan includes everything in Microsoft 365 Business Standard, plus advanced security and device management features such as Intune (mobile device management), Azure Information Protection (data protection), Azure Active Directory Premium Plan 1 (identity management and access), Windows Virtual Desktop. (remote desktop services), Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (email protection), Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 (device protection), Defender for Identity Plan 1 (identity protection).

Price comparison

As you can see in the table below, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 have different pricing structures and features. Depending on your business needs and preferences, you may find one more suitable than the other.

| Plane | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |

| — | — | — |

| Basic | $6/user/month | $5/user/month |

| Standard | $12/user/month | $12.50/user/month |

| Premium | $18/user/month | $20/user/month |

| Company | Customized prices | Customized prices |

Some of the main differences are:

– Google Workspace offers more cloud storage than Microsoft 365 at all levels except Enterprise.

– Google Workspace has a simpler and more consistent pricing model than Microsoft 365, which has different features for different plans.

– Google Workspace has more collaboration tools than Microsoft 365, such as Currents (a social network similar to Yammer) and Jamboard (a digital whiteboard).

– Microsoft 365 has more productivity tools than Google Workspace, such as Access (a database application) and Publisher (a desktop publishing application).

– Microsoft 365 has more security and administration tools than Google Workspace at the Premium tier.

Conclusion

There's no clear winner when it comes to pricing between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Both suites offer a variety of plans and features that can fit different business needs and budgets. Ultimately, the best option for your business will depend on your preferences, requirements and expectations. You may want to try both suites for free before making a decision.