Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams: Collaboration Platforms Compared (2026)
Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams are not like-for-like products, and most buyers are really choosing between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
- Verified 27 Oct 2026Sources are dated on this page
- 8 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- No winner declaredFit depends on your criteria
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams: the short answer
Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams are not like-for-like products, and most buyers are really choosing between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Google Workspace is a complete cloud suite with Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet and Chat sold per user. Microsoft Teams is the chat, meetings and calling hub of Microsoft 365, offered free, as the standalone Teams Essentials plan, or bundled into Microsoft 365 business plans with Outlook, OneDrive and Office apps.
The sources reviewed describe the decision as one of habit and AI cost. Google Workspace is described as simpler, browser-first and including Gemini AI in its plans at no extra charge. Microsoft Teams is described as a fuller collaboration hub with persistent channels and deep ties to Office desktop apps, but its Copilot AI is a paid add-on, and Microsoft raised several Microsoft 365 prices on 1 July 2026.
We compare what independent 2026 sources support and mark the rest Unknown. Because Teams is one part of Microsoft 365, we note where a comparison needs the wider Microsoft 365 plan. No winner is declared: the better fit depends on the apps your team already uses.
Choose Google Workspace if you- Cloud-first teams that want a simple browser-based suite with AI included
- Small and mid-size businesses without a Microsoft Office habit
- Teams that want real-time collaboration in Docs and Sheets
Choose Microsoft Teams if you- Organisations already on Microsoft 365 that want chat and meetings at little extra cost
- Teams that need persistent channels and large meetings in one hub
- Enterprises that standardise on desktop Office apps and Microsoft compliance
Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams at a glance.
One card per product, drawn from each full profile. Open a profile for features, pricing plans, limits and sources.
Google Workspace
Google · Collaboration Software
Google Workspace is Google's subscription suite of business email, video meetings, document editing, shared storage and admin controls, sold per user per month. Business plans are Starter ($7), Standard ($14) and Plus ($22) on a one-year commitment, or $8.40, $16.80 and $26.40 on flexible monthly billing, with custom-priced Enterprise plans. Gemini AI has been included in all plans since January 2025.
- Pricing
- No free business plan. One-year commitment per user per month: Starter $7, Standard $14, Plus $22; flexible billing $8.40, $16.80 and $26.40. Enterprise is custom. Gemini AI is included.
- Best for
- Small and mid-size businesses that want cloud-first email and collaboration
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Corporation · Collaboration Software
Microsoft Teams is a chat, video meeting, calling and collaboration app from Microsoft that works with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, OneDrive and Loop, offered as a free version, a standalone Teams Essentials plan and as part of Microsoft 365 plans.
- Pricing
- Free version; standalone Essentials at $4 and Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7 per user per month billed annually.
- Best for
- Organisations already using Microsoft 365
Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams: feature-by-feature comparison.
Every row is drawn from the sources listed below. Rows that differ are marked, and you can filter the table to show only those.
- YesDocumented
- PartialAvailable with limits or on some plans
- NoDocumented as unavailable
- UnknownNot documented in the sources reviewed
| Dimension |  Google Workspace |  Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| What you are buyingDiffers | YesFull suite: Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and Chat. | PartialChat, meetings and calling; the wider suite (Outlook, OneDrive, Office apps) comes with Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Pricing | ||
| Free optionDiffers | NoNo free business plan. | YesA free Teams version with meetings up to 60 minutes and 100 participants. |
| Entry price per user (annual) | YesBusiness Starter at $7 per user per month on a one-year commitment; $8.40 flexible monthly. | YesTeams Essentials at $4; Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7 since 1 July 2026 (was $6). |
| Mid-tier price per user (annual) | YesBusiness Standard at $14; $16.80 flexible monthly. | YesMicrosoft 365 Business Standard at $14 (was $12.50); Business Premium at $22. |
| Upper tier | YesBusiness Plus at $22; Enterprise is custom with no user cap. | YesMicrosoft 365 E3 at $39 and E5 at $60 per user per month after the July 2026 increase. |
| AI | ||
| AI assistant costDiffers | YesGemini is included in Workspace plans at no separate charge, with higher-capability add-ons available. | PartialCopilot Chat is included; Microsoft 365 Copilot is a $30 per user add-on, with a Copilot Business option reported at about $21. |
| Meetings | ||
| Meeting size | YesMeet for 100 participants on Starter, 150 on Standard and 500 on Plus. | YesUp to 300 participants from Essentials; 30 hours per meeting. |
| Chat | ||
| Persistent chatDiffers | PartialGoogle Chat for messaging; described as simpler than Teams. | YesPersistent channels, file storage, task management and app integrations in one hub. |
| Storage | ||
| Storage per user | Yes30 GB pooled on Starter, 2 TB on Standard and 5 TB on Plus. | Yes10 GB on Essentials and 1 TB per user on Business plans. |
| Apps | ||
| Office appsDiffers | PartialBrowser-based Docs, Sheets and Slides with real-time collaboration. | YesWord, Excel and PowerPoint desktop apps on Business Standard and above. |
| Admin | ||
| User limitsDiffers | PartialBusiness plans are capped at 300 users; Enterprise has no cap. | UnknownUser caps by plan were not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Compliance | ||
| Governance | YesBusiness Plus adds eDiscovery and retention with Vault; Enterprise adds advanced security. | YesBusiness Premium adds advanced security; E3 and E5 add enterprise compliance. |
Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams pricing.
