Comparison Guide
Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the two dominant business productivity platforms. Both provide email, file storage, and collaboration tools, but differ in depth and approach.
Quick Answer
Google Workspace wins for most buyers.
Deeper enterprise features and broader application suite.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Apps | Full desktop Office apps | Web-based only |
| Outlook (desktop + web) | Gmail (web-based) | |
| File Storage | OneDrive + SharePoint | Google Drive |
| Video Conferencing | Microsoft Teams | Google Meet |
| Security Features | Conditional Access, DLP, Intune | Basic security controls |
| Compliance | HIPAA, FERPA, GCC available | Limited compliance tiers |
Our Verdict
Microsoft 365 is the better choice for most businesses due to deeper application functionality (especially Excel and Teams), enterprise security features, and broader compliance capabilities. Google Workspace excels for organizations that prioritize simplicity and real-time collaboration.
Quick Picks
Which one should you pick?
Three buyer profiles, three answers. Pick the row that fits.
Most Arizona SMBs (20-300 seats)
Pick: Microsoft 365
Construction, mining, and professional-services teams that live in Excel and need desktop Office, Teams, and device management. Business Premium bundles Defender and Intune-class controls at $22/user/month.
Get a Microsoft 365 quoteGmail-native, browser-first teams
Pick: Google Workspace
Already on Gmail, heavy on real-time co-editing, light on desktop Office. Starter lists at $7/user/month, and staying put usually beats a disruptive migration, so talk to us before you switch either way.
Talk to a strategistTeams with in-house IT (licensing and setup only)
Pick: Microsoft 365, self-managed
You keep day-to-day administration. Unio handles CSP licensing, tenant configuration, security baseline hardening, and mailbox migration, then hands you the keys.
Scope a licensing and migration quoteWhy Work With Unio Digital?
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Specifications, pricing, and product capabilities cited on this page are sourced from public vendor documentation as of the dates shown below. Vendor product lines change quickly; verify current specs and pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs $14.00 per user per month on an annual commitment and includes desktop, web, and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Microsoft 365 business plans support a maximum of 300 users. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs $22.00 per user per month on an annual commitment and adds Defender for Business threat protection, Intune device management, and policy-based identity and access management (conditional access) on top of Business Standard. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Google Workspace Business editions list at $7.00 (Starter), $14.00 (Standard), and $22.00 (Plus) per user per month at standard pricing, and Business plans are capped at 300 users. Enterprise is custom-priced with no user limit. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- On Google's published plan matrix, Vault (retention and eDiscovery) is included starting at Business Plus, data loss prevention is listed at the Enterprise tier, and Google Meet capacity scales from 100 participants on Starter to 1,000 on Enterprise. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- Google offers a HIPAA Business Associate Amendment (BAA) for Google Workspace and Cloud Identity. Administrators must review and accept the BAA electronically in the Admin Console before using PHI in the covered services on Google's HIPAA Included Functionality list. [source] · verified 2026-07-01
- CISA's Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) project publishes secure configuration baselines and free open-source assessment tools for both platforms: ScubaGoggles verifies Google Workspace configurations against the baselines, and its companion tool ScubaGear covers Microsoft 365. [source] · verified 2026-07-01