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Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace: work suites for teams?

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

Microsoft 365 logoMicrosoft 3657.8/10Free trial · $9.99/moGoogle Workspace logoGoogle Workspace8.1/10Free trial · $8.40/mo (business plan)

These starting prices are for different kinds of buyers (Microsoft 365: personal plan, Google Workspace: business plan), so they are not directly comparable. See each review for the full price list.

Quick verdict

Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace: work suites for teams.

Microsoft 365: Businesses and people who work heavily in installed Excel, Word and PowerPoint and Office file formats.

Google Workspace: Small businesses and remote teams that need domain email, calendar, video meetings and shared documents in one subscription.

Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Head-to-head

Microsoft 365 leads on 3, Google Workspace on 2, 4 even

FeatureMicrosoft 365Google Workspace
Cheapest business plan[4],[8]Business Basic: $7 per user per month, billed yearly, from 1 July 2026 per Office Watch (previously $6); web and mobile apps only.Business Starter: $7 per user per month on a 1-year commitment, $8.4 flexible; 30 GB per user.
→ Entry business prices are the same, so the choice should rest on what each plan actually includes.
Mid-tier: Business Standard[4],[8],[13]$14 per user per month, billed yearly (previously $12.50); adds installed Office desktop apps.$14 per user per month yearly ($16.8 flexible); 2 TB per user, Meet up to 150, Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides.
→ Same price: pick Microsoft for installed apps, Google for 2 TB storage and Gemini in documents.
Plans for individuals and families[1],[8]Personal $9.99/month (1 TB); Family $12.99/month for up to 6 people, 2 TB shared; Premium $19.99/month.No family Workspace plan; a free personal Google Account is a separate offering, not part of Workspace.
→ Families or small groups wanting to share one paid plan have a clear option in Microsoft 365 Family.
Desktop apps and platforms[1],[6],[10]Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android; installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote.Web, iOS, Android; browser-based, with offline mode for Docs, Sheets and Slides.
→ Anyone relying on advanced Excel, macros or large files needs the installed apps only Microsoft 365 offers.
AI included in plans[5],[8],[13]Copilot bundled into Personal and Family from 16 January 2025; on Family and Premium AI is for the owner only.Gemini in every Business plan since January 2025 at no extra fee; Starter has no Gemini in Docs.
→ Teams wanting AI for every member get broader access with Workspace, except on Starter.
Data use for AI training and ads[2],[3],[11]Business: Copilot data not used to train foundation models. Consumer: data may be used for AI training and personalised ads.Google says customer data is not used to train Gemini, not reviewed by staff and not used for ad targeting.
→ Privacy-conscious individuals should note Microsoft's consumer terms allow broader data use.
User limits[8]No public information found on business plan user caps.Business plans cap at 300 users; beyond that, Enterprise with custom pricing.
→ Organisations nearing 300 users should budget for Enterprise if choosing Workspace.
Free trial[1],[8]One-month trial for Personal, Family, Premium; free web Word, Excel, PowerPoint with fewer features.14-day trial; no free business tier.
→ A longer trial and free web apps make it easier to evaluate Microsoft 365 before paying.
User ratings (Vietnam App Store)[7],[15],[16]Microsoft Word: 4.7/5 from 224573 ratings.Google Docs: 4.8/5 from 189179 ratings; Gmail: 4.8/5 from 271112 ratings.
→ Both are rated very highly by mobile users; the gap is too small to decide on.

Choose Microsoft 365 if…

  • Businesses and people who work heavily in installed Excel, Word and PowerPoint and Office file formats
  • Families or small groups sharing one plan for up to six people with 2 TB of shared storage

Choose Google Workspace if…

  • Small businesses and remote teams that need domain email, calendar, video meetings and shared documents in one subscription
  • Organisations that prioritise co-editing, with several people in one file and automatic saving

How the products differ

Microsoft 365: Microsoft 365 suits individuals and organisations that need the full installed Office apps, especially Excel and Word, plus cloud storage and Teams. The trade-off is recurring subscription prices that have risen on both consumer and business plans, with AI features concentrated in the pricier tiers.

Google Workspace: Google Workspace suits small and mid-size teams that want real-time document collaboration, email on their own domain and central administration with little setup. The trade-off is a price rise in January 2025 when Gemini was bundled in, and Gemini in Docs is not available on the cheapest Starter plan.

Choose around your use case

Microsoft 365: Fits Businesses and people who work heavily in installed Excel, Word and PowerPoint and Office file formats; Families or small groups sharing one plan for up to six people with 2 TB of shared storage. Strengths: Installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, plus Teams and 1 to 2 TB of storage on consumer plans; Family plan shares across up to six people, each with up to five devices.

Google Workspace: Fits Small businesses and remote teams that need domain email, calendar, video meetings and shared documents in one subscription; Organisations that prioritise co-editing, with several people in one file and automatic saving. Strengths: Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Chat, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and Sites in one subscription; Simultaneous editing with auto-save, plus offline mode for Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Costs and limits to check

Microsoft 365: Microsoft 365 Personal: 9.99 USD/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: Prices keep rising: consumer plans went up $3 a month in the US on 16 January 2025 when Copilot was bundled, and Business Basic and Standard rose on 1 July 2026 per Office Watch.

Google Workspace: Business Starter: 8.4 USD/user/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: Prices rose in January 2025: Business Standard went from $12 to $14 per user per month on annual plans, per 9to5Google. Prices retain the currency and billing units recorded in the source profiles; no currency conversion or plan equivalence is assumed. Check official prices, limits and terms before payment.

When to consider another option

Microsoft 365 is not aimed at: People who only write simple documents, where a free web version or free office suite is enough; Buyers who want a one-time purchase rather than a subscription; Microsoft sells Office Home 2024 separately for $179.99.

Consider alternatives to Google Workspace if you are: Teams that rely heavily on Excel macros, Access or fully installed Office desktop applications; Individuals who only need basic email and storage, where a free Google Account is enough. Read these limitations alongside the feature table before deciding; a single strength cannot compensate for a missing requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?

Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace: work suites for teams. Microsoft 365: Businesses and people who work heavily in installed Excel, Word and PowerPoint and Office file formats. Google Workspace: Small businesses and remote teams that need domain email, calendar, video meetings and shared documents in one subscription. Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Does a higher score always mean a better fit?

No. Overall scores are editorial judgements across several criteria. Your task, allowance and existing ecosystem may matter more; the table separates those differences so you can decide.

Where do prices and limits come from?

From each product’s researched profile, with source links and check dates in the review. This comparison reuses that evidence; its compilation date does not mean every price was rechecked that day.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.Microsoft 365 compare plans (consumer pricing) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  2. 2.Microsoft Privacy Statement · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  3. 3.Microsoft Learn: Data, privacy and security for Microsoft Copilot · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  4. 4.Office Watch: Microsoft 365 business price increase 2026 · press · Nov 10, 2026
  5. 5.MobileSyrup: Microsoft 365 consumer price hike (2025-01-16) · press · Nov 10, 2026
  6. 6.Wikipedia: Microsoft 365 · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  7. 7.App Store: Microsoft Word (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  8. 8.Google Workspace pricing page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  9. 9.Google Workspace home page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  10. 10.Google Workspace features page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  11. 11.Google Workspace security page · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  12. 12.Google Cloud Data Processing Addendum · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  13. 13.9to5Google: Workspace price increase (2025-01-15) · press · Nov 10, 2026
  14. 14.Wikipedia: Google Workspace · Community-reported · Nov 10, 2026
  15. 15.App Store: Google Docs (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026
  16. 16.App Store: Gmail (Vietnam) · store · Nov 10, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

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