Office applications
Microsoft 365 offers the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. In many industries that is the de-facto standard, especially for demanding Excel models and extensive documents. Google Workspace relies on lean, browser-based tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides) designed for real-time collaboration. If you need complex offline documents, you tend towards Microsoft; if you work as collaboratively as possible in the browser, towards Google.
Collaboration & communication
Google Workspace is built from the ground up for working together in the browser: comments, simultaneous editing and sharing are particularly seamless. Microsoft 365 scores with Teams as the central hub for chat, meetings and files, deeply integrated with SharePoint and Outlook.
Email & calendar
Outlook (Microsoft 365) is very powerful for classic office workflows, resource booking and rules. Gmail (Google Workspace) convinces with fast search and a tidy, label-based approach. Both support shared calendars and functional addresses.
Administration & IT
Microsoft 365 offers very granular administration through Entra ID and Intune, an advantage for larger IT departments with complex policies. Google Workspace is considered leaner and quicker to set up, which suits smaller teams without dedicated IT.
Data protection & location
Both providers are US corporations, but both offer EU data-centre options and contractual frameworks for the GDPR. Whichever platform you choose, one thing applies: during the migration your data should not flow uncontrolled through third countries. Migravault moves it exclusively via its own servers in Germany and the EU.
The differences at a glance
| Criterion | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Office applications | Desktop Word/Excel/PowerPoint plus web; the standard for complex Excel models | Docs/Sheets/Slides in the browser; lean, built for real-time collaboration |
| Email client | Outlook with folders, rules, resource booking | Gmail with labels and very fast search |
| Collaboration | Teams as the hub for chat, meetings, files (SharePoint) | Simultaneous editing, comments and sharing inside the document; Meet/Chat |
| File storage | OneDrive (personal) + SharePoint (teams/libraries) | My Drive (personal) + shared drives |
| Administration | Entra ID, Intune, very granular policies; suits IT departments | Admin console, quick to set up; suits teams without their own IT |
| Data location | EU data centres selectable (EU Data Boundary) | EU data region selectable (depending on edition) |
| Switching between the two | Possible in both directions: emails, calendars, contacts, files; see the guide Google → Microsoft | |
A short decision aid
- Rather Microsoft 365 if desktop Office, Excel depth, Teams and granular administration matter.
- Rather Google Workspace if browser-based real-time collaboration, simple administration and lean tools come first.
- Both can be migrated: the decision is not final; a later switch in the other direction is possible at any time.
And afterwards?
Whatever you decide: the switch itself should be complete and verifiable. We migrate in both directions, across platforms, with our own software and object-level validation. For the move from Google to Microsoft, see our guide Migrating from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365; the list prices are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 better?
There is no blanket answer. Microsoft 365 is strong in desktop Office, Excel and granular administration; Google Workspace in browser-based real-time collaboration and simple administration. The right choice depends on how you work.
Can you switch from one platform to the other later?
Yes. The decision is not final; we migrate in both directions, across platforms and with object-level validation.
What does switching between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cost?
The same in both directions: 200 € project fee per project, plus per mailbox 29 € for emails, 5 € each for calendars and contacts and 19 € for personal files between Google Drive and OneDrive. For 25 mailboxes with emails and calendars that comes to 1,050 € net; from 50 mailboxes a 10 % volume discount applies to the mailbox total.
What cannot be taken over one-to-one when switching platforms?
Whatever has no equivalent on the other side: Google Apps Script, formulas from Google Sheets into Excel macros, the sharing logic of shared drives and the chat histories from Teams or Google Chat. Emails, events, contacts and personal files move completely; everything else we look at individually in the initial analysis.
Sources & further documentation
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365- und Office 365-Planoptionen — Offizielle Übersicht der Microsoft-365-Pläne und ihrer Bestandteile
- Google Workspace-Hilfe: Google Workspace-Versionen vergleichen — Offizieller Vergleich der Google-Workspace-Editionen
- Microsoft Learn: Exchange Online-Begrenzungen — Postfachgrößen, Empfängerlimits und Anhangsgrößen in Exchange Online
- Google Workspace-Hilfe: Speicher- und Uploadbeschränkungen für Google Workspace — Speicherkontingente und Upload-Grenzen je Google-Edition
- Microsoft Learn: Was ist die EU-Datengrenze? — Datenhaltung in der EU als Entscheidungskriterium
