Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace for a small UK business: which should you choose?

For a small UK business the two suites cost almost the same: Microsoft 365 runs from £5.40 to £16.90 per user per month and Google Workspace from £5.90 to £18.40, both ex VAT on an annual commitment at list price ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. The choice comes down to how you work. Microsoft 365 fits a business that lives in Outlook, Excel and Word, exchanges Office files with clients, or needs the security and device management bundled into Business Premium: Conditional Access, Intune and Defender for Business for £16.90 ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources3Source 3Microsoft 365 Business Premium — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-premiumAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Google Workspace fits a business that works in the browser, shares and co-edits constantly, and wants Gmail's simplicity, with Vault and advanced device management arriving at the £18.40 Business Plus tier ^{2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources4Source 4Compare Google Workspace Business editions — Google Workspace Admin Help, updated 26 October 2026.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/getting-started/editions/compare-business-editionsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Both support MFA and security keys, both meet Cyber Essentials, and both have 300-user caps on their business plans ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources5Source 5Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 — National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), April 2026.www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/cyber-essentials-requirements-for-it-infrastructure-v3-3.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Switching is possible in either direction with the vendors' free migration tools, but it costs time, so pick once.

The short version

• Prices are within a pound or two at every tier; don't choose on price ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium bundles identity, device and endpoint security a security-conscious business would otherwise buy separately ^{3Source 3Microsoft 365 Business Premium — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-premiumAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Google Workspace is simpler to run and better at live collaboration; its equivalent security and retention tools sit in Business Plus and above ^{4Source 4Compare Google Workspace Business editions — Google Workspace Admin Help, updated 26 October 2026.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/getting-started/editions/compare-business-editionsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Most UK businesses already exchange Office files, and that compatibility pull is usually what decides it.

How do the plans compare at UK list prices?

Since July 2026 Microsoft's UK pricing page leads with bundles: Business Standard with Copilot at £18.10 and Business Premium with Copilot at £24.60, while the plain plans stay on their own pages ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Google shows a 30% introductory discount for three months on its pricing page; the figures above are the list prices, not the offer ^{2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

Which is more secure for a small business?

Both are secure platforms; the difference is what is in the box at each price. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune for device management, Defender for Business for endpoint detection and response, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 for email and link protection, Purview data loss prevention, and Conditional Access through Entra ID P1 ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources3Source 3Microsoft 365 Business Premium — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/microsoft-365-business-premiumAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Business Basic and Standard carry core identity and the free security defaults, which enforce MFA for everyone and block legacy sign-in ^{9Source 9Security defaults in Microsoft Entra ID — Microsoft Learn, updated 16 October 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/security-defaultsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

Google Workspace includes 2-Step Verification and security-key support on every Business edition, fundamental endpoint management on Starter and Standard, and advanced endpoint management plus Vault on Business Plus ^{4Source 4Compare Google Workspace Business editions — Google Workspace Admin Help, updated 26 October 2026.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/getting-started/editions/compare-business-editionsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Data loss prevention in the Business editions is reporting and insight rather than enforced rules, and context-aware access is not listed for the Business editions ^{4Source 4Compare Google Workspace Business editions — Google Workspace Admin Help, updated 26 October 2026.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/getting-started/editions/compare-business-editionsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. In short: a business that needs enforced device compliance, conditional sign-in rules and EDR gets them for £16.90 on Microsoft, while on Google it gets a strong core and buys the rest in Business Plus or Enterprise.

Either way, Cyber Essentials requires MFA on every cloud service where it is available, and both suites provide it ^{5Source 5Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 — National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), April 2026.www.ncsc.gov.uk/files/cyber-essentials-requirements-for-it-infrastructure-v3-3.pdfAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Our guide to Microsoft 365 Business Premium maps its features to the five controls.

What about email, storage and records?

