Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace for Indian businesses
For most Indian businesses with desktop-heavy workflows, compliance obligations or Windows device estates, Microsoft 365 is the stronger fit, largely because of Entra, Intune and Purview rather than because of the productivity apps. Google Workspace suits collaboration-first, browser-native organisations and is genuinely simpler to administer. The apps matter far less than the identity and device management around them.
What is actually being compared
- Microsoft 365
- Productivity apps plus a deep identity, device and compliance stack.
- Google Workspace
- Browser-native collaboration with simpler administration and a lighter footprint.
How they differ in practice
| Feature | Feature | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|---|
Desktop applications | Full desktop Office | Browser-first, offline is weaker | |
Identity and access | Entra ID, conditional access, mature | Solid, less granular | |
Device management | Intune across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Strong for Chrome OS and Android | |
Compliance and eDiscovery | Purview, retention, DLP, deep | Vault, capable but narrower | |
Administrative simplicity | More complex | Simpler | |
Collaboration feel | Improved substantially, still document-centric | Excellent, built for it | |
Fit with Windows estates | Native | Workable | |
Licence complexity | High, easy to overspend | Simpler |
Choose Microsoft 365 if
- You run Windows devices and want them managed properly, which in practice means Intune and conditional access.
- You have compliance obligations needing retention, DLP or eDiscovery.
- Your teams rely on advanced Excel, or on desktop applications that integrate with Office.
- You want one identity platform covering staff access to everything.
Choose Google Workspace if
- Your organisation is collaboration-first and genuinely lives in the browser.
- You want lower administrative overhead and have no dedicated IT function.
- Your device estate is Chrome OS, Android or mixed and unmanaged.
What migration actually involves
- Mail, calendar and contacts migrate reliably with tooling. Files migrate but permissions rarely survive cleanly, and that is where most migration effort goes.
- Third-party integrations, scanners, line-of-business apps and anything sending automated mail are the usual sources of surprise. Inventory them before committing to a date.
- Plan a coexistence period. A weekend cutover works for small estates and creates avoidable risk for larger ones.
When the other option is right
We are a Microsoft Partner, so weigh our view accordingly. Where a business is genuinely browser-native and has no compliance driver, Google Workspace is frequently the better answer and we will say so. We also support Google Workspace, so this is not a recommendation we are obliged to make either way.
Before committing either way
- Inventory every integration: scanners, line-of-business applications, anything that sends automated mail, and any tool authenticating against your current platform. These cause more migration problems than mailboxes do.
- Look at your device estate. If it is predominantly Windows and you want it managed, that fact carries more weight in this decision than any feature comparison.
- Check whether you have compliance obligations needing retention, DLP or eDiscovery. If so, examine both platforms specifically against those rather than against productivity features.
- Run a pilot with one real team for a fortnight, including the awkward workflows rather than the easy ones.
- Plan a coexistence period rather than a weekend cutover, unless the estate is genuinely small.
Common questions
Talk it through with an engineer, not a salesperson
Tell us your situation and we will tell you which option fits, including when that is not us. Initial reply within 4 business hours.