If your estimator builds bids in Excel at the office and your field lead works from a phone on job sites, you’ve probably wondered whether Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 fits your team better. (Microsoft 365 is the current name for what many people still call Office 365.)
This guide compares the two for a small contractor team: desktop apps, offline work, team inboxes and price, plus a quick test for whether switching is worth it at all. To keep it concrete, picture a made-up company at example.com, with an estimator in the office, a lead on job sites, and bids going out from bids@example.com.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 depends on how your team works
There’s no universal winner. The real split is desktop apps versus browser apps, and two more things play into it: the signal your crew gets in the field, and the kinds of files you trade with other people.
For the company at example.com, desktop Excel, Outlook and Office files coming in from suppliers or customers point toward Microsoft 365 plans that include the desktop apps. Phone and browser work on a weak signal points toward Google Workspace, within the offline limits covered below.
One thing to watch: Google’s pricing grid mentions Office files, but working with Office files isn’t the same as having desktop Word or Excel installed. If you use estimating software, check that it works with the platform you’re considering.
Office work and field work, side by side
Desktop apps
- Office: desktop Excel and Outlook
- Look at Microsoft 365 plans that include desktop Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Field: phone and browser, often on a weak signal
- Google’s plan pages list web apps, not desktop Word or Excel.
Offline work
- Office: desktop Excel and Outlook
- Look at Business Standard, Business Premium or Apps for business, not Business Basic.
- Field: phone and browser, often on a weak signal
- A browser setup for Docs, Sheets and Slides. Not desktop Excel, and not a promise it works with no signal.
A team inbox
- Office: desktop Excel and Outlook
- A separate decision. Don’t let it pick the platform.
- Field: phone and browser, often on a weak signal
- Google’s shared inbox and a Groups collaborative inbox work differently. Also a separate decision.
| What you’re weighing | Office: desktop Excel and Outlook | Field: phone and browser, often on a weak signal |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop apps | Look at Microsoft 365 plans that include desktop Word, Excel and Outlook. | Google’s plan pages list web apps, not desktop Word or Excel. |
| Offline work | Look at Business Standard, Business Premium or Apps for business, not Business Basic. | A browser setup for Docs, Sheets and Slides. Not desktop Excel, and not a promise it works with no signal. |
| A team inbox | A separate decision. Don’t let it pick the platform. | Google’s shared inbox and a Groups collaborative inbox work differently. Also a separate decision. |
What changes when desktop apps or offline work matter
In Microsoft 365, desktop Word, Excel and Outlook depend on the plan, not the brand. The web and mobile versions aren’t the same thing: Business Basic includes the Office mobile apps but not the desktop apps.
Microsoft’s desktop apps depend on the plan
Microsoft’s service description for its apps shows desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook and Access as not included in Business Basic, and included in Microsoft 365 Apps for business, Business Standard and Business Premium. Access is Windows only. Basic does show “Windows 10 Apps: Yes,” but that isn’t desktop Office.
The same page also shows:
- Five installs per user on PCs or Macs: not on Basic, but included on Apps for business, Standard and Premium.
- Office mobile apps for iPad, iPhone and Android: included on Basic, but only on devices with built-in screens of 10.9 inches or less.
- The Mac apps and Outlook for Android: not on Basic, but included on Apps for business, Standard and Premium.
There’s a catch with Apps for business. Microsoft’s shared mailbox guide notes that Apps for business doesn’t include email, while Business Standard does, and a shared mailbox needs Exchange Online, Microsoft’s email service. So if the company still needs mailboxes, Apps for business is the wrong plan. That’s a reason to look at a plan with both desktop apps and email, not a reason to buy Microsoft.
On Google’s side, the Workspace pricing page and the business editions overview list Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and related web apps. Neither lists desktop Word or Excel, so don’t expect a desktop Office install with Google Workspace.
Offline isn’t the same thing on both sides
Google’s help page on working offline says Docs, Sheets and Slides can be created, viewed and edited offline in Chrome or Edge. You need the Docs Offline extension, enough free space, and a normal browser window rather than private browsing. Recent files can be saved for offline use, and an administrator can turn offline access off. It isn’t desktop Excel, and it isn’t a promise that everything works with no signal.
Microsoft’s table is less clear. One row marks “offline support for client applications” as Yes on Business Basic as well as on the plans with desktop apps. But Basic doesn’t include the desktop apps, so don’t assume someone on Basic has offline desktop Word. If you need desktop Office that works offline, look at Business Standard, Business Premium or Apps for business.
