Skip to content
Start here
Browse by category
AI Assistants3Accounting Software3Agency & Funnel Software4B2B Sales Outreach4Business Backup3Business Email & Office3CRM Platforms4Cloud Storage1Customer Support2Design Tools3E-Signature2E-commerce Platforms1Email Marketing1Inventory Management3Knowledge Management1Marketing Automation3POS Systems3Paid Ads Management3Password Managers3Payment Processing1Payroll & HR1Project Management5SEO Software1Sales Intelligence1Scheduling Software1Social Media Management3Team Communication1Time Tracking3Video Conferencing4Website Builders2Workflow Automation2
All categories →
Not sure what you need? Start hereTell us the job and see the software it takes, with verified prices for your team.
Recently verified
Decision brief builderTurn your shortlist into a one-page case for sign-off: verified prices for your team size, requirements and sources.
Recently updated switching guides
All 150 migration guides →
What every guide covers
What transfers, and what doesn’tThe vendor’s own import path, step by step, plus the data you will rebuild by hand. Switching cost estimatorAn adjustable estimate of the hidden labor, cleanup and retraining cost, with its assumptions shown.
Pricing data
Software IndexEvery tool we track in one sortable table: entry price, free plan, AI pricing and source. AI Pricing DatabaseHow each vendor bills its AI features: bundled, add-on, metered or quote.
Original research
The B2B SaaS Sticker Shock IndexCheapest published entry price in 18 categories, ranked.The AI TaxHow 19 AI features are actually billed: bundled, add-on or metered.The Real Cost of a 10-Person Startup StackThree software stacks priced at published entry prices.
Open data
Download the datasetsJSON and CSV under CC BY 4.0. Every value carries its source page and verification date. How we verify pricingThe research method behind every figure on the site.
Security & compliance
Security & compliance databaseSOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAAs, and the plan you need for SSO, SCIM and audit logs. How to read security claimsSOC 2 vs ISO 27001, the single sign-on tax, and what “Not published” means.
Where your team works
Offline access databaseWhich tools work without internet, in which app, and what syncs later. Remote vs office guideIP allowlisting, device controls, data residency and office hardware, tool by tool.
Side by side
Security in every comparisonEach head-to-head now compares compliance, sign-in, offline and remote controls. Download the dataJSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0. Every value carries the vendor URL and quote.
Home › Categories › Business Email & Office

Business Email & Office Suites, Compared: Verified 2026 Pricing

Bill BelcaminoBy Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 19, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

Side-by-side pricing for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Workplace: entry price, free plan, how each vendor bills for AI, and the date we last checked each figure against the vendor’s own pricing page.

Business Email & Office Suites, ComparedVerified Sep 19, 2026

Quick answer

  • Lowest published entry price: Zoho Workplace — Free for up to 5 users; Workplace Standard $3/user/mo (annual).
  • Free plans: Zoho Workplace (Yes — up to 5 users, 5 GB each (no IMAP/POP)).

Business Email & Office pricing at a glance

Every row links to the comparison where the figure was verified and to the vendor’s pricing page.

ToolEntry priceFree planAI billingG2 ratingVerifiedSource
Google WorkspaceBusiness Starter $7/user/mo (annual)No — 14-day free trial——September 19, 2026in Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365Vendor pricing ↗
Microsoft 365Business Basic $7/user/mo (annual)No — one-month free trial (card required)——September 19, 2026in Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365Vendor pricing ↗
Zoho WorkplaceFree for up to 5 users; Workplace Standard $3/user/mo (annual)Yes — up to 5 users, 5 GB each (no IMAP/POP)——September 19, 2026in Google Workspace vs Zoho WorkplaceVendor pricing ↗

Head-to-head comparisons

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365Updated September 19, 2026Google Workspace vs Zoho WorkplaceUpdated September 19, 2026Microsoft 365 vs Zoho WorkplaceUpdated September 19, 2026

