Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace both cover the same basic ground — email, document editing, cloud storage, video calls — and both are capable, well-supported platforms. The right choice usually comes down less to features and more to how your business already works, what software you depend on, and what your team is already used to.
Where they're genuinely similar
Both include a full email and calendar system, word processing, spreadsheets, cloud file storage, and video conferencing, and both are reliable, widely used platforms backed by major companies. Neither is a bad choice in general terms — most comparisons come down to specifics rather than one being objectively better.
Where Microsoft 365 tends to have the edge
If your business relies heavily on desktop Excel for complex spreadsheets, uses specialist software that integrates specifically with Outlook or Office file formats, or already has Windows PCs and an existing Active Directory-style setup, Microsoft 365 usually fits more naturally. It also tends to be the more familiar choice for businesses that have simply always used Office and don't want to retrain staff on a different way of working.
Where Google Workspace tends to have the edge
Google Workspace is often simpler to set up and administer for a small, straightforward team, and its real-time collaborative editing in Docs and Sheets feels slightly more natural to many people than the equivalent Microsoft experience. Businesses already using Chromebooks, Android devices heavily, or other Google tools often find it integrates more smoothly with what they already have.
Cost comparisons are rarely a clean "cheaper"
Pricing structures and what's included at each tier change regularly on both platforms, and the honest answer is that a direct comparison needs checking against current plans at the time you're deciding, rather than relying on a general rule — what was true a year ago may well not be true now.
Migration is the thing people underestimate
Moving an established business from one to the other is rarely just a flick of a switch. Email history, calendar invites, shared documents, and any third-party integrations all need planning, and a poorly handled migration can mean lost emails, broken sharing permissions, or confused clients during the switch. This is worth factoring into the decision itself — switching platforms "to see if it's better" has a real cost attached, not just a theoretical one.
What actually matters most
For most small UK businesses, the deciding factor is less about which platform is objectively superior and more about what you already depend on: existing software compatibility, staff familiarity, and whether a migration is genuinely worth the disruption right now.
If you're weighing this up for your own business, or thinking about switching and want an honest view of what that would actually involve, our Microsoft 365 & Cloud page covers what we offer, or get in touch to talk it through.
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