Microsoft 365
Personal $99.99/yr · Family $129.99/yr · Business from ~$6/user/mo
Google Workspace
Business from $7/user/mo · free consumer Gmail & Docs
Microsoft 365 gives you the full desktop Office suite, the best offline editing, and 1TB of storage per person. Google Workspace is web-native, with the best real-time collaboration, a custom email domain, and increasingly bundled Gemini AI. Microsoft wins on document power; Google wins on collaboration and simplicity.
Pick Microsoft 365 if you depend on powerful desktop apps, complex Excel work, offline editing, or you want 1TB of storage per person for a household.
Pick Google Workspace if you collaborate in real time, want a custom email domain with the simplest setup, and prefer working entirely in the browser.
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are the two dominant productivity suites, and the choice usually comes down to one question: do you work mostly in powerful desktop apps, or in the browser with other people? Microsoft 365 is built around the full desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which remain the most capable office apps, plus 1TB of OneDrive storage per person. Google Workspace is built around the browser, where Docs, Sheets, and Slides offer the smoothest real-time collaboration in the category, alongside Gmail with a custom domain.
Pricing is structured differently, so compare the right tiers. Microsoft 365 has consumer plans (Personal at $99.99 a year, Family at $129.99 a year for up to six people) and business plans from about $6 per user a month. Google Workspace is business-focused, starting at $7 per user a month with a custom email domain, while everyday consumer Gmail, Drive, and Docs remain free.
We compare apps, offline use, storage, collaboration, AI features, and total cost.
| Quick facts | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Personal $99.99/yr | Business Starter $7/user/mo |
| Desktop apps | Full Office suite | Web-based |
| Offline editing | Excellent | Limited |
| Storage | 1TB/person (OneDrive) | 30GB to 5TB by tier |
| Best at | Document power | Real-time collaboration |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | M Microsoft 365 | G Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Word / Excel / PowerPoint | Yes | Web only |
| Real-time co-editing | Good | Best-in-class |
| Offline use | Excellent | Limited |
| Custom email domain | Business tiers | Yes (all business) |
| Cloud storage included | 1TB/person | 30GB to 5TB by tier |
| Built-in AI assistant | Copilot (paid add-on) | Gemini (increasingly bundled) |
| Advanced spreadsheets | Excel (best) | Sheets (good) |
| Runs natively on web / Chromebook | Web apps | Native |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-21.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Microsoft 365 "Personal" and "Family" are consumer plans; Google Workspace is business email and domains. Make sure you compare the tier that matches your use.
Excel is still ahead for power users and complex spreadsheets; Google Sheets is lighter but collaborates better.
Both now push paid AI add-ons (Copilot and Gemini) that can raise the real monthly cost well beyond the base price.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved