In this article
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: the short answer
- Plan names at a glance (2026)
- Feature by feature, for a tax office
- Which suits which office
- Free versions first, then what paying changes
- How to compare prices without getting it wrong
- A 30-day rollout, and the mistakes to avoid
- Questions people ask
- Sources
- Both suites run a small tax office well. Pick one, set it up the same way for everyone, and stop keeping files in personal IDs.
- Google Workspace Business: Starter, Standard, Plus. Microsoft 365 for business: Basic, Standard, Premium, plus Apps for business. Both cap business plans at 300 users.
- Heavy desktop Excel work leans Microsoft; a phone-first team that already lives in Gmail leans Google.
- Look past storage: meeting recording, archiving, device management and admin controls differ by plan.
- Prices change and depend on commitment: always check the official pricing pages before you buy.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 is a decision most small tax and accounts offices put off for years. Meanwhile client files sit in a partner's personal Gmail, on one staff member's laptop and in WhatsApp chats. This guide compares the two suites for an Indian CA, CS or tax office in 2026: the plan names, the features that actually matter in a busy office, which suits which kind of team, and how to compare prices on the official pages. We do not quote prices here, because they change often and depend on how you commit.
Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: the short answer
Both suites can run a small office well. Each gives you business email on your own domain, shared storage the firm owns, online documents and spreadsheets, a calendar, video calls, team chat and an admin console to add and remove people.
- Lean Microsoft 365 if your team works in desktop Excel and Word all day, uses large workbooks, macros or Power Query, and clients and banks mostly send Office files.
- Lean Google Workspace if most staff already live in Gmail on their phones, work in the browser, and your shared work is trackers, letters and PDFs rather than heavy spreadsheets.
- Pick the suite your most confident person already knows. A tool nobody understands will not be used.
The one wrong answer is running both, or neither. One suite means one place to look, one login to protect per person, and one switch-off when someone leaves.
Plan names at a glance (2026)
Both companies sell business plans for organisations up to 300 users, and enterprise plans above that. Here are the business plan names, as listed on their official pages on 20 October 2026.
| Google Workspace (Business) | What stands out | Microsoft 365 for business | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Starter | 30 GB pooled storage per user, Meet calls up to 100 participants, shared drives (with a verified domain) | Business Basic | Business email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and the web versions of the Office apps; no desktop apps |
| Business Standard | 2 TB pooled per user, Meet up to 150, meeting recording to Drive | Business Standard | Everything in Basic plus desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) |
| Business Plus | 5 TB pooled per user, Meet up to 500, Google Vault for eDiscovery and retention, advanced endpoint management | Business Premium | Everything in Standard plus Intune device management, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Entra ID P1 (Conditional Access) |
| Enterprise editions for larger or more regulated organisations | Microsoft 365 Apps for business | Desktop Office apps and OneDrive, but no business email or Teams | |
Features move between plans over time, and some depend on a verified domain. Treat this table as a map, and confirm on Google's "Compare Business editions" page and Microsoft's plan comparison page before you decide.
Feature by feature, for a tax office
| Office job | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Email on your domain | Gmail, with labels and filters | Outlook, with folders, categories and shared mailboxes (for example office@) |
| Firm-owned files | Shared drives: files belong to the firm, not a person | SharePoint team sites (and Teams): files belong to the firm |
| Heavy spreadsheets | Google Sheets is fine for shared trackers; it opens Excel files | Desktop Excel (Standard and Premium) for large workings, macros and Power Query |
| Letters and templates | Google Docs, with suggestions and comments | Word, with track changes and comments, desktop and web |
| Client meetings | Google Meet; recording from Business Standard up | Microsoft Teams; clients can join a meeting without a Teams account |
| Booking meetings | Appointment schedules (booking pages) in Google Calendar | Microsoft Bookings, included in Business Basic, Standard and Premium |
| Security and devices | 2-step verification enforcement for all; advanced endpoint management in Business Plus | Security defaults turn on multifactor sign-in; Intune and Defender for Business in Premium |
| Archiving and eDiscovery | Google Vault in Business Plus | Varies by plan; check the service descriptions |
| Built-in AI | Gemini features, which vary by edition | Copilot Chat for signed-in work users; Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook needs a separate licence |
Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 for Tax & Accounts Offices is 13 short lessons in two tracks: office accounts and your own domain, shared folders and permissions, email, calendars, client meetings, documents, review comments, video calls, team chat and a 30-day rollout.
Which suits which office
Answer these five questions with your senior to settle Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 for your own office. It takes about an hour.
- What do most people already use? If six out of eight staff live in Gmail, Google is easier to roll out.
- How heavy is your Excel work? Daily large workbooks, macros or Power Query point to Microsoft.
- What do clients and banks send? Heavy Word and Excel traffic leans Microsoft; PDFs and phone photos work fine in both.
