Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 for UK business.
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are the two serious productivity suites for UK businesses — both excellent, both cloud-first. The honest difference is fit: Google is built browser-first for cloud-native teams, while Microsoft 365 carries the full desktop apps and the security and compliance depth most Windows-based SMBs end up needing.
- Both suites are genuinely good — the question is fit, not which is “best”.
- Google is browser-first and brilliant for real-time collaboration; Microsoft 365 brings the full desktop Office apps.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium bundles a deep SMB security stack that maps onto Cyber Essentials.
- Most UK SMBs — especially Windows estates with compliance needs — land on Microsoft 365.
The short version
This isn’t a hatchet job. Google Workspace is an outstanding product, and for the right business it’s the better choice. But the two suites optimise for different worlds. Google built its tools to live in the browser, with real-time co-editing baked in from day one. Microsoft built its suite around the apps millions of people already know — Word, Excel, Outlook — and then wrapped enterprise-grade identity and security around them. Where your business already sits usually decides the winner.
Apps and productivity
Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are fast, clean and superb for collaborative drafting. They open Office files happily. What they are not is the full desktop Office experience: heavy Excel models, complex formatting, macros, add-ins and offline-first Outlook workflows still belong to Microsoft. If your finance team lives in pivot tables or your documents move in and out of client organisations running Office, the desktop apps in Microsoft 365 remove a lot of friction.
Collaboration and communication
Google’s collaboration model is elegant: everything is a shareable link, everyone edits live, and Gmail and Meet are clean and reliable. Microsoft’s answer is Teams plus SharePoint and OneDrive — deeper and more configurable, with co-authoring that now matches Google for live editing. Teams also doubles as the hub for calls, meetings and line-of-business integrations. Google feels lighter out of the box; Microsoft scales further as your processes mature.
Security, compliance and Cyber Essentials
Both platforms are secure by default. The difference for UK SMBs is how much security comes bundled and how cleanly it maps to certification. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Entra ID P1, Intune device management, Defender for Business and Defender for Office 365, and conditional access — the exact controls that underpin Cyber Essentials (MFA and conditional access, device management, malware protection). Google Workspace offers strong security as well, though several equivalent controls sit in its higher tiers.
Choose the suite your business already lives in — not the one that wins a feature checklist.
Admin and ecosystem fit
If your estate is Windows laptops, on-prem Active Directory or hybrid identity, and you already touch the Microsoft world, Microsoft 365 is the path of least resistance: one identity, one device-management console, one support relationship. If you’re a Chromebook-and-browser shop with no Windows dependency, Google’s admin console is genuinely simpler and a better fit. Forcing the wrong one creates ongoing friction that no feature list will offset.
At a glance
| Area | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Office apps | Browser-based Docs, Sheets, Slides | Full desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook (Standard/Premium) |
| Collaboration | Live co-editing, link-first sharing | Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive co-authoring |
| Gmail | Exchange Online / Outlook | |
| Security stack | Strong; advanced controls in higher tiers | Entra ID P1, Intune, Defender (Business Premium) |
| Cyber Essentials fit | Achievable | Maps directly via Business Premium controls |
| Best for | Cloud-native, browser-first teams | Windows estates, desktop Office, compliance |
Who each suits
- Google Workspace — cloud-native startups, browser-first teams, Chromebook fleets, businesses that prize simplicity and real-time collaboration over desktop power.
- Microsoft 365 — Windows estates, teams reliant on full desktop Office, and any business where security, compliance or Cyber Essentials genuinely matter.
For the majority of UK SMBs, the second description fits — which is why most land on Microsoft 365. If that’s you and you’re currently on Google, the move is well-trodden: read our practical guide to a Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration, or let us run it for you with managed M365 migrations.
Questions we get asked.
Is Microsoft 365 better than Google Workspace for business?
Neither is universally better — it depends on fit. Microsoft 365 tends to win for Windows estates, full desktop Office, and the security and compliance controls behind schemes like Cyber Essentials. Google Workspace shines for cloud-native, browser-first teams. For most UK SMBs with Windows or compliance needs, Microsoft 365 is the more natural home.
Can I use desktop Word and Excel with Google Workspace?
Not as part of Google Workspace. Google provides browser-based Docs, Sheets and Slides, which open Office files but are separate apps. If you rely on full desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook — including advanced formulas, macros and add-ins — that comes with Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium.
Which is better for security and compliance?
Both are secure, but Microsoft 365 Business Premium bundles a deep SMB security stack: Entra ID P1, Intune, Defender for Business and Defender for Office 365, plus conditional access. Those controls map directly onto Cyber Essentials. Google Workspace is strong too, though several equivalent controls sit in higher tiers.
Should we switch from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365?
Switch if you are standardising on Windows, need full desktop Office, or want the posture Business Premium provides. Migrating mail, contacts, calendars and Drive is well-trodden and typically takes a UK SMB around four to eight weeks. If your team is happily cloud-native, there may be no compelling reason to move.
Pick the right
suite, once.
Book 30 minutes. We’ll look at how your team actually works, your device estate and your compliance needs, and tell you honestly which platform fits — and what a move would involve.