Team inboxes are a separate decision
A team address like bids@ can be set up a few ways. Microsoft’s shared mailbox, Google’s shared inbox and a Google Groups collaborative inbox are three different things.
Microsoft shared mailbox. According to Microsoft’s shared mailbox guide, several people inside the organization use one mailbox and can send as it or on its behalf. Nobody signs in to it directly, so it isn’t a shared password. You need a plan that includes email to create one.
Google shared inbox. On Google’s shared inbox page, an admin creates the mailbox. The people given access (delegates) can read, send and delete messages, and view and add contacts. It’s available on Business Starter, Standard and Plus, but Google is releasing it in phases. If you don’t see it yet, the page points to Gmail delegation instead. It doesn’t assign messages to people.
Google Groups collaborative inbox. Google’s Groups help page explains that a member with the “moderate metadata” permission can assign a conversation to themselves or another member. Handy, but it isn’t a staffed help desk.
Some details aren’t spelled out on these pages, such as whether people outside the company can email a new shared mailbox, where copies of sent messages are kept, and which screen grants Send on Behalf. Ask whoever sets it up.
Whatever you pick, don’t switch platforms just to settle a team inbox question. Whether bids@ should be a shared mailbox or a distribution list is its own decision, covered in shared mailbox vs distribution list.
What the official pages show about price
Here’s a short snapshot. These are list prices, not a quote from us and not a budget for your team.
Google’s list prices
As of October 2026, Google’s business editions overview lists these prices in US dollars per user per month. On the Annual/Fixed-Term plan, you’re billed annually or monthly depending on your region, subscription type and how you signed up. Enterprise editions are contact-sales only, so they aren’t shown.
Google Workspace Business editions
Business Starter
- Flexible plan
- $8.40
- Annual/Fixed-Term plan
- $7
- Pooled storage per user
- 30 GB
Business Standard
- Flexible plan
- $16.80
- Annual/Fixed-Term plan
- $14
- Pooled storage per user
- 2 TB
Business Plus
- Flexible plan
- $26.40
- Annual/Fixed-Term plan
- $22
- Pooled storage per user
- 5 TB
| Edition | Flexible plan | Annual/Fixed-Term plan | Pooled storage per user |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Starter | $8.40 | $7 | 30 GB |
| Business Standard | $16.80 | $14 | 2 TB |
| Business Plus | $26.40 | $22 | 5 TB |
Google’s pricing page shows the same storage. Business Starter also includes professional email, Meet video calls for up to 100 participants, Docs, Calendar and Chat. All three Business editions have a maximum of 300 users.
The table shows Google’s regular prices. The pricing page also advertises limited-time promotions for new customers, so check it for any current offer. For counting who needs a license and the costs around it, see what Google business email costs.
Microsoft’s prices
We haven’t listed Microsoft’s prices here. Check Microsoft’s own pricing page for current figures before you buy, and don’t switch platforms based on a price table in a blog post, this one included.
When staying on your current platform is the better move
A working setup can beat a switch. If bids already go out, files already open and the field already reaches the office, the cost of changing apps, retraining people and moving mail can outweigh one more feature. It’s a judgment call, so run through these questions before you change anything.
Stay or switch: four questions
Check 1
Is the current setup actually getting in the way of bids, files or the field?
If notIf the estimator can open yesterday’s workbook and send today’s bid, write the annoyance down. Staying is fine.Check 2
Is the problem something the apps can’t do, like no desktop Excel or no phone access?
If notIf it’s price alone, stop. Count who needs an account and the extra fees, and check Microsoft’s own price page. Don’t switch on a blog’s price table.Check 3
Has someone taken on retraining the field lead and making sure the old files still open?
If notIf nobody owns that, stay.Check 4
Is the reason something other than a team inbox question?
If notDon’t switch to settle shared mailbox versus distribution list. That’s a separate decision.
If every check passes: If you’ve made it this far, a switch may be worth planning.
One more question belongs to you as the owner: who will the company call when something goes wrong? It might be the provider’s admin support, or whoever you already call. None of the pages above promise a support response time.
If you still want a change after this test, the setup itself is covered in how to create a business email. And if you’d rather have someone else handle the setup and the admin side, see our business email support for contractors.