Microsoft 365 or
Google Workspace?
A practical comparison of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for UK businesses, covering documents, email, collaboration, security and which platform actually fits your operation.
The choice between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace isn't about which platform is more capable. Both handle email, documents, meetings and file storage well enough for a UK SME. The real question is which one matches the files, habits and systems your people already use every day.
Switching suites is expensive in time even when the licences look similar. Staff retraining and file conversion add friction, as do the tools built around your current inbox. Microsoft 365 usually wins where Word, Excel and Outlook already sit at the centre of the work. Google Workspace is often the better fit for teams that live in the browser and want simpler shared documents. Wanzo can manage either platform, so we'll recommend the one that fits how you already work.
| Factor | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Documents and files | Microsoft 365 includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint as desktop apps. That matters if your work still lives in formatted documents, complex spreadsheets and client files. | Google Docs, Sheets and Slides run in the browser. They're faster to share and simpler for light documents, but they struggle with heavily formatted Word or Excel files. |
| Email and calendar | Outlook is the familiar professional inbox for many UK firms. It handles shared mailboxes, delegated calendars and the filing habits people already have. | Gmail is quicker to search and easier to learn. Labels replace folders, and the calendar is straightforward. Some professional services teams miss Outlook's folder structure. |
| Live collaboration | Microsoft has closed the gap with co-authoring in Word, Excel and Teams. It works well, though it still feels built around files rather than a shared page. | Google still leads on simultaneous editing. Several people can work in the same Doc or Sheet without thinking about who has the file open. |
| Meetings and chat | Teams is a full workplace hub: meetings, chat, channels and file sharing in one place. That density helps larger organisations and frustrates people who only wanted a call. | Google Meet is simpler to join and lighter to run. Chat and Spaces exist, but they stop short of becoming the whole working environment. |
| Admin and security | Microsoft 365 offers deeper admin controls for identity, devices and access. That helps when you need tighter rules on who can sign in, and from which devices. | Google Workspace is quicker to administer for smaller teams. Security is strong, but the admin console is less granular once you need detailed device or identity rules. |
| Current IT setup | If you already run Windows PCs, Outlook and Office files, Microsoft 365 continues that stack. Azure, SharePoint and the rest of the Microsoft estate sit alongside it. | Google Workspace is less tied to Windows. It suits Mac and Chromebook users as well as browser-first teams, and it makes no assumption that you also want Azure or SharePoint. |
When Microsoft 365 is the right call
- Your people already work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and clients send those files.
- You need Teams, SharePoint or Azure sitting in the same environment as email and files.
- Windows device management and tighter sign-in rules matter more to you than a simpler admin console.
When Google Workspace is the right call
- Your team works in the browser and wants documents that several people can edit at once.
- You run Macs or mixed devices and don't want to inherit a full Microsoft estate.
- A simpler admin console and lighter meetings matter more than Outlook-style mail and desktop Office apps.
What we’d recommend
Most UK professional services, property and finance firms should stay on Microsoft 365. Their files and inboxes already live there, and switching costs time and retraining, plus the work of converting files, for little operational gain. Google Workspace is the better call for browser-first teams on mixed devices, especially where live editing matters more than Teams and SharePoint. Wanzo can run either platform. We'd put a firm on Microsoft 365 if desktop Office apps and Outlook already define the working day, and on Google Workspace if they aren't. The wrong move is switching suites to chase a feature you'll rarely use. We will look at how your people actually work, then manage the platform that fits, alongside the IT and connectivity underneath.
Questions people ask
Is Microsoft 365 better than Google Workspace?
Neither is universally better. Microsoft 365 fits if your work depends on Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, or if you already run Windows devices. Google Workspace fits if your team works in the browser, edits documents together and prefers a simpler admin setup. For most UK professional services firms, Microsoft 365 matches how they already work. Wanzo can manage either, so the recommendation follows the operation rather than a default suite.
Can you migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?
Yes. Email, calendars, contacts and files can be moved, though it needs a plan. Shared drives, permissions and Google-only spreadsheet functions need checking before they move into SharePoint or OneDrive. Moving the other way, from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, brings similar friction around Outlook mailboxes and Office files. Wanzo scopes the data, schedules the cutover around your working week, then manages the live environment afterwards. Dual running is possible if both systems need to stay available during the move.
Is Google Workspace cheaper than Microsoft 365?
Licensing depends on the plan, the number of users and the need for desktop Office apps. Google Workspace can look simpler at first because the core tools sit in the browser. Microsoft 365 pricing splits across several plans, and desktop apps sit in the higher ones. Compare current list prices for the plans you are considering. Then add migration time, training and the cost of running the platform afterwards. A cheaper licence is not a reason to switch if the suite fights how your people work.
Should a small business choose Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?
There is no default based on headcount. Microsoft 365 still fits a small firm if Word, Excel and Outlook are already in daily use. Google Workspace fits a small firm that drafts in the browser and rarely sends formatted Office files. Look at the files you already produce, the inboxes people know, and the need for Windows device management. We'll recommend from that, then manage the suite on a monthly plan.
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