Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, both are the most popular and commonly used suites for business productivity. Through these solutions, Microsoft and Google aim to offer a complete package of cloud based applications and services for easier communication and collaboration. Both the suites are powerful, reliable and offer several benefits to businesses of all kinds.
The common business tasks performed by using the two suites include sending emails, managing calendars, creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations, video conferencing, file management and team collaboration. Microsoft 365 also provides a comprehensive range of desktop applications, programs that you install and use on your computer, rather than online.
Let us first look at the difference based on the pricing structure of the two suites.
PRICING
Google Worskpace Pricing options for business
Google workspace comes in four versions for the industrial use: Business starter, business standard, business plus and Enterprise.
Business Starter, at $6 per user per month, is a starter pack which comes with a full suite of applications and 30GB of storage per user. Business Standard plan, at $12 per user per month includes all that, plus 2TB of storage per user as well as additional administrative tools. Business Plus at $18 per user per month includes everything the Business Standard version offers and more administrative controls and business tools in addition.
Enterprise has everything that Business Plus does, plus more administrative controls.
Microsoft 365 Pricing options for business
Microsoft 365 business subscriptions are more complicated and range from $5 per user per month for Microsoft 365 Business Essentials, which is the most basic version, to $35 per user per month for Microsoft 365 E5, the most advanced version with fully packed features.
After looking at the price and plan differences, lets now look at the difference between the two based on their corresponding applications.
APPS BASED COMPARISON
Google Docs vs Microsoft Word
As a fully features word processor, Microsoft is better, whereas, google docs is better for collaborations. For example, if you are creating a report, brochure, resume or any other kind of document, word offers an excellent set of pre-built templates so you can get writing fast and not worry about the document design. Word has 300 different business templates alone, while google docs only has total 55 templates.
But Google docs is far better when it comes to collaboration as it is built into the app.
Google Sheets vs. Microsoft Excel
Microsoft excel is better when it comes user who work independently as it offers a wide selection of templates and also chart types whereas google sheets only offers a limited number. Its also simpler to create charts in excel than in sheets. Again, sheets is better when it comes to collaboration as it has more powerful tools and they are naturally integrated and easy to access.
For powerpoint vs google slides also, the same point is valid for independent use vs collaboration.
Gmail vs Microsoft Outlook
Gmail has a much cleaner and less clustered interface than outlook, offering the best balance between ease of use and powerful features. However, outlook is more straightforward to use and has more powerful features like focussed inbox, clean up feature etc.
Desktop applications: the main reason for using Microsoft 365
Here comes the main deciding factor between using Microsoft 365 or google workspace. Microsoft provides desktop application for all its features while google uses cloud for google cloud workspace.
Desktop applications mean you can install the full Microsoft suite on your desktop and work easily while being offline.
Despite the era of cloud based applications, cloud computing and the world moving towards cloud services, most businesses still rely on desktop applications for everyday use like Microsoft word for documentation, Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets, Outlook for mails and so on.
However, you should use google workspace if you want live collaboration on your documents.
