Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365: Advantages and Disadvantages

As a business executive you are always looking for ways to improve your company’s productivity and efficiency. One way to do that is by migrating your Google Workspace to Microsoft 365. But before you make the change, it is important to understand both the pros and cons of migrating. In this blog post, we look at some of the key advantages and disadvantages of migrating Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, providing a comprehensive ‘Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365’ comparison.

Google Workspace and Microsoft Office are two of the most popular productivity suites available in the market. Both offer a range of tools and features that cater to different needs and preferences. In this article, we will compare and contrast Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, highlighting their key differences, pricing, storage, security, and data recovery features. Whether you are a small business owner or a large enterprise, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these productivity suites can help you make an informed decision that best suits your organizational needs.

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is a compilation of cloud computing, productivity, collaboration tools, software and products created and sold by Google. Additionally, the Google Workspace Marketplace offers a variety of third-party add-ons that can enhance the functionality of Google Workspace applications.

What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is the productivity cloud designed to help individuals and businesses to achieve what matters, in our work and life, with best-in-class Office apps, intelligent cloud services, and advanced security created and sold by Microsoft.

What Are the Advantages of migrating Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

1. Pricing plans tailored to your business

Most email hosting solutions offer a variety of pricing plans that give you the flexibility to choose a plan that fits your specific business needs. Google Workspace only offers four pricing plans (business starter, business standard, business plus and enterprise). Although pricing is less complex than Microsoft, only offering three tiers brings a lack of flexibility; compared to Microsoft’s multiple pricing tiers.

Microsoft has the following plans:

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Microsoft 365 Apps for business
• Office 365 Enterprise E1, Enterprise E3, and Enterprise E5

With Office 365, there are enough options that you will not be forced into a tier that doesn’t meet your needs. Instead, you can find a price custom to a company like yours.

Additionally, Microsoft offers longer-term commitments for its pricing plans. This allows businesses to have lower monthly fees and the assurance of a long-term commitment from their provider.

2. Enhanced Scalability as Your Business Grows

For most businesses growth is extremely important to the success of an organization. Business leaders need to make sure that any software solution they implement can grow with their business, not adding new complications but solving the same types of situations regardless of the number of users attached to the solution. In terms of scalability, Microsoft 365 wins over Google Workspace. Scalability is structured into the design, with centralized administration and security features that assist you in managing your entire workforce from a central location. Microsoft 365 also has the ability to integrate with other Microsoft products, such as Dynamics 365 and Power BI.

3. Familiarity of Microsoft Products

Microsoft’s famous cloud-based solutions like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel have been around for decades. Microsoft productivity apps are also much easier to learn and use than the online-based Google Docs. Creating, processing, and storing documents and data is relatively easy with Microsoft 365 than its Google counterpart because you are already familiar with the apps.

4. One Platform for Everything

One of the greatest advantages of Microsoft 365, is that it’s a comprehensive productivity suite that includes everything you need to get work done. In Microsoft 365, there is no need to use an assortment of different tools from different providers; you can do everything in one place. This not only makes things simpler and more streamlined for your users, but it also makes it easier for your IT staff to manage and support.

5. Increased Security and Compliance

Another big advantage of Microsoft 365 is the increased security and compliance features. With many businesses moving data and applications to the cloud, security is more important than ever. With Microsoft 365, you can rest assured that your data is safe and secure, and that your business stays compliant with applicable regulations.

Migrating to Microsoft 365 from Google Workspace is a smart move for any business. The comprehensive productivity suite offers better value for money, increased security and compliance features, and the ability to do everything in one place. If you’re looking for a way to improve your productivity and streamline your operations, migrating to Microsoft 365 is the way to go.

6. Supports hybrid work environment with Access to Desktop Programs

Microsoft 365 has many compatible desktop applications, something Google Workspace lacks. Aside from having a wide range of available online applications, Microsoft also affords better flexibility with what you can do with their programs.

Desktop programs are especially useful if you have employees in remote locations with unstable internet connection. Some employees are more comfortable with desktop programs than a purely browser-based setup. Microsoft 365 also offers mobile versions of its productivity apps, ensuring that users can access their work across various devices such as Android, iPhone, and iPad.

7. Security

Another advantage of migrating to Microsoft 365 is that it offers better security and compliance features than Google Workspace. For example, Microsoft 365 includes built-in data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities that can help you protect the company’s sensitive information from accidental leaks. Additionally, Microsoft 365; is compliant with a variety of industry-specific regulations, such as HIPAA and GDPR.

Microsoft spends more than $1 billion annually to keep its data and its consumers data safe. Microsoft’s anti-spam and anti-virus protections is built into Office 365, including natural data encryption that makes your files harder to hack. The Advanced Threat Protection functionality protects data through a proactive approach; that currently doesn’t have an equivalent on the Google side. Microsoft 365 can give you peace of mind knowing that company data is safe and secure.

8. Better Collaboration 

Teams provides an all-encompassing platform that comprises a multitude of applications within the interface. Some these features include file maintenance, scheduling, channel creation, and project management capabilities. Microsoft Teams also offers screen sharing that integrates with Microsoft 365 for the ultimate collaboration experience. Although, Google Meet provides screen-sharing and document sharing, the collaboration piece of sharing access to documents with meeting participants in real-time. Many Workspace users will end up using Slack as opposed to Google Meet whereas Microsoft offers Teams with most of their plans and allows for scalability.

What Are the Disadvantages of migrating Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?

1. File migrations can be time consuming

One of the biggest downsides of shifting to Microsoft 365 is the time that is needed to migrate your files to the platform. Companies often realize the complexity of moving their data, including emails, documents, and security settings and decide it’s too much a risk to move their digital ecosystem. It is recommended that only strong IT department migrate your company data to limit downtime and without exposing your system to hackers. If you have the team inhouse to safely migrate, check out our step-by-step guide to migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 for businesses.

If you do not have an in-house team doesn’t feel 100% confident in executing your migration in house, you should outsource the project to a trusted IT company with experience in Microsoft 365 consulting.

2. Your pricing will adjust

At its most basic, Google Workspace is free, while Microsoft 365 is not. Microsoft requires you to pay for a plan after a trial period; for some businesses, this is already a barrier from using Microsoft.

3. Your company will need to adjust their workflow

Changing anything across an organization is difficult. Your company will need training on how to use the new applications, and your team or employees in the company may not have the time to do this.

Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace – Which is Best?

Here’s a quick and easy list of characteristics to help you decide, is Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace better for your business?

Businesses Better off with Google Workspace (G Suite):

• Small in-house tech teams
• Businesses that have other high-priority, time-sensitive goals
• Collaboration-focused businesses

• Google Sheets is particularly useful for basic tasks and real-time collaboration, although it lacks some of the advanced features found in Excel.

Businesses Better off with Microsoft 365:

• Growth-oriented businesses looking to scale

• Companies working with Managed IT or Co-managed IT teams

• Companies with complex tech and application demands

• Businesses that want a strong security package and customization

• Microsoft 365 offers a comprehensive office suite with advanced features and extensive templates, making it suitable for businesses with complex tech and application demands.

Want to Migrate to Microsoft 365?

Regardless of the cons of leaving Google for Microsoft 365, it can be a wise choice for your company to access custom pricing, scalability, ease of use, a centralized platform, with comprehensive security practices. As a Managed Service Provider (MSP), we have migrated hundreds of clients and seen firsthand the benefits of migrating to Microsoft’s digital ecosystem.

You can call PSM at (312) 940-7830 or fill out a contact form to learn more about how our managed IT services can benefit your business.