Email and office apps · pricing

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 for a 10-person business: same price, different deal

The verdict

At US list prices, Google Workspace’s three Business plans and Microsoft 365’s three Business plans with Teams cost exactly the same per user: $7, $14 and $22 per user per month on an annual plan, $8.40, $16.80 and $26.40 month to month. So price alone can’t decide it for a 10-person team. These can:

• Pick Microsoft 365 if you need the most storage per person on the cheapest tier. Every Microsoft 365 business plan lists 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user. Google’s entry plan, Business Starter, gives 30 GB per user, pooled across the team (300 GB for 10 people).
• Pick Microsoft 365 without Teams if you already pay for Zoom or Slack. Microsoft sells no-Teams versions of each plan for less: $5.40, $10.79 and $18.79 per user per month, paid yearly. That’s $648 a year for 10 users on Basic, versus $840 with Teams or on Google Business Starter. Every Google Workspace Business plan includes Google Meet; Google’s pricing page lists no version without it.
• Pick Google Workspace Business Standard or Plus if your team shares big files. Standard pools 2 TB per user (20 TB for 10 people) and Plus pools 5 TB per user (50 TB), shared across the organization, versus 1 TB each (10 TB total, not pooled) on any Microsoft 365 plan.
• Pick Google Workspace if you want month-to-month terms spelled out in writing. Both sell monthly, but Google’s help center spells out that on its Flexible plan you can add or remove users at any time. On Google’s annual plan you can’t remove users until renewal and must pay the full commitment even if you cancel early.

The cost table: 10 users, list prices

“Annual” means a one-year commitment. Microsoft’s prices are for a one-year subscription paid yearly; it also offers a one-year subscription paid monthly, but its pages don’t show that price, so we haven’t printed one. Microsoft 365 Apps for business is described by Microsoft as “popular desktop apps, excluding chat or calling,” with 1 TB of storage per user.

Google Enterprise and Microsoft’s “with Copilot” plans are left out. Google Enterprise is quote-only. Microsoft’s main plans page leads with Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50) and Business Premium with Copilot ($32.00) per user per month, paid yearly; the $14 and $22 plans without Copilot are on its “plans with Teams” page.

What actually differs at the same price

Pooled vs per-user storage. Google describes its storage as “flexible pooled storage per user that is shared across the organization,” so one heavy user can use another’s share. Microsoft’s 1 TB is per user. If one designer has 3 TB of files and everyone else has little, Google Business Standard covers it; on Microsoft 365 that one person would hit their own 1 TB limit.

Meeting size. Google publishes a participant cap per plan. Microsoft’s business plan pages don’t state a Teams meeting participant cap; check with Microsoft if you run large meetings or webinars.

Contract terms: where the real cost difference hides

• Google annual plan: you commit for a year, “must pay full commitment (even if you cancel early),” and can remove users only at renewal. You can still add users. The annual plan can be paid monthly or yearly (options vary by region and how you buy).
• Google Flexible plan: 20% more per user ($8.40 vs $7 on Starter), but you can cancel or remove users at any time. For a team expecting turnover, Flexible can cost less than paying a year for seats you no longer need.
• Microsoft: three ways to pay: a monthly commitment paid monthly, a one-year subscription paid monthly, or a one-year subscription paid upfront. The monthly-commitment price is 20% above paid-yearly, the same gap as Google’s.
• Microsoft’s July 1, 2026 price rise. Business Basic went from $6.00 to $7.00 and Business Standard from $12.50 to $14.00 (paid yearly); Premium stayed at $22.00. Microsoft says existing customers stay on their current price until renewal, so a Microsoft quote from before July is out of date for new purchases.

Example: 10 users, 3 leave after 4 months

• Google Business Starter, annual: 10 × $7 × 12 = $840, because users can only be removed at renewal.
• Google Business Starter, Flexible: 10 × $8.40 × 4 + 7 × $8.40 × 8 = $336 + $470.40 = $806.40.

Flexible wins here even though its per-user price is higher. If headcount is stable, the annual plan saves about 16%.

Who should not buy either

• A team of one or two that only needs email at its own domain. Both suites are per user; a 10-person comparison doesn’t apply, and you may be paying for storage and meetings you won’t use.
• Teams over 300 people. Both vendors cap their Business plans at 300 users; above that, Google’s Enterprise plans are contact-sales only, and Microsoft’s Enterprise plans are priced separately (not covered here).
• Anyone choosing only on the free trial or a promo. Promotions change, so budget on the list prices above.

FAQ

Is Google Workspace cheaper than Microsoft 365?

Not at list price on the matching tiers: both are $7, $14 and $22 per user per month on annual plans. Microsoft is cheaper only if you buy a no-Teams plan ($5.40 on Basic), and Google is better value on storage only from Business Standard up.

What does Microsoft 365 cost for 10 users?

Paid yearly, $840 a year on Business Basic, $1,680 on Business Standard and $2,640 on Business Premium. Month to month, $1,008, $2,016 and $3,168 a year.

What does Google Workspace cost for 10 users?

On the annual plan, $840 a year on Business Starter, $1,680 on Business Standard and $2,640 on Business Plus. On the Flexible plan, $1,008, $2,016 and $3,168 a year.

Pricing conditions

Every price above is USD, read logged-out from a US connection, list price (no coupon), checked Nov 6, 2026. Taxes excluded. 10-user totals are our arithmetic from the per-user prices. Confirm at checkout.

Sources (all checked Nov 6, 2026)

• Google Workspace pricing: workspace.google.com/pricing
• Google Workspace Help, compare Flexible and Annual/Fixed-Term plans: knowledge.workspace.google.com
• Microsoft 365 business plans and pricing: microsoft.com
• Microsoft 365 plans with Teams: microsoft.com
• Microsoft 365 plans without Teams: microsoft.com
• Microsoft Licensing news, 2026 Microsoft 365 packaging and pricing updates: microsoft.com

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