• Mailboxes: every Microsoft 365 business plan gives a 100 GB mailbox, with a 50 GB archive on Basic and Standard and 1.5 TB on Premium ^{6Source 6Exchange Online limits — Microsoft Learn, updated 19 October 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/exchange-online-service-description/exchange-online-limitsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Google pools storage across the organisation: 30 GB per user on Starter, 2 TB on Standard and 5 TB on Plus, shared between Gmail and Drive ^{2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Retention: organisation-wide retention policies for email and files need Business Premium on Microsoft ^{10Source 10Microsoft Purview service description: licensing for retention policies — Microsoft Learn, 29 October 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/microsoft-365-service-descriptions/microsoft-365-tenantlevel-services-licensing-guidance/microsoft-purview-service-descriptionAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}; on Google they need Vault, which is in Business Plus ^{4Source 4Compare Google Workspace Business editions — Google Workspace Admin Help, updated 26 October 2026.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/getting-started/editions/compare-business-editionsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Neither entry tier is a compliant records store on its own.
• Backup: both vendors keep the service running and leave your data's protection to you. A separate backup outside the tenant is sensible on either.

Our guide to backing up Microsoft 365 explains why recycle bins and retention aren't a backup; the same logic applies to Google Drive and Gmail.

What does AI cost on each?

Google folded Gemini into its Business plans in January 2025 rather than selling it as an add-on, with the Gemini assistant in Gmail on Starter and across Docs, Meet and more on Standard and Plus ^{2Source 2Google Workspace pricing (UK) — Google.workspace.google.com/intl/en_uk/pricingAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources8Source 8The best of Google AI, now included in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans — Google Workspace blog, 15 January 2025.workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/empowering-businesses-with-AIAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. Microsoft sells Copilot Business as an add-on at £16.10 per user per month (correct as of 3 November 2026), with a £13.80 first-year offer on annual commitments made between 1 July and 31 December 2026, or in the bundled plans above ^{1Source 1Compare all Microsoft 365 business plans (UK list prices, ex VAT) — Microsoft UK.www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-productsAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}. If AI assistance for everyone matters, Google's inclusion is a real price difference; if only a few people need it, Microsoft's per-seat add-on keeps the cost where the value is.

Our article on what AI really costs your business covers the data questions to ask before switching either on.

How hard is it to switch?

• Google to Microsoft: the Exchange admin centre automates the migration of mail, contacts and calendars from Google Workspace, and Migration Manager, enabled by default for tenants under 300 licences, moves Google Drive files, metadata and permissions into OneDrive and SharePoint ^{11Source 11Automated Google Workspace migration in the new Exchange admin center — Microsoft Learn, updated 28 July 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mailbox-migration/automated-migration-neweacAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources12Source 12Migrate Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 with Migration Manager — Microsoft Learn, 25 September 2026.learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointmigration/mm-google-overviewAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Microsoft to Google: Google's data migration service imports email, calendar and contacts from Exchange Online for up to 1,000 users at a time, into Workspace accounts that already exist ^{13Source 13Migrate data from an Exchange Online account — Google Workspace Admin Help.knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/migrate/migrate-data-from-an-exchange-online-account?hl=enAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.
• Either direction: the tools are free, but desktop settings, shared mailboxes, mail rules, third-party integrations and user habits are not migrated. Budget a few hours per user and a quiet weekend for the cut-over.
• Office files in Google: you can edit an Office file directly in Docs, Sheets or Slides, which covers everyday documents; complex spreadsheets with macros are where the compatibility pull back to Excel is strongest ^{14Source 14Work with Microsoft Office files — Google Docs Editors Help.support.google.com/docs/answer/6055139?hl=en-GBAccessed 3 November 2026See in Sources}.

Which should you choose?

What does BTNI use?

BTNI's platform is built on Microsoft 365, because the businesses we support in Northern Ireland run on Office files, Windows devices and Teams, and Business Premium gives us the security controls to manage as one system. We'll tell you honestly if Google Workspace is the better fit for how you work. For an estimate of what a managed Microsoft 365 platform would cost your organisation, use Find Your TechState™.