Only a handful of small businesses have likely never used the Google platform. So, the biggest selling point of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is just how familiar users will be with Google’s collaborative Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, Chat and Meet tools. For most small businesses, this means teams will be able to hit the ground running with little training.
I’ve always found Google’s tools to be user-friendly. I also like that the tools can be accessed on any platform (Windows, macOS and Linux) through Chrome and other browsers and mobile platforms. When you consider that the free Google Workspace Essentials supports 100 users and offers 15GB of storage and that paid plans start at $7.20 per user per month (billed monthly), Workspace becomes a compelling collaboration option.
Features
Google Workspace combines Google’s real-time collaborative tools (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Meet, Chat and Calendar) and Gmail, Sites, Forms and AppSheet into one package. To round out the platform, Google adds custom email domains, support for larger video meetings, plenty of storage, enhanced security and user management controls. The paid plans also feature Gemini AI, which can be added to the free plan for an extra fee.
Google also offers many integrations that can help extend the software’s capabilities. Additionally, Workspace can be used off-line and updated when a data connection is restored later.
Google offers one of the best collaborative experiences.
Pricing
Google offers a free plan called Essentials for 100 users that grants access to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, Meet and Chat and 15GB of storage. However, there are limitations, such as shorter video calls with fewer people, and there are no advanced security controls.
There are four paid plans: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus and Enterprise. Business Starter costs $7.20 per user per month, Business Standard increases to $14.40 per user per month and Business Plus jumps to $21.60 per user per month. You can lower the costs by signing up for an annual term. If you’re interested in the Enterprise plan, you have to contact Google for a quote.
Customer Service
Google offers users access to a searchable knowledge center filled with articles and guides. Frustratingly, Google takes a staggered approach to customer service. The Business Starter, Standard and Plus plans offer Standard customer service, which features multichannel (phone, chat and email) and community (forum) support. I posted a forum question and received help from a Diamond Product Expert in two hours. If needed, you can pay to upgrade to Enhanced Support.
Enterprise users will find that Enhanced Support is included in the price. Still, shockingly, even Enterprise users don’t get the full-fat version of customer service as they can pay to upgrade to Premium Support, which seems odd as Enterprise plans aren’t cheap.
Reputation
Google Workspace enjoys a positive reputation on most user review sites, but there are some bumps in the road. Threat actors have breached Google Workspace in the past, with the most recent event happening in July 2024. On top of this, user reviews on Trustpilot claim billing issues are rampant, and users cite poor customer service as another reason to avoid the platform.
On Capterra and G2, real-world users have a better opinion, with many praising Workspace’s ease of use across platforms and straightforward collaboration features. Complaints on these sites range from slow customer service to Google Workspace missing features that can be found on competing platforms and privacy concerns.
