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At a glance
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Teams: $14/user/month annual; $16.80 monthly.
- Google Workspace Business Standard: $14/user/month annual; $16.80 flexible.
- Microsoft’s price rose from $12.50 on July 1, 2026; existing customers keep their rate until renewal.
- Checked September 27, 2026.
Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace: matched Standard editions
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare all options.
| What you get | Microsoft 365 Business Standard, with Teams | Google Workspace Business Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Regular annual-commitment reference | $14/user/month, paid yearly | $14/user/month, one-year commitment |
| Ten users, annual base | $1,680 | $1,680 |
| Core document tools | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook: desktop, web and mobile | Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail: primarily browser-based |
| Storage basis | 1TB per user | 2TB pooled per user |
| Business email | Exchange/Outlook | Gmail |
| Meetings | Teams in this specific SKU | Meet: up to 150 participants, recording included |
| AI distinction | Copilot Chat available with eligible subscription; full work-grounded Copilot is a separate bundle/add-on | Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Meet and other included applications |
| Device/security upgrade path | Business Premium adds advanced security and device management | Business Plus adds capabilities including Vault and advanced management |
| User ceiling | Business plans designed for up to 300 users | Business editions up to 300 users |
| Main limitation / extra cost | Full work-grounded Copilot and Business Premium security are outside this $14 SKU | No installed Microsoft Office license; storage is pooled, not a private 2TB allocation per person |
| Best fit (Sigma assessment) | Staff rely on installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint or existing Office files | Staff mainly collaborate in browsers and want Gemini in the included suite |
| Official sources | Microsoft: Business Standard with Teams: price and features | Google: Google Workspace pricing |
Sources: Microsoft’s Business Standard product page and Google’s Workspace price matrix. Regular US prices are used; temporary introductory discounts are excluded. Neither column includes migration or a managed IT service.
When Microsoft is the better fit
Choose Microsoft when employees depend on the installed versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook and their existing documents behave correctly there. The value is not that every business needs a desktop application. It is that replacing an established workflow can cost more than the subscription difference—which is zero in this matched comparison.
Test the files that drive the business: a spreadsheet with important formulas or automation, a customer-facing proposal with strict formatting, and a shared mailbox workflow. Open, edit and exchange those files as staff normally would. A simple blank-document demonstration will not expose the compatibility issues that matter.
Business Basic is a different buying option. It supplies web and mobile applications rather than the installed Office suite. Do not use its lower price to imply that it includes the same desktop entitlement as Business Standard.
When Google is the better fit
Choose Google when the team mainly works in a browser, shares documents through links and wants its email, meetings and document collaboration in the Google environment. Business Standard’s pooled storage gives a ten-user organization a 20TB pool under the plan’s stated basis. That is a different allocation model from ten separate 1TB user entitlements.
Pooled capacity does not remove the need for sensible file ownership and sharing rules. Decide where company documents live and how access changes when someone leaves. A folder owned by the wrong account can create unnecessary administrative work regardless of how much storage the plan includes.
Google can work with Office formats, but that does not establish perfect behavior for every complex workbook or document. Test a representative sample with the intended collaborators before converting a working department.
AI changes the value comparison
The table separates Microsoft’s included chat experience from its fuller work-grounded Copilot offering. They should not be described as the same entitlement. Google’s Standard edition lists Gemini in several workspace applications, but its feature limits and eligible functionality still need to match the intended task.
If the purchase is mainly about AI, compare the complete Microsoft bundle against Google’s complete edition, not an add-on price against an all-inclusive suite price. The Copilot vs Gemini guide examines that decision in more detail.
Security and migration are separate buying decisions
Neither Standard edition should be described as a complete managed security service. If the business requires device management, stronger access controls or a particular retention capability, identify the appropriate tier or additional service. The same principle applies to independent backup and recovery requirements.
Migration includes more than copying email. Shared calendars, aliases, file permissions, links, mail routing and employee sign-in behavior can all affect the transition. Assign those items to the proposal so the quoted license cost is not mistaken for a finished implementation.
For a business already operating successfully on one platform, switching at the same subscription price needs a concrete operational benefit. For a new company, the stronger argument may be the applications employees already know and the documents customers expect to receive.
A useful pilot before committing
Ask a small group to complete the same week of work in each shortlisted suite: create a proposal, update a spreadsheet, schedule a customer meeting, share a restricted folder and find an old email. Record tasks that fail, take extra steps or require another paid tool.
Choose the suite that completes those tasks cleanly within the required security setup. This produces a decision based on the company’s work rather than an abstract feature count. If both pass, compare implementation cost, renewal terms and the effort of managing the environment.
What each option costs for 10 and 25 users
| Edition (annual plan) | Per user per month | 10 users, per year | 25 users, per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | $7 | $840 | $2,100 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $14 | $1,680 | $4,200 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $22 | $2,640 | $6,600 |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | $7 | $840 | $2,100 |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $14 | $1,680 | $4,200 |
| Google Workspace Business Plus | $22 | $2,640 | $6,600 |
Microsoft prices with Teams, effective July 1, 2026. Business Premium adds Intune Plan 1 and Entra ID P1; Google Business Plus adds Vault and 5TB pooled storage per user.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Which files must open perfectly in the desktop Office apps?
- Where do shared files live today, and who owns them?
- Do we need Business Premium security or Vault-style retention?
- What will migration of email, calendars and drives cost?
- Which AI features do we need, and are they included in the chosen edition?
What Hawaiʻi businesses should check
Both suites are cloud services, so the deciding factors in Hawaiʻi are the same as elsewhere: the files your customers send, the apps your staff know, and the cost of migrating email and shared drives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google always cheaper than Microsoft?
No. These Standard editions share the same $14 annual-rate reference. Other tiers, commitments and bundles differ.
Does the Microsoft price always include Teams?
No. Microsoft sells distinct variants. This comparison explicitly uses Business Standard with Teams.
Did Microsoft 365 prices go up in 2026?
Yes. On July 1, 2026, Business Basic rose from $6 to $7 and Business Standard from $12.50 to $14 per user per month (annual, with Teams). Business Premium stayed at $22.
Sources and pricing notes
Prices and specifications checked September 27, 2026 against the providers’ published sources below. Prices are US list or published rates before taxes, fees and equipment unless stated; offers change, so confirm the current terms before you buy.
- Microsoft. Business Standard with Teams: price and features
- Google. Google Workspace pricing
- Microsoft. Microsoft Copilot business pricing
- Microsoft. Microsoft 365 pricing and packaging updates (effective July 1, 2026)
How Sigma is paid. Sigma is a Hawaiʻi technology advisor. Provider or reseller partners compensate Sigma; product and service prices may include a margin. No procurement fee applies. Standalone consulting is quoted separately.