Google Workspace pricing
Per user per month by edition, with a one-year commitment rate, a flexible monthly rate about 20 percent higher, a 300-user cap on Business editions and custom Enterprise pricing.
- Business Starter$7 per user per month on a one-year commitment; $8.40 flexible monthly
- Business Standard$14 per user per month on a one-year commitment; $16.80 flexible monthly
- Business Plus$22 per user per month on a one-year commitment; $26.40 flexible monthly
- EnterpriseCustom pricing
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 23 Oct 2026.
All Google Workspace plans and sources
Microsoft Teams pricing
Per user per month by plan: free, a standalone Teams Essentials plan, or Teams as part of Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise suites. Add-ons for Phone, Premium and Copilot are separate.
- Teams (free)$0
- Microsoft Teams Essentials$4 per user per month billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic$7 per user per month billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard$14 per user per month billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium$22 per user per month billed annually
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 17 Oct 2026.
All Microsoft Teams plans and sourcesTeams is cheaper at the very bottom, while the suites are close at the middle. Our arithmetic on reported annual prices for 25 users gives about $1,200 a year on Teams Essentials ($4 x 25 x 12), $2,100 on Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($7 x 25 x 12) and $4,200 on Business Standard ($14 x 25 x 12). Google Workspace costs about $2,100 on Starter ($7 x 25 x 12), $4,200 on Standard ($14 x 25 x 12) and $6,600 on Plus ($22 x 25 x 12). Business Standard is the same price on both.
AI is the main difference at equal price. Gemini is included in Workspace plans, while Microsoft 365 Copilot adds about $9,000 a year for 25 users ($30 x 25 x 12), which would take Business Standard to about $13,200 a year. A guide notes a Microsoft promotional bundle of Business Standard with Copilot Business at $22 per user ran through 30 June 2026, so check whether it has been renewed. Many teams will not buy Copilot for everyone, so decide who needs it first.
Workspace has no free tier and caps its Business plans at 300 users, while Teams has a free version. Flexible monthly billing on Workspace costs about 20 percent more than the one-year commitment. Microsoft raised several Microsoft 365 prices on 1 July 2026, so older guides show lower figures. Confirm current terms with each vendor.
Prices and plans change. Confirm current terms with each vendor before you decide.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams: implementation, ecosystem, AI and security.
Ease of implementation and usability
We did not test setup or migration for either product. Guides describe Workspace as quick to deploy and simple to administer, and Microsoft 365 as more complex to administer but familiar to Office users. Migration between the two means moving mail, calendars, files and chat history, usually with a planned cut-over date and sometimes third-party tools.
Integrations and ecosystem
Workspace integrates tightly across Gmail, Drive, Docs and Meet, and one guide notes teams share files through Drive. Teams integrates with SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Planner, and supports third-party apps. Some organisations run Teams alongside Google Workspace, and one report discusses Google's work to bridge the two. Marketplace breadth was not assessed.
AI capabilities
Google bundles Gemini into Workspace plans, working across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and Drive. Microsoft sells Copilot as an add-on that works across Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and guides credit it with strength in Word, Excel and meeting summaries. One guide concludes the suite you already use matters more than the AI brand. We did not test output quality.
Security, deployment and administration
Google lists eDiscovery and retention with Vault on Business Plus and advanced security on Enterprise. Microsoft lists advanced security on Business Premium and enterprise compliance on E3 and E5. We did not review certifications or data residency for either vendor, so request current security documentation.
Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams: each option, in balance.
Google Workspace
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- Gemini AI is included in every Business plan at no separate fee, replacing $20 to $30 add-ons.
- Storage scales from 30 GB to 5 TB per user and Meet from 100 to 500 participants on Business plans.
- 24/7 phone and email support is included on every plan.
- Nonprofits get steep discounts, such as $3.50 per user for Business Standard.
