This blog post was updated on June 12, 2024
It was originally published on October 15, 2020
What Is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace is the new name of Google’s suite of online productivity and collaboration tools. First launched as Google Apps in 2006, it was rebranded in 2016 as G Suite, which makes this its second rebranding.
Google Workspace includes the following applications:
Gmail
custom business email with phishing and spam protection and an ad-free experience.
Drive
secure cloud storage with advanced features including shared drives and target audience sharing.
Meet
video and voice conferencing with business tools including dial-in phone numbers, digital whiteboard, noise cancellation, etc.
Calendar
shared calendars for easier scheduling, appointment booking pages, and browse and reserve conference rooms
Chat
team messaging with features including, advanced chat rooms, threaded rooms, and guest access
Docs
online word processing with real-time collaboration
Sheets
online spreadsheets real-time collaboration
Slides
online presentation builder with real-time collaboration
Keep
shared notes and lists tool
Sites
website builder
Forms
online forms and survey builder
AppSheet
no-code platform for building apps
The following Security and Management Solutions are available on all plans:
2-step verification
Group-based policy controls
Advanced Protection Program
Endpoint management
While the following are only available on higher:
Google Workspace Migrate tool
Vault - Retain, archive, and search data
Secure LDAP
Data loss prevention (DLP)
Cloud Identity Premium
Context-aware access
Security center
S/MIME encryption
Data regions
Access Transparency
In addition, the following features are available at an additional cost:
Assured Controls (includes Access Management)
AI Classification
How Is Workspace Different From G Suite?
In 2020, Google launched major updates to its suite of productivity applications to drive deeper integrations across its apps bringing them closer together, with Gmail being the focal point. Examples of the new integrations include calendar and file management experience in Gmail and the ability to launch a video chat on one window while collaborating with colleagues on a document in real-time on another window.
So Google Workspace is the next evolution of Google’s suite of productivity applications with new features and integrations. These integrations, which were available in the early adopters program, have now come out of preview and the entire suite of tools has been rebranded along with new logos. The name Google Workspace is said to more accurately represent the suite of tools while clearly leveraging Google's brand name.
How Much Will Google Workspace Cost You?
Here’s the pricing of Google Workspace per user per month:
| Payment | Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billed Annually | $6 | $12 | $18 | Contact Sales |
| Billed Monthly | $7.2 | $14.4 | $21.6 | Contact Sales |
The cost of the Enterprise plan is not published and you need to contact sales to get the pricing information. However, if we are to guess, the cost of the Enterprise plan is likely to be around $22.00 per user per month or a little higher since that is how much you’d pay for a Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
For the latest pricing plans please visit the Google Workplace Pricing page
What’s Included In Google Workspace?
Here’s a detailed list of the applications and features included in Google Workspace:
| Features | Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail Business email | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom email for your business | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Phishing and spam protection that blocks more than 99.9% of attacks | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ad-free email experience | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Meet Video and voice conferencing | 100 participants | 150 participants | 500 participants | 1000 participants |
| Meeting length (maximum) | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| US or international dial-in phone numbers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Digital whiteboarding | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Meeting recordings saved to Google Drive | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Moderation controls | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hand raising | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Polling and Q&A | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Breakout rooms | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Attendance tracking | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Noise Cancellation | — | — | — | ✔ |
| In-domain live streaming | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Drive Secure cloud storage | 30 GB per user | 2 TB per user | 5 TB per user | 5 TB per user with ability to request more |
| Drive For Desktop | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Support for over 100 file types | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Shared drives for your team | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Target audience sharing | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chat Team messaging | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Turn history on or off by default | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Auto-accept invitations | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| One-to-one external chat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Advanced chat rooms, including threaded rooms and guest access | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Calendar Shared calendars | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Appointment booking pages | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Browse and reserve conference rooms | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Docs, Sheets, Slides Collaborative content creation | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Keep Shared Notes | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sites website builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Forms survey builder | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Interoperability with Office files | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Easier analysis with Smart Fill, Smart Cleanup, and Answers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Writing assistance with Smart Compose, grammar suggestions, and spelling autocorrect | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom branding for document and form templates | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Connected Sheets | Fundamental | Fundamental | Fundamental | Enterprise |
| AppSheet Build apps without code | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Security & Management | ||||
| 2-step verification | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Group-based policy controls | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Advanced Protection Program | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Endpoint management | Fundamental | Fundamental | Advanced | Enterprise |
| Google Workspace Migrate tool | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vault - Retain, archive, and search data | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Data loss prevention (DLP) | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Cloud Identity Premium | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Context-aware access | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Security center | — | — | — | ✔ |
| S/MIME encryption | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Data regions | — | Fundamental | Fundamental | Enterprise |
| Access transparency | — | — | — | ✔ |
| Assured Controls (includes Access Management) | Available for an added cost; contact sales | |||
| AI Classification | Available for an added cost; contact sales |
What New Features Are Included In Workspace?
Familiar tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc. have always been the mainstay of Google’s productivity suite but new features are regularly added for improved productivity, better collaboration, and enhanced security.
Among the most notable new features at the time of rebranding to Workspace were:
Moderation controls, hand raising, polling and Q&A, breakout rooms, and attendance tracking in video conferencing
The ability to create and collaborate on documents with guests in Chat rooms
The ability to preview linked files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides without having to open them
When you @mention someone in a document, Workspace will also pop up a ‘smart chip’, which will show you contact details and suggest actions.
In 2024, Google’s in-house Generative AI called Gemini was made available as a separately sold add-on to Workspace users. Gemini is an AI-powered assistant that, among other things, can be used as a productivity booster across all Workspace apps.
Add-Ons In The Google Workspace Ecosystem
Google Meet Hardware
Google Meet Hardware is a video-conferencing solution for Google Meet. It is designed to bring a reliable, easy-to-join video meeting experience to your conference rooms. Its specially assembled set of components works together seamlessly with the Google Meets application to make high-quality video meetings convenient and headache-free.
We’ve talked about it in detail in the following blog posts:
Chrome Enterprise
Chrome Enterprise is a special version of Google Chrome web browser designed specifically for the needs of enterprise environments. It offers features and tools that provide enhanced security, centralized management capabilities, and dedicated support, making it easy for IT administrators to manage and deploy the browser across multiple devices and users.
You can learn more about it here: Chrome Enterprise.
Google Voice
Google Voice is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business phone system. It allows users to make and receive calls, send text messages, and manage voicemail through a single phone number that can be used across multiple devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.
You can learn more about it here: Google Voice: Business Phone System & Plans.
Conclusion
To summarize, Google Workspace is Google’s suite of productivity and collaboration tools. Google continues to add new features that boost productivity, improve collaboration, enhance security, and make quality-of-life improvements in the apps.
Even with the repackaging of Google Workspace plans, at the bare minimum, you still get access to the core products, including business email, video meetings, and cloud storage.
Some specific features, especially admin and security features may sometimes move to a higher plan, in which case you will have to pay a little more if you want continued access to them. But the overall experience with Workspace is still pretty consistent.
Do you need help migrating to or from Google Workspace? Click the button below to contact our Google Workspace migration specialists for a smooth, hassle-free transition.
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About The Author
Hari SubediMarketing Manager at Jones IT
Hari is an online marketing professional with a focus on content marketing. He writes on topics related to IT, Security, Small Business, and Mindfulness. He is also the founder and managing director of Girivar Kft., a business services company located in Budapest, Hungary.