Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace: Which Is Better for Your Team?

The Productivity Platform Decision

Choosing between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace is one of the most consequential technology decisions a business makes. This platform becomes the backbone of your daily operations — where your team creates documents, sends emails, stores files, schedules meetings, and collaborates on projects.

Both platforms are excellent. Both are cloud-based, secure, and constantly evolving. But they have meaningful differences in philosophy, features, and strengths that make each better suited to different types of businesses. At TechBoss, we deploy both platforms regularly and can offer an unbiased comparison based on real-world experience with Canadian businesses.

Core Applications Compared

Email

Microsoft 365: Outlook

• Feature-rich desktop and web client with advanced email management (rules, categories, focused inbox)
• Deeper calendar integration with scheduling assistant and room booking
• 50 GB mailbox storage per user on most business plans
• Shared mailboxes available at no additional cost

Google Workspace: Gmail

• Clean, intuitive interface that requires minimal training
• Powerful search functionality leveraging Google's search expertise
• Labels and filters instead of folders — different organizational paradigm
• 15 GB to pooled storage depending on plan

Verdict: Outlook wins for power users who need advanced email management. Gmail wins for teams that value simplicity and searchability.

Document Creation

Microsoft 365: Word, Excel, PowerPoint

• The undisputed industry standard with the deepest feature sets available
• Desktop applications offer full functionality that web versions don't match
• Excel remains years ahead of any competitor for advanced spreadsheet work — pivot tables, macros, Power Query, and data modelling
• PowerPoint offers the most professional presentation design tools
• Full offline functionality with automatic sync when reconnected

Google Workspace: Docs, Sheets, Slides

• Browser-based with no software installation required
• Real-time collaboration is seamless — multiple users editing simultaneously with visible cursors and instant changes
• Adequate for most document creation tasks but lacks advanced features for power users
• Sheets is sufficient for standard spreadsheet work but cannot match Excel for complex data analysis
• Limited offline functionality through Chrome browser extension

Verdict: Microsoft 365 wins decisively for businesses that rely on advanced document features, especially Excel. Google Workspace wins for teams that prioritize real-time collaboration and simplicity.

File Storage and Sharing

Microsoft 365: OneDrive and SharePoint

• OneDrive provides personal cloud storage (1 TB per user)
• SharePoint provides team and organizational file storage with robust permission management
• Deep integration with Windows Explorer through OneDrive sync client
• Version history with up to 500 versions retained
• SharePoint sites offer intranet functionality beyond simple file storage

Google Workspace: Google Drive

• Unified storage for personal and shared files
• Shared drives (formerly Team Drives) provide organizational storage with centralized management
• Google Drive desktop client syncs files locally
• Simpler sharing interface with intuitive link-sharing permissions
• Storage allocation varies by plan — pooled storage on higher tiers

Collaboration and Communication

Video Conferencing

Microsoft Teams has evolved into a comprehensive collaboration hub that includes chat, video meetings, file sharing, and third-party app integration. Teams meetings support up to 300 participants on business plans, with features like breakout rooms, together mode, recording, and live transcription.

Google Meet is a streamlined video conferencing tool that prioritizes ease of use. It integrates tightly with Google Calendar and Gmail, making it effortless to join meetings. Meet supports up to 500 participants on the highest tier, with recording, noise cancellation, and breakout rooms.

Team Messaging

Microsoft Teams provides persistent chat with channels organized by team and topic. It's become a Slack competitor in its own right, with threaded conversations, file sharing, tabs for apps and documents, and extensive bot and integration options.

Google Chat (formerly Hangouts) offers direct messages and Spaces (group conversations). While functional, it's less feature-rich than Teams and is often supplemented by third-party tools like Slack in Google Workspace environments.

Verdict: Microsoft Teams is the stronger all-in-one collaboration platform. Google Workspace offers simpler, more focused tools but may require additional third-party solutions for comprehensive team collaboration.

Security and Compliance

For Canadian businesses handling sensitive data, security and compliance capabilities are critical differentiators.

Microsoft 365 Security

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 provides advanced threat protection against phishing, malware, and ransomware
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies prevent sensitive information from leaving the organization
• Information Rights Management controls who can view, edit, and forward documents even after they're shared externally
• Compliance Manager provides tools for PIPEDA, GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulatory frameworks
• Azure Active Directory integration provides conditional access policies and identity protection
• Canadian data residency available — data stored in Microsoft's Canadian data centres in Toronto and Quebec City

Google Workspace Security

• Built-in protection against phishing, spam, and malware using Google's AI-powered threat detection
• DLP rules for Gmail and Drive to prevent data leakage
• Context-aware access policies control who can access what based on device, location, and security posture
• Vault provides eDiscovery and retention management for compliance
• Canadian data storage available through data regions feature on higher-tier plans

Both platforms offer strong security foundations. Microsoft 365 provides more granular security and compliance tools, particularly at the Business Premium and E3/E5 tiers — making it the preferred choice for regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and legal.

Pricing Comparison for Canadian Businesses

Pricing structures differ between the platforms. Here's a simplified comparison of the most popular business tiers (prices in CAD, per user per month):

Entry-Level Plans

1. Microsoft 365 Business Basic — Web and mobile apps only, 1 TB OneDrive, Teams, Exchange Online
2. Google Workspace Business Starter — 30 GB storage per user, Gmail, Meet (100 participants), basic security

Mid-Tier Plans (Most Popular)

1. Microsoft 365 Business Standard — Full desktop apps, 1 TB OneDrive, Teams, Exchange, SharePoint
2. Google Workspace Business Standard — 2 TB storage per user, Meet (150 participants), enhanced security, Vault

Premium Plans

1. Microsoft 365 Business Premium — Everything in Standard plus advanced security, device management, and Defender
2. Google Workspace Business Plus — 5 TB storage per user, Meet (500 participants), advanced endpoint management, Vault and DLP

Pricing is competitive and changes frequently. Contact providers directly or work with a managed IT partner like TechBoss for current pricing and volume discounts.

Our Recommendation

After deploying both platforms for hundreds of users across Canadian businesses, here's our guidance:

Choose Microsoft 365 if:

• Your team relies heavily on Excel for data analysis and reporting
• You need advanced security and compliance features
• Your business is already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem (Windows, Active Directory, Azure)
• You want an all-in-one collaboration hub (Teams)
• You operate in a regulated industry requiring specific compliance certifications

Choose Google Workspace if:

• Your team values simplicity and minimal training requirements
• Real-time collaboration on documents is a core workflow
• Your team works primarily in web browsers (Chromebooks, mixed OS environments)
• You prefer a cleaner, less complex administrative experience
• Your document creation needs are standard (no advanced Excel or desktop app requirements)

Need Help Deciding?

The best choice depends on your specific business needs, existing infrastructure, and team preferences. At TechBoss, we provide unbiased guidance based on what's right for your organization — not vendor incentives.

We handle complete platform deployments including migration from existing systems, user training, security configuration, and ongoing management. Contact us for a free consultation or request a quote to discuss which platform is right for your team.