- Real-time collaboration and business email are bundled with one admin console.
- Business plans are capped at 300 users, so larger organisations must negotiate Enterprise.
- Business Starter has only limited Gemini features, and full Gemini starts on Standard.
- Flexible monthly billing costs about 20 percent more than a one-year commitment.
- Prices rose when Gemini was bundled, with Starter up from $6, Standard from $12 and Plus from $18.
- Vault eDiscovery is a $5 add-on below Plus, and Enterprise pricing is not published.
Microsoft Teams
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- A free version and a $4 standalone plan make it easy to start with chat and meetings.
- Teams is included in Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise plans, so organisations on Microsoft 365 can use it without a separate collaboration tool.
- Meetings of up to 300 participants and 30 hours are available from Essentials upward.
- Business Premium at $22 held its price in July 2026 and adds security and device management.
- Microsoft added mailbox storage, link protection and Copilot Chat enhancements to Business plans in 2026.
- Business Basic and Standard prices rose 16% and 12% on 1 July 2026, and older guides still show the old prices.
- Microsoft has unbundled Teams from some suites, so licensing can be confusing and may need an add-on.
- Add-ons are costly: Copilot at $30, Teams Phone at about $8 to $10, and Teams Premium around $10 per user per month.
- The free version limits meetings to 60 minutes and 100 participants and does not allow recording.
- A 5% premium applies to annual subscriptions billed monthly since April 2026.
Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams: which fits which situation?
No overall winner is declared. The better choice depends on the criteria that matter most to you, so test both against your own requirements.
Choose Google Workspace if you…
- Cloud-first teams that want a simple browser-based suite with AI included
- Small and mid-size businesses without a Microsoft Office habit
- Teams that want real-time collaboration in Docs and Sheets
Choose Microsoft Teams if you…
- Organisations already on Microsoft 365 that want chat and meetings at little extra cost
- Teams that need persistent channels and large meetings in one hub
- Enterprises that standardise on desktop Office apps and Microsoft compliance
Switching between Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams.
Moving between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 with Teams means migrating email, calendars, contacts, files and chat history, retraining users on a different set of apps, and reconnecting integrations and identity. Run a pilot group first, agree a cut-over date, and keep mail routing in place during the transition.
- Export a sample of your data and test an import into the other product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms and notice periods with both vendors.
General guidance, not specific to either vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft Teams: questions and answers
Is Google Workspace cheaper than Microsoft Teams?
At the entry level Teams Essentials ($4) is cheaper than Workspace Starter ($7), but Teams alone has no email or document suite. Business Standard is $14 on both, billed annually.
Is Gemini included in Google Workspace?
Yes. Google bundles Gemini into Workspace plans at no separate charge, with advanced add-ons available. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate add-on at about $30 per user per month.
Does Google Workspace have a free plan?
No free business plan. Microsoft Teams has a free version with meetings up to 60 minutes and 100 participants.
Which is better for meetings, Google Meet or Teams?
Guides describe Meet as simpler to use and Teams as stronger as a persistent collaboration hub. Teams supports up to 300 participants on paid plans, while Meet supports 100 to 500 depending on the Workspace edition.
Did Microsoft raise prices in 2026?
Business Basic rose from $6 to $7 and Business Standard from $12.50 to $14 on 1 July 2026, per independent reports. Teams Essentials stayed at $4.
Does Workspace have a user limit?
Business plans are capped at 300 users, while Enterprise has no cap.
Can I use Teams with Google Workspace?
Yes, some organisations run Teams for meetings and chat alongside Workspace. One report discusses Google building a bridge between the two.
Where this comparison comes from.
- Google Workspace pricing in 2026: every plan per user, and whether Gemini is included Dupple Third-party Accessed 23 Oct 2026
- Google Workspace plans and pricing Cloudwards Third-party Accessed 23 Oct 2026
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: An IT Pro’s Implementation Guide for SMBs iFeelTech Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: Complete 2026 Comparison Qualtir Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Gemini vs Copilot for Business: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365? Layer 3 Labs Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Google’s Teams bridge could undercut its own Microsoft exit strategy Reworked Third-party Accessed 27 Oct 2026
- Microsoft 365 Prices Rise on 1 July: What IT Teams Need to Do Before the Deadline UC Today Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Teams pricing Jotform Third-party Accessed 17 Oct 2026
Comparison rows summarise the sources listed and the two profiles. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested either product. One or both profiles are secondary-source profiles: vendor pages were not reviewed directly, so verify figures with the vendors.
Ready to test Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams?
Check each vendor's current pricing and terms, run both against a real scenario from your business, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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