Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace: Which Wins for London SMEs?

Side-by-side on price, security, collaboration and compliance — with a clear recommendation for UK businesses.

The honest answer up front

For most London SMEs in 2026, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the right choice. Not because Google Workspace is bad — it's an excellent platform — but because the UK SME ecosystem, your accountants, your clients, and your regulators are overwhelmingly Microsoft-shaped.

That said, the answer isn't universal. Here's how to decide.

Where Microsoft 365 wins

  • Security stack included. Defender for Business, Intune MDM, and Conditional Access in Business Premium would cost three times as much purchased à la carte elsewhere.
  • Native desktop apps. Excel power users, finance teams, and anyone touching pivot tables or VBA will not be happy in Sheets.
  • Compliance. UK data residency, eDiscovery, and retention policies are mature and well-documented.
  • Ecosystem. Power Automate, Power BI, and Teams Phone integrate without third-party connectors.

Where Google Workspace wins

  • Real-time collaboration in Docs and Sheets is still smoother than Word and Excel online.
  • Simplicity. Less surface area, fewer admin centres, faster onboarding for non-technical teams.
  • Gmail. Honestly, it's still the best email client most users will ever touch.

Pricing in plain English

| Tier | M365 Business Premium | Workspace Business Plus |

|------|-----------------------|--------------------------|

| Per user / month | ~£18.10 | ~£17.30 |

| Includes EDR | ✅ | ❌ |

| Includes MDM | ✅ | Partial |

| eDiscovery | ✅ | ✅ |

On paper they're close. Once you add the security tooling Microsoft bundles, M365 is significantly better value.

The migration question

Migrating between platforms is a project, not a weekend job. Plan for 4–6 weeks for a 25-seat business, including mailbox cutover, file migration, MDM enrolment, and user training. Done badly, it will cost you a week of productivity.

Which should you choose?

If you're a creative agency, design studio, or fully-remote startup with no Excel-heavy workflows, Workspace is a great fit. Everyone else: M365 Business Premium.

Want a tailored recommendation for your team? Book a free 30-minute call or WhatsApp us — we'll map your current tools and give you a straight answer.