Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace for small businesses

We deploy both platforms every week, so we have no favourite — only the right fit for each client.

Choose Microsoft 365 if…

Your team lives in Excel and Word, you need desktop apps, or you rely on Windows devices managed through Intune and Entra ID.

Choose Google Workspace if…

Your team collaborates in real time, works mostly in the browser, and values simplicity over deep configuration.

Comparing costs

Both platforms offer several tiers. Compare what each tier includes: desktop Office apps, storage per user, video meeting limits, device management and advanced security. Businesses often find that a mid-tier plan on either platform includes security features they would otherwise pay for separately.

Security features to enable

Whichever platform you choose, switch on:

• Multi-factor authentication for all users
• Advanced email filtering against phishing
• Device management for laptops and phones
• Data loss prevention for sensitive information
• Alerts for suspicious sign-ins
• Third-party backup of mail and files

How each platform handles documents

Microsoft 365 is built around the desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications, with web and mobile versions that stay in sync through OneDrive and SharePoint. Complex spreadsheets, macros, tracked changes and heavily formatted documents are where it shines, which is why finance, legal and engineering teams often prefer it. Google Workspace is built for the browser. Docs, Sheets and Slides are simpler, but real-time co-editing is effortless and version history is automatic. Teams that write and edit together constantly, or that work on Chromebooks and mixed devices, often find Google faster to adopt. Both platforms open and save each other's formats, but advanced formatting doesn't always survive the round trip.

Email, calendars and meetings

Outlook and Exchange Online remain the standard for businesses that live in email, with powerful rules, shared mailboxes, delegated calendars and deep integration with CRMs and accounting tools. Gmail offers excellent search, simple labels and a lighter interface. For meetings, Microsoft Teams combines chat, calls, meetings and file collaboration in one app and works well as a phone system with the right licences. Google Meet is quick to join from any browser and integrates neatly with Calendar. If your clients mostly use Teams, that alone can tip the decision.

Administration and security

Both platforms offer central admin consoles, multi-factor authentication, device management and data loss prevention. Microsoft's security tooling is broader and more granular, especially in Business Premium, with conditional access and Intune device management. Google's admin console is simpler and easier for small teams without dedicated IT staff. In both cases, security depends far more on configuration than on the platform itself. Whichever you choose, plan a proper setup: user accounts, groups, sharing policies, backup and staff training, so the platform supports the way your business works from the first day.

Making the decision

If you're still undecided, run a short trial with a small group of staff from different departments. Ask them to do their normal work for two weeks: writing documents, working on spreadsheets, joining meetings and sharing files with clients. Their feedback often settles the question quickly. Also list the applications your business depends on, such as accounting, CRM and industry software, and check how each integrates with both platforms. Consider your clients and partners too: if they mostly send Word and Excel files and meet on Teams, Microsoft 365 will create less friction. Whichever you choose, a well-planned setup and migration matter more than the platform itself.

Migration is the easy part

Whichever you choose, we migrate mailboxes, files and calendars with minimal disruption — usually over a weekend.