Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 for Indian small businesses — September 2026

Which is cheaper in India, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365, at most levels: Business Basic costs ₹170/user/month against ₹270/user/month for Google's Business Starter, and Business Standard ₹860/user/month against ₹1,080/user/month. The exception is Google's India-only Business Base, at ₹99/user/month for teams of up to 20.

Compare what you get as well as the price. Microsoft's cheapest plan has no desktop Office apps; Google's cheapest has 20 GB per user and only the basic Gemini app. Both vendors charge more for month-to-month plans than for a 12-month commitment.

Do I need Microsoft 365 to use Word and Excel?

Only if you need the desktop apps. Google Workspace opens, edits and saves Word and Excel files in the browser, which covers most everyday use. Heavy Excel users — finance teams, anyone with macros or large models — should choose Microsoft 365 Business Standard or above.

Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes only the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint; the desktop apps start at Business Standard. Excel macros don't run in Google Sheets.

Most small businesses find Docs and Sheets enough for letters, quotations and shared trackers. The cases that push a team to Microsoft are complex Excel models, mail merges in Word, and Outlook rules people have relied on for years.

Which gives more storage?

Microsoft 365, by a wide margin at entry level: every Business plan includes a 100 GB mailbox and 1 TB of OneDrive per user. Google's Business Starter gives 30 GB per user and Business Standard 2 TB, shared between mail and Drive.

Google's storage is pooled across the organisation, so light users leave room for heavy ones. On Business Standard and above, few small businesses run out.

Microsoft adds an email archive on top of the mailbox: 50 GB on Basic and Standard, 1.5 TB on Business Premium — useful if you keep every email for years.

Is Gemini or Copilot included?

Gemini is included in every Google Workspace Business plan — in Gmail on Starter, and across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and Drive on Standard. Microsoft includes Copilot Chat at no charge, but Copilot inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams is a paid add-on, Microsoft 365 Copilot Business.

On Microsoft's India price list the add-on costs more per user than Business Standard itself, so for a team that wants AI inside its daily tools, Google Workspace Business Standard is the cheaper route. Ask us for a current quote on Copilot.

Google also sells an optional AI expanded access add-on for heavy users; most teams never need it.

Which stores data in India?

Microsoft 365. For accounts set up in India, Microsoft commits to storing mailboxes, OneDrive and SharePoint files and Teams chats at rest in India. Google Workspace Business editions can't choose India: Business Standard and Plus can keep data in the United States or Europe, and Starter can't choose at all.

This matters if you handle personal data under the DPDP Act and your clients — banks, NBFCs, hospitals — ask where it is kept. For most small businesses, 2-step verification and good admin habits matter more than the location. If you need email hosted in India at the lowest cost, see Rediffmail Pro.

Microsoft's commitment follows the country chosen when the account is first created, so an account set up from India keeps its data here — one more reason to set it up correctly the first time.

Which is better for meetings, security and day-to-day admin?

Microsoft, at the top end. Teams hosts up to 300 people on every Business plan, and Business Premium adds Intune device management, Defender for Business and Entra ID P1. Google Meet hosts 100 people on Starter and 150 on Standard, with recording from Standard.

For a team of 10–50 that meets mostly among itself, either is enough. Business Premium is worth it when you issue laptops and phones and need to lock or wipe them remotely.

Day to day, Google Workspace is simpler to run: one plain admin console where adding a user or resetting a password takes a minute. Microsoft 365 spreads its settings across several admin centres — Exchange, Teams, Intune, Entra — which is more capable and more work. Either way, new starters, leavers and lost phones are part of what we handle under support.

What does it cost to switch from one to the other?

The licences are easy to change; the real cost is people. Mail, calendars and contacts move in 2–3 working days for a team of 10, without downtime. Documents take more care, and your team has to relearn where things are. If you're on an annual plan, switch at renewal — annual licences can't be reduced mid-term.