Making the Switch: Transitioning from Microsoft to Google Workspace

Which is Better for Enterprises, Google Workspace or Microsoft?

Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have been around for a few years now (Google workspace used to be called Gsuite). Microsoft does have a much more mature product offering as the company has been in the enterprise business space longer than Google has ever been around as a company.

However, Microsoft was super slow to adopt cloud-based apps, while Google has only been offering its services ONLY in the cloud. This gave Google an advantage and has let them scoop up a large part of the market share.

Which is better? Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer a very similar feature set (Gmail vs Outlook, Meetings vs Teams, Word vs Docs etc..) but I think what sets Google apart is the Google Workspace Marketplace which has a TON more third-party apps (like Orangedox’s Virtual Data Rooms) than Microsoft Office app store.

Honestly, I’d go with whatever tools you’re already used to. Using Gmail and Docs? go with Google Workspace. Using Outlook and Word? go with Microsoft 365.

Many Companies try Switching to Google Workspace from Microsoft Office. Why is One a Better Choice Over the Other?

Google Workspace (formerly GSuite) did a great job of building a business suite of tools on online, while Microsoft was stuck with its legacy “install” based apps and licensing model. Fast forward to today Microsoft now has Microsoft 365 which is cloud-based to compete with Google Workspace, but they did loose quite a bit of market share to Google.

How did Google capture so much market share? Google did a great job of turning their free Gmail users into business customers, new small and medium business users who were Gmail users went with Google instead of Microsoft. Also, Google’s tools were made for online collaboration right from day one, meaning you could collaborate in real-time remotely which has now become a necessity post-COVID.

Which choice is better? Well both suites of products are pretty similar so honestly choose whichever you’re most comfortable with: use Gmail already and Docs then go with Google Workspace, use Outlook and Word then go with Microsoft 365.

What is the Advantage of Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is Google’s business suite of products and can be a game changer for small/medium businesses. Traditionally most businesses would look to purchase a variety of tools for their employees and have them installed on their computers (ie think Outlook, Word etc..). Google was one of the first to pioneer moving all these tools online. Gmail, Calendar, Docs/Slides/Sheets etc..

Purchasing a license for Google Workspace gives your employee access to their entire suite of products, all online and made for collaboration. Meaning that your employees can setup a video call, share their screen and even collaborate in real time on the same document. Plus you’ll get access to the Workspace Marketplace which allows you to plugin third party tools, like Orangedox’s Virtual Data Rooms, without having to leave your Workspace.

It’s probably the best turn key business solution for small medium businesses.

What is Google Workspace, and How Do You Use it for Business?

Google Workspace is Google’s new umbrella for all it’s business tools. This includes

Gmail: 

An intuitive email platform that provides a professional and reliable communication channel for businesses. It offers features like threaded conversations, powerful search capabilities, and customizable email addresses.

Google Drive: 

A cloud storage solution that enables users to store, access, and share files seamlessly. It promotes collaboration by allowing multiple users to work on documents simultaneously and provides robust version control.

Google Docs/Sheets/Slides:

 A collaborative office tool that allows real-time editing and commenting. Multiple team members can work on the same document simultaneously, fostering efficient teamwork.

Google Workspace Marketplace:

A great market place to find apps to help expand the basic feature set of the standard Google set of products. Including apps like Orangedox which provides Virtual Data Rooms and secure document sharing right from your Gmail and Google Drive.

Google Meet: 

A video conferencing platform that facilitates virtual meetings and collaboration. It supports high-quality video and audio, screen sharing, and integration with other Google Workspace apps.

Google Calendar: 

An intuitive calendar tool that helps teams organize schedules, set reminders, and coordinate events. It promotes efficient time management and collaboration.

Google Forms: 

A tool for creating custom surveys and forms, allowing organizations to gather information and feedback from team members or external stakeholders.

But the reason why most companies (including ours) use Google Workspace is the fact that it’s all cloud-based and made for collaboration. For a pretty low monthly cost, all your employees can be on one unified business suite that is made for remote working and online collaboration.



Plus you’ll have access to the Google Workspace Marketplace, where you can get third party apps that fill features that weren’t developed by Google. These can include features like Virtual Data Rooms and integrations with document signing, CRMs, email automation, and a whole host of other great features.

Start your 14-day free trial of Orangedox Virtual Data Rooms and see what Orangedox can do for your business.

Orangedox provides one-click create virtual data rooms that are directly synced with your Google Drive folders.

You can learn how to close deals using Google Drive as a Virtual Data Room here.