- What laptops and phones do you have? Older laptops and Android phones run Google's web tools well; Windows laptops with Office installed lean Microsoft.
- Who will set it up and look after it? Pick the suite that person knows.
Whichever you choose, you can still open the other suite's files. Google Sheets opens Excel files, and Word opens a downloaded Google Doc. One suite means one home, not a ban on everything else.
Free versions first, then what paying changes
Both suites have free versions you can learn on today: Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Calendar and Meet from Google; Outlook.com, OneDrive, Word and Excel for the web and Teams (free) from Microsoft. They are good for a trial and for learning.
The problem is ownership. A free account belongs to whoever knows its password and holds its phone. There is no admin who can lock it, reset it or take back its files when someone leaves. When an article finishes and walks out with four years of client mail in a college Gmail, the firm has lost its own records.
A business plan fixes that, and the office suite course sets each piece up step by step: addresses on your own domain, an admin console where the firm adds, suspends and removes people, firm-owned shared storage, and the power to enforce 2-step login for everyone. For client work, plan for a business plan from the start.
How to compare prices without getting it wrong
We do not print prices because they change and differ by country, currency and commitment. Use the official pages: Google's Workspace pricing page and Microsoft's business plan comparison page (links in the sources below). When you compare, check:
- Price per user per month, and whether it is for a monthly plan or a yearly commitment.
- Whether GST is shown or added at checkout.
- How many users you need now and in a year, including a front-desk or role account.
- Which features you actually need: desktop Excel, meeting recording, archiving, device management.
- Whether you can mix plans (for example, a higher plan only for partners) and what that does to the total.
- Free trial length, and how to cancel or switch plans later.
- The renewal price after any introductory offer ends.
Then add the cost of your time to set it up. A cheaper plan nobody configures properly costs more than a slightly higher one set up well in a month.
A 30-day rollout, and the mistakes to avoid
Week one: create the firm's admin and recovery accounts, add your domain, and create one account per person with 2-step login on. Week two: build a client folder template with three access levels and move active client files into firm-owned shared storage. Week three: email signatures, a shared office calendar for due dates and meetings, and document templates. Week four: video call etiquette, team chat rules and a check that nothing client-related remains in personal IDs.
The common mistakes are predictable: one shared login for the whole office, files left in personal Drive or OneDrive instead of shared storage, "anyone with the link" sharing on client folders, and no plan for removing access when someone leaves. Data Security for CA Firms: DPDP-Ready 12-Point Checklist has the full safety checklist, and 10 Things to Improve Your CA Office This Year puts this in the bigger picture of running a better office.
Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 for Tax & Accounts Offices runs this whole rollout in two tracks, one for each suite, free way first and the paid option after. You can start with the free first lesson on choosing one suite. For passwords, backups, safe sharing links and the DPDP Act, Digital Office & Data Safety covers what this comparison does not.
Plans and features change: check both official pages on the day you buy.
Questions people ask
Is Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 better for a CA firm?
Neither is better for every office. Microsoft suits offices that work in desktop Excel and Word all day; Google suits teams that already use Gmail and work in the browser or on phones. Choose the one your team will actually use.
Can I use Gmail with my own domain for free?
An address on your own domain with admin controls needs a paid business plan from Google or Microsoft, plus the domain itself from a registrar. Free Gmail and Outlook.com accounts are fine for learning, not for firm-owned client mail.
Does Microsoft 365 Business Basic include desktop Excel?
No. Microsoft lists desktop client apps under Business Standard and Business Premium, not Business Basic, which has the web and mobile versions. Microsoft 365 Apps for business has the desktop apps but no business email.
Which plan should a small tax office start with?
Start with the plan that gives everyone a firm-owned account on your domain and shared, firm-owned storage. Move up when you need meeting recording, archiving or device management. Check both official comparison pages for current features.
Is client data safe in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?
Both offer strong security, but safety depends on your set-up: one account per person, 2-step login for everyone, firm-owned shared folders, careful sharing links and removing access when someone leaves. The firm stays responsible for client data.
Sources
- Google Workspace Admin Help, Compare Business editions (last updated 19 October 2026)
- Google Workspace, official pricing page (India)
- Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plan options (business plans, 300-user limit, desktop apps)
- Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 for business security overview (Basic, Standard, Premium)
- Microsoft, compare Microsoft 365 business plans (official pricing page, India)
- Microsoft Learn, Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Copilot Chat (October 2026)
- Microsoft Learn, Shared Bookings FAQ (plans that include Bookings)
- Microsoft Support, Join a Teams meeting without an account
- Google Calendar Help, Appointment schedules
The free first lesson of Google Workspace & Microsoft 365 for Tax & Accounts Offices helps you pick one suite. The Office plan gives every person every course, including Digital Office & Data Safety.
