Box has no Workspace importer. Files are downloaded from Drive and uploaded into Box; you also need a separate plan for the email and office apps Workspace included.
Quick verdict: This is a narrowing move, not a pure upgrade: Box is $2 a seat cheaper but has no email, Docs, Sheets or Meet, so you need to already have (or separately buy) those elsewhere before switching.
Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.
Estimate assumes: 1 hour of data-mapping/cleaning labor per 2,000 records, a blended $75/hr ops rate, tiered migration & cleaning tooling fees, and 4 hours of retraining per seat at a $45/hr fully-loaded rate.
100 GB pooled vs 30 GB at Workspace Starter.
Box Sign bundled in.
Purpose-built for document workflow.
You lose Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet unless you keep or separately buy them — Box includes none of them.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1Map your folder structure | List top-level folders, who owns each, and which are shared externally. |
| 2Set up the new account | Create your Box Business account, add your 3–10 users, and set up folder structure and permission groups. |
| 3Move your files | Download the working folder tree from the old provider’s desktop app or web export, then upload it into the new tool’s desktop sync folder or web interface. For large libraries, a third-party cloud-to-cloud transfer tool can move files directly without a local download step. |
| 4Rebuild sharing links and permissions | Recreate external share links and collaborator access; none of this carries over automatically. |
| 5Point your team’s desktop sync at the new tool | Install the new sync client on each machine and confirm files are syncing before removing the old one. |
| 6Cancel the old plan | Once every team member confirms their files are in the new tool, cancel the old subscription. |
What this path doesn’t do for you:
Business email, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet have no Box equivalent at any tier; plan a separate email and office-apps solution before cancelling Workspace.
| Plan | Google Workspace | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Per user, no published minimum | Per user (3–10 on Starter) |
| Entry price | Business Starter $7/user/mo (annual) | Business Starter $5/user/mo (annual) |
| Storage | 30 GB pooled per person | 100 GB pooled per user |
| E-signature | Not at Starter | Box Sign included |
| Email/office apps | Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet included | Not included |
Business-plan prices checked on each vendor’s pricing page on September 23, 2026.
| Capability | Google Workspace | Box |
|---|---|---|
| Email included | Yes (Gmail) | No |
| Office apps | Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet | No |
| Storage | 30 GB pooled/person | 100 GB pooled/user |
| E-signature | Not at Starter | Box Sign included |
| Price | $7/user/mo | $5/user/mo |
Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?
Read the Box vs Google Workspace comparison Switching from Box to Google Workspace instead?No, at any tier. Keep or separately buy a business email product before switching.
On the storage line alone, $2 a seat — but you’ll need to account for replacing email and office apps.
Yes, Box has no video-meeting product; pair it with a separate tool if your team relies on Meet.
No. Sharing links, folder permissions and collaborator lists are specific to each platform and are rebuilt by hand as you recreate the folder structure in the new tool.
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Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.
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