BCBusiness
In this Working Arguments debate: Which productivity suite reigns supreme: Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
The Google vs. Microsoft debate is a contentious one in the workplace (sorry Apple). People tend to have strong feelings about which productivity platform is best when it comes to emails, calendars or virtual meetings. In this column‘s edition, our editors Dani Wright (DW) and Kerri Donaldson (KD) seek to answer which workplace productivity suite reigns supreme: Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Microsoft 365 is number one for one main reason: security. First, your files don’t solely live on the cloud (or, like in Google’s case, intended mostly to be used primarily on the cloud). As fantastic as a cloud-based interface is in terms of accessibility, having a backup on your computer provides peace of mind. It also means you can work on its applications (from Excel to Word and beyond) on your desktop without internet access. This is key for those of us who travel for work and don’t always have reliable wifi. Yes, you can work on Google offline, but you’re doing it by toggling the document to “work offline” mode, not by saving a hard copy to your computer. That does not offer the same structured security and reliability (especially for those of us who use a soft storage solution for critical documents). Additionally, Microsoft’s double-factor authentication adds another layer of protection while still keeping it convenient by providing single sign-on to other SaaS (meaning you only need one login for myriad applications).
Finally, having advanced skills in the Microsoft suite of products (especially Excel) is a massive benefit as you move through your career. In fact, in some industries, being able to automate and template in the app is so important that not having the skill can be seen as a red flag—which just proves that Microsoft is an industry standard. And, therefore, the best.
Microsoft 365 is like that one boss who refuses to believe in flex hours—structured, buttoned-up and still clinging to desktop software like a security blanket. Google Workspace? It’s the open-concept, remote-friendly, real-time collaboration tool built for a new generation of workers (read: younger).
First, the cloud isn’t just convenient—it’s essential. Everyone (except your grandmother) is on the cloud, and, honestly, she would be too if you’d finally go over and set it up for her. Google Workspace eliminates the chaos of outdated attachments and endless file versions. Instead of asking, “Who has the latest draft?” everyone edits the same document, live, with changes saved instantly. And yes, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides work offline, too—so let’s retire the myth that Microsoft is the only option for working without wifi.
Then there’s AI. Whether you love it, hate it, love to hate it or hate how much you love to hate it, Google is weaving Gemini AI into its suite—drafting emails, summarizing meetings and automating busywork—without slapping on a $30-per-user surcharge (looking at you, Microsoft Copilot).
Sure, Microsoft offers more local file storage and enterprise security perks. But for most businesses, Google’s encryption, access controls and seamless collaboration tools are more than enough—without the extra layers of IT headaches.
At the end of the day, Microsoft 365 is for people who like familiarity. Google Workspace is for people who like speed, simplicity and getting work done—together.
It boils down to personal taste. Essentially, they both do the same thing—it’s a suite of productivity tools that empower employees for organizations big or small (or solopreneurs like myself) to get work done. So that’s things like email management (which often includes calendars and tasks, to-do lists, notes and so on), word processing, spreadsheet creation, presentation making and some ancillary software, too—and now enhanced with built-in AI tools for both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. But at its core, they’re similar suites, and they’re priced similarly.
Microsoft has more heritage with its Office platform… and I find that older folks like myself, Gen Xers, may be more comfortable with it. It’s a generalization, but that was the de facto productivity suite for so long. But Google very smartly started working with school boards a couple of decades ago and now you’ve got millennials and certainly Gen Z, who are more comfortable with Google. And that translates to the workplace when you are now responsible for adopting a platform for your organization.
If you want to split hairs, there’s perhaps more security, privacy and online storage with Microsoft (1 terabyte versus Google’s 30 gigs).