The only guide you’ll need for selecting the right productivity platform for your organization.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are both comprehensive platforms that house many productivity apps and solutions. Between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, there is a lot of overlap in their offerings and applications. If they’re both similar in functionality and widely used, how do you know which to choose? Learn the key differences, goals, and features within each to select the one that will boost collaboration and productivity in your organization.
| Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
Word Processor | Word | Docs |
Spreadsheets | Excel | Sheets |
Survey Creator | Forms | Forms |
Outlook | Gmail | |
File Storage | OneDrive | Drive |
Website and Page Creation | SharePoint | Sites |
Presentations | PowerPoint | Slides |
Messaging | Teams | Chat |
Video Calls and Meetings | Skype, Teams | Meet |
Planning and Scheduling | Planner | Tasks |
What is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is an extensive ecosystem of powerful productivity applications with an additional layer of complex security tools. Microsoft 365 grants users the ability to create presentations, formulas, and documents, and communicate effectively in many ways. In addition to these powerful applications, Microsoft 365 also provides a unified and agile method for organizations to meet security and compliance guidelines. Microsoft 365 takes security one step further than Google thanks to Microsoft Defender products (Endpoint, Exchange, identities, and cloud) in one comprehensive solution.
What is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace is also a collection of productivity apps that offer innovative solutions for people and organizations. It also includes four baseline security applications that allow users to make devices and users with configured security so your data stays safe. Formerly known as G-suite, Google Workspace’s name more accurately captures their overarching goal: to provide an environment for users to store and collaborate on their work.
What is the History of Google Workspace?
Google first released Google Apps for Domain back in 2006, which consisted of just a few simple productivity apps. Over the years, more applications and functionalities were added, features evolved, and possibilities within these powerful apps greatly increased. In 2016 the collection of Google’s productivity apps was formally named G-suite, then changed in 2020 to Google Workspace. For a brief time, G-suite was only available at an organizational level, but in 2022, it was made available to individual users.
What is the History of Microsoft 365?
Excel, PowerPoint, and Word were available clear back in the ’80s! They were simple, separately used, and over time would evolve into powerful and intuitive solutions. Fast forward to 2013, when the full name of the suite of productivity apps was Microsoft Office 365 (often shortened to just Office 365). It consisted of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, Skype, and SkyDrive storage. In 2020, Office 365 was rebranded to Microsoft 365 to better encompass the fact Microsoft 365 is an umbrella term many applications and technologies fall under. Office 365 is still a common term but refers to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Tim Brandt, A Microsoft 365 Cloud Specialist explains it as, “Office 365 gives you productivity tools, M365 covers those tools while giving you additional security and peace of mind.” Now Microsoft 365 consists of over 50 applications that can perform a wide variety of functions, and grant users premium security features.
What Does Google Workspace Include?
Google Workspace includes 18 applications that are easy to use and implement into your organization’s technology stack. Some of the most used are Gmail, Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Drive. The four security applications included in Google Workspace are Admin, Endpoint, Vault, and Work Insights.
What Does Microsoft 365 Include?
Microsoft 365 is a suite of applications for various functions, such as data manipulation, content creation, automation, and task tracking. It also includes security applications, such as Intune, Defender, and Azure Information Protection, which leverage Windows 10 Enterprise, Enterprise Mobility Security (EMS), and machine learning technologies to protect users, manage devices, and prevent threats.
How much is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace can be purchased at an organizational or personal level. Google Workspace offers a free trial for two weeks for users to try it out and see if it meets their productivity, collaboration, and storage needs.
How much is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 can be purchased at an individual level, as a small group/family, or as an organization. Anyone can try Microsoft 365 for a free trial run for 30 days to see if it is a good fit. At the organizational level, you can choose the tier that aligns best with your needs. Oftentimes businesses that have Microsoft 365 find themselves spending less on additional 3rd party applications as they often already have most solutions they need.
Who is Google Workspace Best For?
If managing accounts and communications is of top priority to your business, Google Workspace is the solution for you. Additionally, another determining factor could be if the organization’s people prefer or are already using some Google productivity apps, making Google Workspace easier to add to their technology stack as their general productivity solution.
Who is Microsoft 365 Best For?
Organizations that prioritize security and access permissions will find the technologies and solutions they are looking for in Microsoft 365. Because Microsoft 365 has such a wide range of applications to perform various actions, it appeals to enterprise organizations. One advantage of Microsoft to consider is how comprehensive the ecosystem is from Microsoft 365 to Microsoft Dynamics, Azure, and Power Bi. The more Microsoft products you use, the less the overall cost, as well as the easy integration between the applications.
Both solutions work well with every size of an organization, and for an individual, it just depends on the activities you’ll be performing and the priorities you have.
Is Microsoft 365 Secure?
Yes! Microsoft adopts the mentality of not just managing/protecting your accounts but protecting your Microsoft 365 identities altogether. Identity includes a person’s username and login info, as well as the processes, tasks, and the specific systems used (what they can do, where they can go). Microsoft 365 does this with its zero-trust mentality, adding a layer of security to protect against threats and un-permissioned users.
Is Google Workspace Secure?
One way Google Workspace prioritizes security is encryption. No matter where the data is stored, online or saved on a disk, it is protected from outside threats. Google Workspace also offers admins enterprise control over configuration and application settings, meaning they can control the users that access and edit information. Managing users and devices properly is all possible within Google Workspace.
Can I use Google Workspace and Office 365 together?
Since they are rivals, these two do not communicate or update one another. However, content in the applications of either platform can usually transfer to the other seamlessly. If for example, you wanted to copy and paste text from a Google doc to a Word document, it would work well. Some formatting differences between the two platforms do exist, so if you run into issues, you may have to find small workarounds (like copying and pasting text separate from images or links) so the content does not get altered.
Microsoft 365 Pros and Cons
Pros
-A wider range of pricing options and licensing- unique to the person or individual
-Easy to integrate without SaaS solutions
-Increased visibility into the activities within your organization. Starting from security, down to who’s downloaded documents, you can gain detailed insights into organizational information
-50 GB for email storage
-Can replace advanced security tools like Mimecast and Proofpoint to block spam and phishing
-Microsoft 365 applications are accessible in online or desktop versions
-Many of the applications within M365 can allow more users than googles equivalents (for example Teams allows 300 users on a call)
-Seamless integrations with:
-On-premise legacy information
-Many 3rd party solutions
Cons
- A steeper learning curve for users as it is more robust and enterprise-grade
-Frequent updates which lead to frequent changes
-Dependent on a stable internet connection to access and collaborate on files
Google Workspace Pros and Cons
Pros
-Simple, user-friendly experience
-Can access and edit from anywhere, even without an internet connection
-A more mobile-friendly experience to perform tasks on the go
Cons
-Only 30 GB available for email with the simple plan
-Allows for fewer users/participants in calls and meetings even with the highest plan (For example Google Meet only allows up to 100 people)
-Fewer applications included than in Microsoft 365
Any Questions?
JourneyTEAM would love to help you answer any further questions about Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Contact us today for help moving to or implementing Microsoft 365.