Features and Editions Comparison of Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a collection of Google’s cloud-based applications and services designed for workplace communications and collaborations.

If you are familiar with G Suite or Google Suite, then Google Workspace is actually a rebrand of the popular collaboration platform (formerly Google Apps) since 2020.

Popular services like Gmail (the most popular email client in the world) and Google Docs are actually parts of Google Workspace, and there are also other offerings like Google Meet and Google Forms, among others.

While most core applications and services of Google Workspace are 100% free, Google also offers several paid Workspace subscriptions with additional premium, business-focused features for its applications.

The challenge is how Google differentiates its Google Workspace plans (or editions). It can be confusing for customers to navigate each of these editions’ offers and features, and you’ll also need to take into account the number of users you’ll need to access the Google Workspace applications.

In this post, we’ll share a detailed list of the Google Workspace editions available and the features of each respective edition.

Different Google Workspace Editions

Google basically differentiates its Workspace editions by three key factors:

Type of customer (business, individual, or enterprise)
Number of users
Features (i.e. storage limitations, participant numbers for Meet, advanced configurations, etc.)

It’s worth noting that Google offers unique Workspace editions for the specific type of organizations (for example, Google Workspace for retail businesses), and nonprofit organizations may qualify to use specific Workspace editions for free.

The Business editions (there are four of them) are at the moment only available for organizations with up to 300 user accounts. If the organization is going to need more than 300 accounts, then it must opt to use the Enterprise editions (which aren’t necessarily more expensive).

While there are so many different editions available, below, we will discuss the most popular editions to consider and their respective features:

Google Workspace Individual

If you are a single individual user but want to use Google Workspace premium features, then since June 2021, Google has offered a new Workspace Individual edition for $9.99 per month.

With Google Workspace Individual, subscribers can gain access to the following features:

Advanced appointment scheduling features: for individuals offering services, you can easily create shareable pages that are integrated with Google calendar to let your customers book directly with you. You can easily create a professional booking page that updates in real-time with this feature.

Premium video calling features: allowing longer group calls, noise cancellation, call recording, and joining by phone features.

Email marketing features: multi-send and smart contact list, customizable visual layouts to easily create branded professional newsletters.

Google Workspace Essentials Editions

Workspace Essentials editions are designed for organizations that already owned or managed a domain or have used an existing email and/or calendar solution (i.e., Microsoft 365).

There are three different Essential editions available:

Essentials Starter: available for free for teams up to 25 users with premium features for the following services:

Google Drive storage
Google Docs editor
Google Meet video conferencing
Google Chat, including chat spaces
Jamboard (digital whiteboard), additional hardware required.
Google Calendar
Google Tasks
Directory management
Google Sites
Google Keep

Essentials: (no longer available for new customers), offering all features offered by Essential Starters plus Groups for Business, additional security features, policy controls, and pooled storage features.

Enterprise Essentials: you can upgrade from Essentials Starter to Enterprise Essentials, which will provide these additional features:

24/7 customer support
Pooled storage for over 100 different file types
Shared team drives
Up to 150 participants in Google Meet with chart recordings, noise cancellations, and other premium features
Advanced security features: advanced endpoint management, security alerts, data retention, eDiscovery (search and export your data with Google Vault)
Google Workspace Business Editions

The Google Workspace Business editions are designed for organizations that will require no more than 300 user accounts, and there are three different editions available:

Business Starter: for $6/user/month, you’ll get the following features:

Custom business email with security features
100 video conference participants in Meet
30 GB Google Drive cloud storage
Security and management control features
Standard support only

Business Standard: priced at $12/user/month, and you’ll get additional premium features such as:

Custom business email with security features
150 video conference participants in Meet
2 TB Google Drive Cloud Storage
More security and management control features
Standard support initially, paid upgrade to Enhanced customer support available

Business Plus: priced at $18/user/month with the following features:

Custom business email with security features, eDiscovery, and retention with Google Vault
500 video conference participants in Meet, plus attendance tracking
5 TB Google Drive Cloud Storage
Enhanced security and management control features, including Google Vault and advanced endpoint management
Standard support initially, or a paid upgrade to Enhanced customer support available.

Google Workspace Enterprise

For businesses that need more than 300 user accounts, then the Enterprise edition is available (you’ll need to contact Google or a reseller to get custom pricing for the Enterprise edition).

From the Enterprise edition, you can get the following features:

Custom business email with security features, eDiscovery, and retention with Google Vault, S/MIME encryption
500 video conference participants in Meet, noise cancellation, in-domain live streaming
Up to unlimited Google Drive Cloud Storage
Enhanced security and management control features, including Google Vault, advanced enterprise endpoint management, DLP, and data regions
Enhanced support initially, or a paid upgrade to Premium customer support is available

Maximize your Google Workspace Experience with Pythian

When you partner with a Google Workspace consultant like Pythian, you get the same pricing you’d get from Google, along with Pythian’s personalized education and training, cloud solutions, cloud product development, and fast customer support.

Leverage the capabilities of Google Workspace with Pythian to make the most of your investment and ensure long-term success.