Switching guides

Google Workspace to Microsoft 365Switching guideGoogle Workspace to Zoho WorkplaceSwitching guideMicrosoft 365 to Google WorkspaceSwitching guideMicrosoft 365 to Zoho WorkplaceSwitching guideZoho Workplace to Google WorkspaceSwitching guideZoho Workplace to Microsoft 365Switching guide
Verified data

Business Email & Office: security, offline & remote work

The office suite tools we track, side by side on compliance, single sign-on, offline access and remote or office controls. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedGoogle WorkspaceMicrosoft 365Zoho Workplace
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 Type IIsource
ISO/IEC 27001CertifiedsourceCertifiedsourceCertifiedsource
Other certificationsNot publishedISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701sourceISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, SOC 1 Type II, ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 20000-1, ISO 22301, PCI DSS (SAQ-D), CSA STAR Self-Assessment, Cyber Essentials Plus, TX-RAMP, HDS, ENSsource
HIPAA (BAA)BAA availablesourceBAA availablesourceBAA availablesource
GDPR data processing agreementDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsourceNot published
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesBusiness StartersourceYesBusiness BasicsourceYesMail Litesource
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: Business StartersourceYesEnforcement: All Business plans via security defaults; Conditional Access MFA policies need Entra ID P1 (Business Premium)sourceYesEnforcement: Not plan-gated on the pages read (policy enforcement described generally)source
Admin audit logYesBusiness StartersourceYesBusiness BasicsourceYessource
Data residency choicesUS, EUBusiness StandardsourceNot publishedUS, EU, India, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Chinasource
EncryptionAES-256 at rest and in transit for Drive/Docs filessourceBitLocker and per-file encryption at rest; TLS and IPsec in transitsourceEncrypted at rest and in transit (TLS; S/MIME and OpenPGP options); WorkDrive AES-256 at restsource
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeWorks offlineDocs, Sheets and Slides can be created and edited offline in Chrome or Edge once offline access and the Docs Offline extension are turned on; recently opened files are saved locally and sync when back online.sourceWorks offlineInstalled Word, Excel and PowerPoint (desktop on Standard/Premium, mobile on all plans) can create, open and save files offline; cloud files must have been opened online once, and changes sync when reconnected.sourceWorks offlineThe Trident desktop app lets users read, search, draft and organise email and edit tasks, notes and contacts offline, syncing when reconnected; the Writer desktop app edits cloud documents offline and syncs later.source
Desktop appsWindows, macOSsourceWindows, macOSsourceWindows, macOS, Linuxsource
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, Androidsource
Offline limitsOffline editing needs Chrome or Edge (not private browsing) and the Google Docs Offline extension, set up while online.sourceDesktop Office apps only on Business Standard and Premium; Business Basic has web and mobile apps only. Extended offline activation (up to 180 days) is a Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise feature.Business StandardsourceTrident offline data excludes email attachments not previously viewed; Trident is for paid and trial Zoho Mail/Workplace users.source
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingYesEnterprisesourceYesBusiness PremiumsourceYessource
Device & session controlsYesBusiness StarterFundamental endpoint management on all Business editions (remote account sign-out and mobile account wipe, block devices, endpoint verification); Business Plus adds advanced mobile management and remote device wipe; Enterprise adds context-aware access and enterprise endpoint management.sourceYesBusiness PremiumBusiness Premium adds Intune Plan 1 endpoint management, Defender for Business device protection and Windows 11 Pro upgrade; Basic and Standard do not include Intune.sourceYesMail PremiumMobile Access Management on Mail Premium and Workplace Professional; Workplace Enterprise adds endpoint control features; Zoho Directory device authentication (10 devices) on all paid plans.source
Office & room hardwareGoogle sells Google Meet Hardware for meeting rooms as a separate add-on; room booking ('Browse and reserve conference rooms') is on all plans.source——
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: all publish a SOC 2 report, and Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Workplace also hold ISO/IEC 27001. Ask each vendor for the report under NDA before you sign; security reviews usually want the latest one.
  • Single sign-on: Google Workspace includes it on Business Starter; Microsoft 365 includes it on Business Basic; Zoho Workplace includes it on Mail Lite. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Health data: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Workplace will sign a HIPAA business associate agreement.
  • Working offline: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Zoho Workplace let you keep working without a connection. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
  • Office-only access: Google Workspace can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Enterprise; Microsoft 365 can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Business Premium; Zoho Workplace can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges. That suits an office network or a company VPN; fully remote teams need a VPN for it to work.
  • Where your data lives: Google Workspace lets you choose US, EU on Business Standard; Zoho Workplace lets you choose US, EU, India, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, China. This matters for teams hiring across the EU, UK or Australia.
  • In the office: Google Workspace: Google sells Google Meet Hardware for meeting rooms as a separate add-on; room booking ('Browse and reserve conference rooms') is on all plans.

