We have migrated hundreds of businesses to both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. The honest answer to which is better depends entirely on what your business actually does every day.
Microsoft 365 Strengths
Microsoft 365 dominates in businesses that rely heavily on desktop applications, complex spreadsheets, and deep document formatting. If your team lives in Excel with macros and pivot tables, or produces polished Word documents with precise formatting, M365 is the clear winner. The desktop apps are simply more powerful than Google's web-based equivalents.
Microsoft also wins on security and compliance tooling. For businesses in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, defense contracting), the compliance certifications and data governance tools built into M365 E3 and E5 plans are far ahead of Google.
Google Workspace Strengths
Google Workspace excels at real-time collaboration and simplicity. If your team works together on documents simultaneously and values a clean, fast interface, Google Docs and Sheets feel lighter and faster than their Microsoft equivalents. Google's search functionality across Drive is also excellent.
Google Workspace is typically simpler to administer, which matters for small businesses without dedicated IT staff. The admin console is more intuitive, and there are fewer knobs to turn.
Our recommendation for most NJ businesses: Microsoft 365 Business Premium. The security features, compliance tooling, and desktop app quality make it the stronger choice for businesses with 25 to 250 employees, especially in regulated industries. Google Workspace is a solid choice for creative agencies, startups, and teams under 25 people who prioritize simplicity.
If you need help deciding or migrating, we handle cloud migrations for businesses across New Jersey. We will assess your current setup, recommend the right platform, and handle the migration with zero downtime.
Can I use both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace?
Technically yes, but we strongly recommend against it. Running two productivity suites creates confusion, increases costs, and splits your data across two ecosystems. Pick one and commit.
How long does a migration take?
For a typical 50-person business, a full Microsoft 365 migration takes 2-4 weeks including planning, data migration, and user training. Google Workspace migrations are usually faster, around 1-2 weeks.