While many of you may use Google for most of your personal communication needs, learn why Microsoft 365 is a better solution for business. Picking the wrong suite can quickly leave your team starved for storage or locked out of the collaborative features they need to stay productive.

While both platforms offer exceptional security, professional email hosting, and real-time document editing, their entry-level plans handle storage, cloud applications, and email infrastructure in entirely different ways. Below, we break down exactly how Microsoft 365 Business Basic stacks up against Google Workspace Business Starter to help you confidently select the right tool for your workflow.

Feature Comparison

Here's a summary of some key features and factors that may sway your decision.

Feature Microsoft 365 Business Basic Google Workspace Business Starter Winner
Baseline Price (USD) ~$6.00 per user / month ~$6.00 to $7.00 per user / month Tie
Email Storage 50 GB dedicated mailbox 30 GB shared pool per user Microsoft
Cloud File Storage 1 TB (1,000 GB) via OneDrive Uses 30 GB pool via Google Drive Microsoft
Desktop Applications Web & Mobile apps only Web & Mobile apps only Tie
Max Aliases Per User Up to 400 free email aliases Up to 30 free email aliases Microsoft
Video Conferencing Teams: Up to 300 participants Meet: Up to 100 participants Microsoft
Real-Time Collaboration Great, but smoother on desktop Industry-best browser co-editing Google
Administrative Control Deep and enterprise-focused Simple with low IT overhead Tie

Microsoft wins IMHO

It's not just about counting how many points Microsoft has versus Google. Here are some interesting reasons.

Storage: Microsoft is the clear winner if storage capacity is important to you, whether it's for email or for files. While in theory there shouldn't be a 100 copies of a file require huge amounts of storage, people are not good at sharing for various reasons. Some people are also data hoarders.

Email aliases per user: While you may not be using many email aliases other than perhaps sales@yourcompany.com or career@yourcompany.com, another use for aliases is to for disposable email addresses and track who is leaking your email address.

The last time I checked, I had over 120 accounts with various websites or systems. If I used my username@company.com email address for all of them, I would be inundated with spam over time.

Using email aliases I can create something like websitelogin1@company.com and websitelogin2@company.com for each website. If a website does not honor my privacy rights, I can simply delete that email address and no longer have to receive unsolicited email.

Global access: If you own a business that involves doing business in China, you may need to travel there. If you forgot to sign up and pay extra for VPN, then you will not be able to access Google from China. You can access M365 services from China without a VPN. This is simpler and cheaper than the Google solution by a huge margin considering many VPN providers charge more than either basic business solution from Microsoft or Google.

Still undecided?

If you are still on the fence, use this quick checklist to pick the best platform for your workflows.

Choose Microsoft 365 Business Basic if:

  • [ ] You need a massive amount of file storage (1 TB) without paying for a premium plan.
  • [ ] Your business sends massive emails or stores thousands of heavy attachments (50 GB inbox).
  • [ ] You regularly host large virtual events, webinars, or team meetings with more than 100 people.
  • [ ] Your external clients or partners strictly demand original Microsoft Office file formats.
  • [ ] You want connectivity from China without signing up for VPN.

Choose Google Workspace Business Starter if:

  • [ ] Your team works entirely in the browser and hates managing local file downloads.
  • [ ] Multiple team members need to edit the exact same document or spreadsheet simultaneously.
  • [ ] You want a simple, clean administration panel that doesn't require hiring an IT expert.
  • [ ] Your employees are already familiar with personal Gmail and want zero learning curve.