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Remember when Microsoft Office used to rule the world? Microsoft’s Office suite came like a tsunami, sweeping aside erstwhile rivals like Lotus SmartSuite and WordPerfect — until Google came along in 2006 with Google Spreadsheets and Docs. Steadily, Google’s productivity suite refined its features and now boasts 6 million customers, according to its most recent figures in 2023.
Fast-forward to 2024, Office 365 and Google Workspace constitute 45% and 50% of the total cloud-based productivity suite market, respectively. Both have much in common, but there are some finer details that you should consider when choosing between them. That’s precisely what this Google Workspace vs Office 365 review aims to discover.
Every business has unique needs, and some may place more value on some apps than others. Here is a highlight of the most essential office apps from Google and Microsoft to help you make a more informed decision based on their strengths and weaknesses.
Google Docs is hands-down the best at collaboration. It was designed from the ground up with collaboration capabilities at its core. Word as a collaborating tool feels tacked on rather than built-in, giving you a feeling of restraint.
However, Microsoft Word is the obvious pick if you require a fully-featured word processor. By saying Word has superior features, we don’t mean a bunch of tools you’ll never use. Word has awesome capabilities to simplify your workflow and increase your productivity.
Google Sheets is ideal if you are looking for a simple spreadsheet with real-time chat and collaboration features. It’s also free for individuals. The best part! Google sheet’s simple design makes it super easy to use.
Excel tends to suit people who are more into data analysis because of its statistical analysis and visualization tools and ability to handle large data sets without losing speed.
Honestly, Excel’s interface is a little intimidating for the novice user. Its tabs are jam-packed with many unlabeled features, some too tiny for the skimming eye to miss easily.
Here, the battle between the two titans boils down to whether your main priority is powerful features or collaboration in a single presentation platform.
Google Slides is the better choice if your business values collaboration. Slides far outstrip the awkward and kludgy collaboration capabilities offered by PowerPoint - no offense!
Microsoft PowerPoint is better for all other reasons you can think of.
Outlook has a robust interface with advanced search and loads of customizations. If you are an experienced Microsoft user who loves every bell and whistle possible, office 365 email is for you.
Gmail’s user interface is clean and less cluttered than Outlook. You’ll love its balance of powerful features and ease of use. Gmail also rules roost when it comes to getting mail organization.
Both apps provide unique customer plans, but Google Workspace pricing is cheaper per user, starting at $6-$18 monthly. All the plans include your favorite Google apps. The only caveat is that you’ll have to pay extra for the more premium capabilities.
Office 365 subscription is more expensive, ranging from $6.99 monthly, and prioritizes capabilities and features rather than price.
Microsoft 365 offers users 1TB of cloud storage, while Workspace’s storage capacity depends on the Google Workspace plan you purchase. The Enterprise edition, for instance, ranges from 30GB to unlimited storage.
While both platforms have robust security features, Microsoft’s multi-factor authentication has a slight edge over Workspace’s two-factor authentication.
Also, since Workspace integrates with a profusion of third-party apps, its security is somewhat compromised when users grant permission to use those apps.
The decision between Google Workspace vs Office 365 isn’t straightforward. If you run a startup that requires simple, easy-to-use apps to get work up and running instantly, Workspace is the best bet. However, if your business is more mature and needs sophisticated and powerful features, Office 365 is your go-to productivity suite.
