Google Drive vs. Google Workspace

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Drive
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Google Drive is a cloud file storage, synchronization, and collaboration platform and service, that features Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for document editing and presentation.
$6
per month
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Google Workspace enables teams of all sizes to connect, create and collaborate. It includes productivity and collaboration tools for work: Gmail for custom business email, Drive for cloud storage, Docs for word processing, Meet for video and voice conferencing, Chat for team messaging, Slides for presentation building, and shared Calendars.
$6
per month per user
Pricing
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Editions & Modules
Basic
$6.00
per month
Business
$12.00
per month
Enterprise
Contact Vendor for Quote
per month
Business Starter
$6
per user/per month
Business Standard
$12
per user/per month
Business Plus
$18
per user/per month
Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscounts are available for students, educators, and non profit organizations.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Considered Both Products
Google Drive
Chose Google Drive
We are using Google Drive and other google products from their very first versions. We didn't feel any drawbacks to replace them.
Due to OneNote sync requirement we use MS OneDrive which we found we complex to use.
Chose Google Drive
Dropbox is a very slick product but lacks the tight integration with document editing tools OneDrive is very good on Windows, but not quite as reliable on Mac. And it integrates well with Office desktop products, but the online Office apps are still not quite as streamlined as …
Google Workspace
Chose Google Workspace
G Suite is just simpler and easier to use. Most people already know how to use Gmail and Google Drive, so having a system that people know vs. having people relearn a new system is a lot better. Zoho - I don't get it. G Suite is easy to use and doesn't require must training for …
Chose Google Workspace
Overall, Google has been my go-to for all online office files and for sharing and collaborative projects: from meeting notes to shared documents. This has been easy to use and managed by admin.
Chose Google Workspace
Fairly bad experience with office email previously. Browser-based office apps didn't seem to work as well as google versions. Wasn't (isn't) perfect but mostly does the job.
Chose Google Workspace
G Suite provides a device neutral experience for staff and students, including our BYOD program with open choice of devices, and also our iPad 1 to 1 program.
Chose Google Workspace
Office 365 was definitely not the same as the standalone PC products. I was not involved in the evaluation or selection of G Suite so I can't comment on whether there was a comparable suite. I do know we have a strong Bay Area - Northern California presence and it seems like …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.6
202 Ratings
2% above category average
Google Workspace
-
Ratings
Versioning8.3178 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files8.0171 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files8.1165 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration9.2199 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control8.9197 Ratings00 Ratings
File search8.9201 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync9.0188 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.3
196 Ratings
4% below category average
Google Workspace
-
Ratings
User and role management8.3185 Ratings00 Ratings
File organization7.9195 Ratings00 Ratings
Device management8.799 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Google Drive
8.7
196 Ratings
3% above category average
Google Workspace
-
Ratings
Performance8.7194 Ratings00 Ratings
Reliability9.1196 Ratings00 Ratings
Storage Reports8.587 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Small Businesses
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 10.0 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(203 ratings)
8.9
(113 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(5 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(36 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.7
(48 ratings)
3.5
(12 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Configurability
6.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google DriveGoogle Workspace
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
It is possible to share files and folders with up to 200 email addresses, as well as with persons outside the company.Use the drop-down arrow to select who may see, comment on, or change the file or folder before sending out an invitation.I am very much impressed with this feature
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Google
Since our company is structured around Google Workspace at the moment, it is well suited for our entire workflow. I do have concerns though, for when it comes time for our company to have our own intranet built and how well the data migration will be from Google Workspace to that intranet that gets built.
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Pros
Google
  • Any user with access can store a file using different platforms like Android, IOS, Windows, or Ubuntu (Desktop version)
  • You can share files with any number of different users with different access rights or you can even keep it public by providing the access link and assign different rights for public access
  • You can open Excel/Word files using google software Sheets/Docs in the browser environment without having to install software like Microsoft Office etc on your Windows OS
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Google
  • Google's service integration is seamless. Sharing files and documents with team members and clients couldn't be simpler. We can limit file sharing and access as needed.
  • As expected, Google Workspace integrates perfectly with Android phones allowing for a seamless mobile experience. Integration with iOS is also good.
  • Spam protection is second to none. I cannot remember ever finding a spam message in my inbox!
  • Google has a good reputation for email deliverability making it less likely your outbound mail ends up in someone's spam folder.
  • Google Workspace allows you to host multiple domains and alias domains on your account.
  • There is a robust set of tools to allow routing of mail to different mailboxes.
  • Collaboration is so easy with Workplace. Real time editing of documents is flawless. When chatting with collaborators, I can see their changes as they make them with no delay.
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Cons
Google
  • Having a little bit more control and clarity over what is shared and how it is shared would be a useful improvement.
  • Could be more robust and flexible as far as assigning restrictions.
  • Google Sheets could be enhanced because Excel really is not there yet as a product with equal capabilities as there are still quite a few limitations to the functionality.
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Google
