Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: Which Office Suite Fits a Small Business?
Both now bundle AI into email, documents and meetings. Google's entry price is lower and simpler; Microsoft gives you full desktop Office apps and sells Copilot in bundles.
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both give a small business professional email on its own domain, cloud storage, documents, spreadsheets and video meetings. Today's choice is also about AI: Google now builds Gemini into its business plans, and Microsoft sells plans that come with Copilot or adds it on. The biggest practical differences are price at each tier, whether you need desktop Office apps, and how much AI you get at the entry level.
| At a glance | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price per user | $7 a month, annual plan (Business Starter) | $7 a month, paid yearly (Business Basic) |
| AI at the entry plan | Gemini in Gmail and Vids only | Copilot Chat, no Copilot inside desktop apps |
| AI built into docs and email | Business Standard, $14 a month annual | Business Standard with Copilot, $23.50 a month |
| Storage per user | 30 GB (Starter), 2 TB (Standard), 5 TB (Plus) | 1 TB on every business plan |
| Desktop office apps | No, browser and mobile apps | Yes on Business Standard and Premium |
| Video meetings | Google Meet, 100 to 500 participants by plan | Microsoft Teams (cheaper versions without Teams also sold) |
| Free trial | 14 days | Yes, terms vary by plan |
Google Workspace
Prices are from Google's Workspace admin help page on business edition pricing; Google's main pricing page lists the plan features and storage.
- Business Standard includes Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet and Chat
- Simple flexible month-to-month option on every Business plan
- Generous storage: 2 TB per user on Business Standard, pooled across the team
- 14-day free trial
- Business Starter limits Gemini to Gmail and Vids
- Starter storage is 30 GB per user
- No desktop versions of Docs and Sheets, which matters if clients send complex Excel or Word files
Microsoft 365
- Business Standard and Premium include desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
- 1 TB of cloud storage per user even on Business Basic
- Bundles with Copilot put AI inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams
- Copilot Chat with web grounding is included on Business Basic
- Business Basic is web and mobile apps only
- Listed prices assume a yearly subscription that auto-renews
- The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on starts at $18 per user a month on top of a plan
If your team already works in Gmail and the browser, Google Workspace Business Standard is the better value: $14 a user on an annual plan gets you Gemini across email, documents, spreadsheets and meetings. Pick Microsoft 365 if you or your clients depend on desktop Excel and Word, or you want Microsoft's security tools in Business Premium, and budget for the Copilot bundles if AI inside those apps is the point. Either way, start with one team on a trial before you move everyone's email.
Prices and features checked October 13, 2026 from each company's own site. They change often, so confirm before you buy. We are not paid by either company.
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