Your email address is often the first impression potential clients have of your business. Sending emails from a free Gmail or Hotmail account can undermine your credibility, while a professional email address using your own domain name — like hello@yourcompany.co.uk — immediately signals that you are a legitimate, established business.
For most UK businesses, the choice comes down to two platforms: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Both offer professional email hosting, cloud storage, collaboration tools, and much more. But which one is right for your business?
In this guide, we will break down the features and practical considerations of each platform to help you make an informed decision. Whether you are a sole trader, a growing startup, or an established company, this comparison will help you understand which solution fits your needs.
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is Google's cloud-based productivity suite designed for businesses. It brings together all the familiar Google tools — Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Meet, and more — under a professional package with your own domain name.
Instead of using a free @gmail.com address, you get a custom email address like you@yourcompany.co.uk, along with administrative controls, enhanced security features, and guaranteed uptime. Everything is browser-based, which means you can access your email and files from any device with an internet connection.
Google Workspace offers several plans for small and medium-sized businesses, ranging from Business Starter through to Enterprise. Each plan includes professional email, cloud storage, video conferencing, and collaboration tools, with higher tiers offering more storage, advanced security features, and enhanced admin controls. Pricing changes regularly, so check our managed email service page or contact us for the latest options.
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is Microsoft's cloud productivity platform. It includes the full suite of Office applications — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook — alongside cloud services like OneDrive, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams.
Like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 provides professional email hosting with your own domain, but it goes further by offering desktop versions of the Office apps. If your business relies heavily on Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 gives you the most powerful versions of these tools, both online and offline.
Microsoft 365 offers several plans tailored to different business needs, from Business Basic through to Business Premium and Enterprise tiers. Each plan includes Outlook email, OneDrive storage, and Teams, with higher tiers adding desktop Office apps, advanced security, and compliance features. Pricing changes regularly, so check our managed email service page or contact us for the latest options.
Both platforms are mature, reliable, and trusted by millions of businesses worldwide. Here is how they compare across the most important dimensions:
Google Workspace: Gmail is widely regarded as one of the best email interfaces available. It is fast, intuitive, and has excellent search functionality. The spam filtering is among the best in the industry. Mailbox storage starts at 30GB on the cheapest plan and scales up with higher tiers.
Microsoft 365: Outlook is a powerful email client with advanced features like rules, categories, and focused inbox. It offers 50GB mailbox storage on all plans. Outlook integrates tightly with other Microsoft apps, and many users prefer its desktop client for managing large volumes of email.
Winner: Personal preference. Gmail is simpler and faster; Outlook is more feature-rich and better for power users.
Google Workspace: Google Meet is straightforward and reliable. It supports up to 100 participants on the Basic plan, 150 on Standard, and 500 on Plus. Meeting recordings and live streaming are available on higher plans. The interface is clean and easy to use.
Microsoft 365: Microsoft Teams is more than just video conferencing — it is a full collaboration hub with chat, file sharing, and app integrations. Meetings support up to 300 participants (1,000 with webinar features on higher plans). Teams can feel overwhelming if you only need simple video calls.
Winner: Google Meet for simplicity; Teams for organisations that want an all-in-one collaboration platform.
Google Workspace: Google Drive is simple, fast, and excellent for real-time collaboration. Multiple users can edit the same document simultaneously, and changes are saved automatically. Storage starts at 30GB per user and scales up to 5TB or more on higher plans. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are lightweight and work well for most business needs.
Microsoft 365: OneDrive provides 1TB of storage per user on all plans. Files can be synced locally for offline access. SharePoint offers advanced document management for larger teams. Office Online (web-based Word, Excel, PowerPoint) supports real-time collaboration, though it is not as seamless as Google Docs. Desktop Office apps offer far more features but do not support real-time co-editing in the same way.
Winner: Google Workspace for real-time collaboration; Microsoft 365 if you need the full power of desktop Office apps.
Google Workspace: No desktop apps. Everything is browser-based. You can use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline if you enable offline mode in Chrome, but the experience is still web-first.
Microsoft 365: Full desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more on Business Standard and higher plans. Desktop apps are more powerful and feature-rich than their web counterparts. If your work involves complex spreadsheets, detailed presentations, or heavy formatting, desktop Office is unmatched.
Winner: Microsoft 365, hands down. Google Workspace does not offer desktop apps.
Google Workspace: The Admin Console is straightforward and easy to navigate. You can manage users, set security policies, enforce two-factor authentication, and control access to data. Google has strong security credentials and meets international compliance standards.
Microsoft 365: The Admin Centre offers extensive control over users, devices, and security policies. Higher-tier plans include advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and compliance tools. Microsoft 365 is particularly strong in enterprise environments where detailed security and compliance reporting is required.
Winner: Tie. Both platforms offer robust security. Microsoft has a slight edge for enterprises with strict compliance requirements.
Google Workspace: Simple, clean, and easy to pick up. If you have used Gmail or Google Docs before, you already know how to use most of Workspace. Setup is fast, and the learning curve is gentle.
Microsoft 365: More complex, especially for Teams and SharePoint. Outlook and the Office apps are familiar to most people, but setting up Teams channels, SharePoint sites, and advanced features can be daunting for non-technical users.
Winner: Google Workspace for ease of use and simplicity.
The right platform depends on your business needs, existing workflows, and team preferences. Here is some guidance based on common scenarios:
If you are unsure which platform is right for your business, consider starting with a trial. Both Google and Microsoft offer free trials of their business plans, allowing you to test the features and interface before committing. You can also run both platforms side-by-side for a short period to see which one your team prefers.
Choosing the right email and productivity platform is just the first step. Setting it up correctly — configuring DNS records, migrating existing emails, setting up user accounts, and ensuring security policies are in place — can be daunting if you have never done it before.
At Weyside Digital, we help UK businesses set up and migrate to both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. We handle the technical details so you can focus on running your business. Whether you need a full migration from an old email provider, training for your team, or ongoing support, we are here to help.
If you would like to discuss your options or get a quote for setup and migration, please get in touch. We will guide you through the process and make sure everything is configured correctly from day one.