Cloud Solutions: Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace
Reviewed and updated in October 2026.
From small, family-run businesses to Fortune 500 companies, many organizations are moving from on-premises to cloud-only, while others prefer to retain some services, which we call a hybrid deployment. This shift raises the question of which cloud suite to choose: Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
This article is not meant to provide a recommendation. It presents features and strengths to help your organization migrate to either solution and assess your options against your business's unique needs.
In the years since Office 365 embraced the SaaS model for its traditional productivity suite, Microsoft has added further products and services, now known as Microsoft 365, including many cloud variants of products usually deployed in a company's own datacenter. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) has had a more cloud-native, browser-centric and consumer-oriented approach from the start. It began with Gmail, then messaging, and finally Google Docs and Sheets, a collaborative online word processing and spreadsheet duo that was combined with other business services to form what is now Google Workspace.
Overview
| Feature | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity apps | Word, Excel and PowerPoint (desktop, web and mobile) | Google Docs, Sheets and Slides (web and mobile) |
| Collaboration and meetings | Microsoft Teams | Google Meet and Google Chat |
| Outlook with Exchange Online | Gmail | |
| Cloud storage | OneDrive | Google Drive |
| Administration | Wider range of services and a hybrid option, so greater administrative effort | Web and mobile oriented, so a lighter administrative workload |
| Migration | Simple upgrade path for most Microsoft customers | May require more planning when moving away from Microsoft |
Productivity apps
Microsoft's Office apps are at the core of Microsoft 365, both as online services and as desktop applications for Windows and macOS.
Google Workspace offers a similar suite, from Docs to Sheets, for the web browser and as dedicated mobile apps. There are no full desktop versions; offline editing runs through the browser. Google's apps open and save most Office formats, but the results are not always identical.
Collaboration tools
Microsoft offers Teams, which integrates with Outlook calendars and OneDrive to share and store documents, apps and services and to give all communication one central place. For project management, Teams integrates with apps such as Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow), Azure Boards and Planner. Several users can work on the same document at the same time in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more, in the browser and in the desktop apps for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Since April 2024, Microsoft has sold new Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscriptions worldwide without Teams and licenses Teams separately (in the European Economic Area since October 2023); existing subscribers could keep their bundled plans. Factor this into any cost comparison.
Google has split its former Hangouts service into Google Meet for audio and video calls and meetings and Google Chat for text messaging. Hangouts itself has been retired. Docs, Sheets and Slides support simultaneous editing in the browser, so people can work as a team on shared projects.
Email and messaging
Microsoft's email experience is built around Outlook on the desktop, while Gmail is designed for the browser and the Gmail mobile app. In Microsoft 365, Teams is the hub for chat and video calls; in Google Workspace, Google Chat and Google Meet fill that role. End users often know both worlds, for example Outlook at the office and Gmail for personal use.
If you already run an Exchange organization, Exchange Online is the obvious way to keep the same level of service and avoid interruptions for end users during the transition. Keep user training in mind: employees who are used to Outlook or Outlook on the web face a real learning curve if everything moves to Google Workspace, and the same applies the other way round.
Cloud storage
Both vendors offer comparable per-user storage, with the quota depending on the plan. The unlimited storage tiers available in 2020 are gone: Microsoft ended unlimited OneDrive storage, and Google now applies pooled storage limits per organization. OneDrive uses the same sync engine as its consumer counterpart and integrates with the Office apps on desktop and mobile devices. Google Drive integrates natively with Gmail, which shares the same storage, and with other Google services.
Administration
Because Microsoft offers a wider range of corporate services and the option of a hybrid environment, the administrative effort is higher and calls for a dedicated team of experienced IT professionals. Managing cloud services differs from managing on-premises systems, so some learning and practice will be required, but the essence of the Microsoft products remains, so you will not start from scratch.
Google Workspace also needs skilled IT staff, but there are fewer services to administer because everything is web and mobile oriented, so the workload tends to be lighter.
Migration
Most customers migrate from a Microsoft-based infrastructure, in which case there is a simple upgrade path from the current deployment to Microsoft 365. Others move to or from Google Workspace, or start from an on-premises setup. Plan the migration carefully: companies often prepare and consult for months to ensure a smooth transition. Our article Considerations When Moving to the Cloud covers the wider questions.
Security
Both suites offer different security features depending on the plan. The overview below reflects the plans as of October 2026.
Microsoft 365
| Business Standard | Business Premium |
|---|---|
| Exchange Online Protection (anti-spam and anti-malware) and Microsoft Secure Score | Everything in Business Standard plus Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (Safe Attachments, Safe Links, anti-phishing protection and real-time detections), Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID P1 |
Threat Explorer, Threat Trackers, automated investigation and response and Attack Simulation Training belong to Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, which is included in Microsoft 365 E5 or available as an add-on.
Google Workspace
| Business Standard | Business Plus | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Security and management controls | Enhanced security and management controls, including Vault and advanced endpoint management | Advanced security, management and compliance controls, including Vault, data loss prevention (DLP), data regions and enterprise endpoint management |
Whichever suite you choose, the cloud apps are only as secure as the identities and devices that access them. Our articles on Zero Trust and Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) explain how to control that access.
Generative AI
A topic that did not exist in 2020: both vendors now build AI assistants into their suites. Google has included Gemini in its Workspace Business and Enterprise plans since January 2025, while Microsoft licenses Microsoft 365 Copilot separately or in dedicated bundles. Check what each plan includes and which data the assistant may access before you roll it out.
Considerations
Choosing a solution can be difficult, because Microsoft and Google offer similar basic services such as email, collaboration and cloud storage, with one focused more on desktop users and the other on web and mobile users.
Keep in mind that the two are not aimed at quite the same audiences. For large companies that have used Microsoft on their desktops and back-end systems for years, Microsoft 365 is usually the safer way to move into the cloud while keeping things under control. The Office desktop apps are one of the strongest arguments here.
For smaller organizations that mainly need email, cloud storage and some collaboration such as shared documents and video conferencing, Google Workspace may be just right. It is quick to deploy and use, with less administrative effort. There are no desktop versions of its apps, but all services are available in the browser or as mobile apps, and that may be enough. Organizations that already use ChromeOS or Chrome Enterprise will find the Google route especially consistent; read Chrome Enterprise: Securing Your Digital Workplace and Solution Highlight: ChromeOS.
In making your decision, consider user satisfaction and a pilot phase, test cases, your corporate background and legacy systems, and the administrative effort.
Author's note: As a security-conscious person I naturally gravitate towards Microsoft, and this may show in the comparison. Your requirements may be completely different and call for another solution.
Planning a move to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace? Our team supports mail, collaboration and file services as part of Endpoint Productivity and secures the devices that access them through Endpoint Security. Contact us with any questions.
