What people love
- Best-in-class real-time collaboration in Docs and Sheets
- Reliable Gmail with powerful search and spam filtering
- Near-zero learning curve, since most people already know it
- Works entirely in the browser, on any device
Lark Knowledge hub
Everything you need
to know about
Google Workspace
Your one-stop guide to Google Workspace. Here we break down what's included, how much it costs, what real users think, the best alternatives, how to migrate, and how it compares to Lark, so you have everything you need to decide if it's right for your team.
What is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a subscription bundle of Google's business apps, tied together by a single admin console, shared identity, and cloud storage. It's one integrated system that runs in the browser.
GmailBusiness email with smart search
See alternativesDriveCloud storage with file sharing and sync.
See alternativesMeetSecure video meetings with screen sharing.
See alternativesCalendarSmart scheduling with shared team calendars.
See alternativesChatGroup and direct messaging for teams.
See the best alternativeGeminiAI assistant for writing, summaries, and tasks.
See the best alternativeDocsReal-time collaborative documents.
See alternativesSheetsCollaborative spreadsheets with formulas and charts.
See alternativesSlidesPresentation builder with real-time co-editing.
See alternativesVidsAI-powered video creation for quick clips.
See the best alternativeKeepQuick notes with lists and reminders.
See alternativesSitesNo-code builder for internal team websites.
See the best alternativeFormsCustomizable forms, surveys, and quizzes.
See alternativesTasksSimple to-do lists synced across apps.
See the best alternativeGemini NotebookAI research notebook grounded in your sources.
See the best alternativeAppSheetNo-code app building from your data.
See the best alternative
Google Workspace pricing
There is a total of four business plans, which are billed per user, per month. The main differences come down to storage, meeting size, and admin & security controls. You can choose between annual billing, which is cheaper per user or monthly (flexible) billing, which costs more but lets you add or drop seats any time.
Besides these per-seat expenses, there are also add-ons and hidden costs you should consider. For a full breakdown, check out Google Workspace pricing.
Note: Prices are current as of August 2026 and vary by region and billing term.
Pricing for individual apps
For detailed pricing breakdowns and options for the individual apps included in the Google Workspace bundle, see:
Google Workspace alternatives
Looking for the best Google Workspace alternative? Compare the top platforms by feature depth, pricing, and overall usability in our comprehensive guide: Google Workspace alternative.
Alternatively, you can browse by industry, team size, function, or region to see which alternatives may be more suitable for your team.
By industry
Fit your vertical's workflows and compliance needs.
By function
Match the job to be done.
By team size
Scale with your headcount.
By region
Local pricing, data residency and language.
Google Workspace review
After years as the default for millions of teams around the world, Google Workspace's strengths and blind spots are well understood. Excellent for collaboration and email; weaker for project work, chat and cost control at scale.
Where it falls short
- No native project management or database tooling
- Chat and Meet feel bolted-on vs. dedicated tools
- Per-seat pricing gets expensive as teams grow
- Advanced admin, Vault and DLP gated to higher tiers
Reviews of individual app
Explore deep-dive reviews and feature breakdown of each tool in the Google Workspace suite.
Google Workspace vs Lark
Google Workspace bundles separate apps, but several capabilities simply aren't available: no built-in project management, database, knowledge management, approvals, or OKRs. Lark includes all of these in one connected workspace, supercharged by a built-in AI that has all the context it needs to be truly helpful.
| Capability | Google Workspace | Lark |
|---|---|---|
| Team messaging | Google Chat | |
| Documents | Google Docs | |
| Spreadsheets | Google Sheets | |
| Presentations | Google Slides | |
| Video meetings | Google Meet | |
| Calendar | Google Calendar | |
| Gmail | ||
| Forms & surveys | Google Forms | |
| Knowledge base / wiki | Not available | |
| No-code database | Not available | |
| Approvals & workflow automation | Not available | |
| Built-in OKR & goal tracking | Not available | |
| Meeting transcripts & recording | Not available |
Google Workspace vs competitors
See how Google Workspace stacks up against the tools teams weigh it against most: price, collaboration, and the apps you actually use every day.
Best for Office-heavy orgs
What it is
Microsoft's productivity cloud, pairing the desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) with Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and Entra ID.
Why consider it
If your team lives in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft 365 gives you the full desktop apps rather than browser-only editors, so complex documents, macros and offline work behave exactly as expected. It also plugs into enterprise identity and device management through Entra ID and Intune, which makes it a natural fit for larger, compliance-driven organizations already invested in Windows.
Individual Google Workspace app vs competitors
For comparisons of specific Google Workspace apps with other competitor products, read the articles below:
How to migrate from Google Workspace
Moving off Google Workspace is a well-trodden path. A clean migration follows four stages, and most teams run them in parallel over a short cutover window with no data loss.
- Migrate email: import Gmail mailboxes and aliases, preserving folders and labels.
- Move files: transfer Drive and shared drives, keeping structure and permissions.
- Sync calendars: bring across events, recurring meetings and room bookings.
- Port contacts: export and re-import contacts and groups, then decommission old accounts.
How to migrate to Lark
Admin how-to guides to help you migrate from Google Workspace to Lark
For more help guides, visit our Help Center.
Resources & templates
Free how-to guides and ready-to-use templates to help you get more out of the suite, or plan your move.
How-to guides
Gmail
Do more with gmail at work.
Calendar
Schedule smarter in Google calendar.
Sheets
Automate and build with Google sheets.
Docs
Get more out of Google docs.
Templates
Sheets templates
Free spreadsheet templates for personal and work projects.
Docs templates
Free document templates for personal and work projects.
Calendar templates
Free calendar templates to stay organized.
FAQs on Google Workspace
Is Google Workspace free?
No. It's a paid, per-user subscription. A free personal Google account gives you Gmail, Drive and Docs, but not the business features like custom-domain email, admin controls, expanded storage and support.
What's the difference between Gmail and Google Workspace?
Gmail is a single email app. Google Workspace is the full business bundle that includes Gmail at a custom domain plus Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, admin management and security controls.
What is the best Google Workspace alternative?
It depends on your needs. Lark is the strongest all-in-one alternative, combining chat, docs, spreadsheets, a no-code Base, meetings and mail in one app, often at a lower cost.
Can I migrate my data away from Google Workspace?
Yes. Email, Drive files, calendars and contacts can all be exported and moved to another provider, usually over a short cutover window with no data loss.
