SME productivity 2026: M365 vs Google Workspace.
Comparison of the 2 cloud office suites. Criteria, pricing, recommendation by profile.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
SMEs 5-300 users, Windows/AD ecosystem
- ✓Full Office desktop apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- ✓Excel unmatched on complex formulas, VBA, Power Query
- ✓Teams = de facto standard for video + chat + files
- ✓Defender for Business included (EDR + ASR)
- ✓Intune MDM included
- ✓Native compatibility with French ERP / CRM / business software
- ✓Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) powerful for identities
- −High Premium price (€22/user/month)
- −Cumbersome multi-portal admin (admin.microsoft.com + intune + entra + defender)
- −Real-time collaboration not as smooth as Google Docs
- −Setup + adoption require guidance
SMEs of 5-300 seats with intensive Excel use + need for advanced security + Microsoft ecosystem
Google Workspace Business Standard
SMEs 5-300 users, cloud-first / agency / startup
- ✓Unbeatable real-time collaboration in Docs/Sheets/Slides
- ✓Flawless Gmail interface + instant search
- ✓2 TB Drive included (vs 1 TB OneDrive)
- ✓Meet simple, in-browser, decent quality
- ✓Unified admin console
- ✓Fast adoption (cloud-only apps)
- ✓Cheaper pricing for equivalent features in the standard tier
- −Sheets limited vs Excel (no VBA, advanced formulas slower)
- −Mobile apps good but not desktop-class like Office
- −Compatibility with French ERP / business software sometimes via third-party API
- −Advanced security requires Workspace Enterprise (more expensive)
Startups, agencies, NGOs, cloud-first organisations with intensive collaboration
Detailed comparison table
| Criterion | Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | M365 Basic €6/user/month | Starter €6/user/month |
| Standard price | M365 Standard €12.50 | Standard €13.60 |
| Premium / Plus price | Business Premium €22 | Business Plus €18 |
| Storage per user | OneDrive 1 TB | Drive 2 TB (Standard) |
| Desktop apps | Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook full | Web only (Drive sync) |
| Business email | Outlook + Exchange Online | Gmail |
| Video / chat | Teams (rich) | Meet + Chat (simple) |
| Real-time collaboration | Good | Excellent |
| Advanced spreadsheet | Excel (benchmark) | Sheets (limited formulas) |
| MFA / strong authentication | Entra MFA | Google MFA + FIDO2 keys |
| Mobile MDM | Intune (Premium) | Workspace Mobile Mgmt |
| Endpoint EDR | Defender for Business (Premium) | Not included (third-party) |
| DLP (data loss prevention) | Premium / E5 | Workspace Enterprise |
| Compliance / legal archiving | Premium / E3+ | Workspace Enterprise |
| French ERP / CRM integration | Native (Sage, Cegid, etc.) | Often third-party API |
| Migration from on-prem | Native Exchange Hybrid tools | Workspace Migrate |
| EU datacenters | Yes (FR option) | Yes |
| Enterprise support in French | Yes (Microsoft France + partners) | Yes (Google + partners) |
Recommendation by profile
→ Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Intensive Excel + French ERP integration + advanced security included (Defender + Intune).
→ Google Workspace Business Standard
Unbeatable cloud-first collaboration, fast adoption, attractive pricing.
→ Google Workspace for Nonprofits
Free for eligible NGOs. Workspace Standard offered for free. Unbeatable.
How these products were selected
This page does not rank the market. The products compared were selected because each meets at least one public, verifiable criterion: listed in the ANSSI catalogue of certified and qualified products, included in an independent comparative test published in open access, or covered by an official price list available online. What the sources do not say is not asserted here.
- 1.Tarifs et forfaits Google Workspace, Google, checked 2026-09-09.Business Standard at €13.60 per user per month excluding tax, on an annual commitment.
- 2.Comparer les forfaits et les tarifs Microsoft 365 Business, Microsoft, checked 2026-09-09.What the Business plans include, Business Premium among them. The price is rendered by a dynamic component and has to be read in a browser.
Vendor pricing changes without notice: the check date says when we last looked. Spotted an error or a source worth adding? Write to us and the page is corrected.
Migration M365 ↔ Workspace or initial choice?
Needs audit + reasoned recommendation + deployment + user training. On both ecosystems.