Google Workspace: worth knowing

  • RemoteMeet caps meetings at 100 participants on Business Starter, 150 on Standard, 500 on Plus and 1,000 on Enterprise, each up to 24 hours. source
  • OfflineOffline editing of Docs, Sheets and Slides only works in Chrome or Edge with the Docs Offline extension, so plan for that browser on laptops used in the field. source
  • SecurityA full admin data export starts no earlier than 48 hours after it is requested and typically takes 72 hours, up to 14 days. source
  • OfficeBusiness Starter, Standard and Plus are capped at 300 users; larger organisations need an Enterprise plan. source

Microsoft 365: worth knowing

  • RemoteAll three Business plans let you host Teams meetings and video calls for up to 300 people. source
  • OfficeEach Business Standard or Premium user can install the Office apps on up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets and 5 phones. source
  • OfflineOn mobile, cloud files must be opened online at least once before they can be edited offline. source
  • SecurityBusiness Premium includes mailbox archiving with holds; Basic and Standard need the Exchange Online Archiving add-on for In-Place and Litigation Hold. source

Zoho Workplace: worth knowing

  • RemoteZoho Meeting video conferencing allows up to 100 participants on Workplace Standard and 250 on Workplace Professional. source
  • SecurityEmail retention and eDiscovery are only on Mail Premium and Workplace Professional, not on Mail Lite or Workplace Standard. source
  • OfflineThe Forever Free plan has no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync, so desktop mail clients and IMAP-based migrations out are not available on it. source
  • RemoteZoho's Microsoft 365 importer relies on Exchange Web Services; Zoho recommends finishing in-place archive migrations before October 1, 2026. source

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site — it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Frequently asked questions

Which office suite tool is cheapest?

Of the 3 office suite tools HelpCompare tracks, the lowest published entry price belongs to Zoho Workplace (Free for up to 5 users; Workplace Standard $3/user/mo (annual), verified September 19, 2026). Entry prices are the cheapest paid tier each vendor publishes; the right answer at your team size depends on seat minimums and add-ons, which each head-to-head comparison breaks down.

Which office suite tools have a free plan?

Free plans: Zoho Workplace (Yes — up to 5 users, 5 GB each (no IMAP/POP)).

Where does this pricing data come from?

Every figure was recorded from the vendor's own pricing page during research for a HelpCompare comparison, and is dated. The most recent check in this category was September 19, 2026. Nothing is estimated: where a vendor publishes no price, we say so. The full dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 at helpcompare.com/data/.

Sources

Figures come from each vendor’s pricing page, recorded on the date shown. Download the full dataset from Open Data (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0).

Start with the job

Guides for the jobs this software does

Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

Set up business email and office appsStore and share filesHold video meetingsAll 50 job guides
Need sign-off?

Turn this into a one-page decision brief

Verified prices costed for your team size, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, or paste it into an email to whoever approves the spend.

Build a decision brief

From shortlist to switched

Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.75 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.150 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Bill has worked in software and digital marketing for more than 20 years. He spent nine years as an engineer at HP, served as COO scaling a platform past 200,000 users, and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 19, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill