Email, documents, spreadsheets, video calls and file storage: almost every company runs on either Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Both are excellent. The right choice depends less on features than on how your team already works.
The short version
- Choose Microsoft 365 if your team lives in Excel, Word and Outlook, uses Teams with customers or partners, or needs the full desktop Office applications.
- Choose Google Workspace if your team works mostly in the browser, collaborates heavily on shared documents in real time, and values simplicity.
Side by side
| Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace | |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook / Exchange | Gmail | |
| Documents | Word, Excel, PowerPoint — desktop apps on most business plans, plus web versions | Docs, Sheets, Slides — browser-first |
| Meetings and chat | Teams | Meet and Chat |
| Files | OneDrive and SharePoint | Drive and shared drives |
| Strength | Advanced spreadsheets and documents, integration with Windows and enterprise IT | Real-time collaboration, simplicity, works on any device |
| Learning curve | Familiar for teams used to Office | Familiar for teams used to Gmail |
Five questions to decide
- Which tools do your people already know? Retraining costs time and goodwill.
- Do you depend on complex Excel files or macros? If so, Microsoft 365 avoids compatibility headaches.
- How do you meet with customers? Teams is common in corporate environments; Meet is simple for external guests.
- Which devices do you use? Windows-heavy offices tend to fit Microsoft; mixed or Chromebook fleets fit Google.
- What does your IT already manage? If you use Windows device management and Active Directory, Microsoft fits naturally.
Security: same essentials either way
Whichever you choose, configure the basics on day one: two-step verification for every user, strong admin accounts kept separate from daily work, and email authentication records (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) on your domain. Both platforms keep your data available, but neither replaces your own backup: deleted or encrypted files can still be lost by mistake or by an attack. A third-party backup of mailboxes and files is a good idea for both.
Licensing: watch the commitment
Both suites are billed per user, per month. Plans with an annual commitment usually cost less per month than month-to-month plans, which are more flexible but more expensive. Count only active users, remove licences when people leave, and choose the plan level that matches what each group really needs — not everyone needs the top tier.
Moving from one to the other
Mail, calendars, contacts and files can be migrated between platforms. Plan it: inventory mailboxes and shared folders, set a cut-over date, migrate in batches, update DNS records, and keep the old system read-only for a while. Done right, users notice little more than a new icon.
How we can help
We supply Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace licences, set up the domain and email security records, and can add off-site backup in our data center in San José. Tell us how your team works and we will recommend the right suite and plan — and handle the migration.
Talk to an engineer
Tell us what you need and we will design it with you, from our Tier III and Rated-3 data center in San José.