  • I have several Workspace accounts, and it can be kind of annoying to switch between them. For example, if I click in my work email but my Chrome defaults to my personal Workspace, I have to open the file differently or log in and out of the other account.
  • Meet is my least favorite feature. I find it very subpar to Zoom in both ease and picture resolution. It's harder to tell when you're sharing your screen and you can't see comments if you're presenting.
  • Google My Business can be difficult to navigate. I frequently forget where features are and have to hunt around for them.
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Likelihood to Renew
Google
For its compatibility, easiness, quick responses, user interface, storage capacity, files management and file listings. These are some of the reasons for giving higher ratings and Google Drive has become an integral part of my professional life. We use this software on daily basis and most of the time saving lot of time.
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Google
There is no better solution for cloud storage and real time collaboration. The amount of features included in G Suite is unmatched and out of other things we’ve tried over the years, nothing comes close to being as great of a tool.
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Usability
Google
It's easy enough to use for computer users of all ages and skill levels. I am an advanced user, and I think the hardest part might be showing someone how to download and set up the app on their device if they weren't too familiar with computers, but overall it is very easy to understand.
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Google
On the user end, it's great, probably some of the most user friendly products out there. On the admin side, it can get a little more arcane, but it's still better than a lot of other services. At worst I wrangle some CSVs to perform mass changes, but it's a far cry from the days of Powershell scripts or purely manual entry.
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Reliability and Availability
Google
Always available
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Google
No answers on this topic
Performance
Google
The documents load fairly quickly and also update in real time, especially given the fact that multiple people can be using it at once. The "Offline" feature works great to allow the user to make edits and access the document without access to the internet, and then sync changes later once they're back.
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Google
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Google
It takes a few days for customer support to get back to you. Although, I have not had to use support too often. Once you get an email back, they are very thorough and work hard to fix the problem quickly. It is a really great resource and a great way to get the help you need if you're stuck. A phone call also works quickly but you have to call during specific times.
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Google
My experiences of getting support have been positive. Calling in is not overly difficult, but it does require getting a PIN. The knowledge of those responding to the calls has been impressive. I have managed to work with them to fix two Google bugs that I had identified. These bugs required a some technical expertise and the support staff were able to understand the issue and forward the concerns to the appropriate persons. The first bug was fixed with 24 hours. The second bug took a little longer, but it was also more complicated to reproduce.
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In-Person Training
Google
The effective google workspace using training that my organization received and was conducted by me (as a team lead of the ICT team) was mind-blowing and as a result, our staff is performing well in terms of using the application for their daily jobs than before. Now, in my institution, all teachers and all the administrative personnel are very much interested in cloud storage facilities, in previous my institution was afraid of losing all important documents in the cloud storage. But, after having received the training they are now realized that if anyone has only one google account then he or she can use 15GB of cloud storage freely and they are now happy because now it is not necessary for anyone to carry the traditional pen drive.
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Google
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Google
It's an extremely easy software to implement, once you sign up for a google account you automatically have access to google drive with a set amount of storage space. The business or Google Suite accounts have more storage space than a regular free account, but setting up and accessing google drive is very easy in both cases
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Google
nothing to say
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Alternatives Considered
Google
In short, Google Drive is better for independent users who store a normal amount of stuff. OneDrive makes more sense for businesses and teams that are doing heavy-duty storage or large-scale syncing. Realistically, though, most users will fall somewhere in between the two, where either platform would meet their needs.
Read full review
Google
They are different. Over the years, one has had better support than the other. Google support is good, there have been times Microsoft support was awful, and times when it was significantly better. For me, Outlook is just a drain on resources. Word is that my primary word processor anyway, so I don't feel like I'm losing much. SharePoint seems capable of a lot, and exchange certainly is capable of a lot, but it requires so much configuration, even for a small business, that return on investment seems quicker and easier with Google Workspace. For those who absolutely need a completely Microsoft environment, Office 365 has that, Google Workspace does not. Still, I prefer Google Workspace over Office 365.
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Scalability
Google
I have always been able to access
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Google
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Google
  • It has given our operation remote capabilities
  • Easier to access and understand client's need through collaborative enviroment
  • availability to digital resources fast and easy
  • saved our operation hundreds of dollars in physical storage (both investment and maintenance)
  • our operation became easier for new staff to get onboard: small learning curve to use it
Read full review
Google
  • Zero to no time managing tools allows us to focus on work saving us time and money
  • Google Workspace allowed us to seamlessly transition to a fully remote workforce when the Coronavirus pandemic started - no lost time or productivity.
  • Easily able to extend our workspace and add features, e.g. Voice, saving us time implementing other services.
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ScreenShots

Google Drive Screenshots

Screenshot of Google Drive PriorityScreenshot of Comment on Microsoft Files in Google DriveScreenshot of Shared drives