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BUSINESS EMAIL & OFFICE · MIGRATION GUIDE

Switching from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

Google’s data import tool in the Admin console moves Exchange Online email, calendar, contacts and tasks, OneDrive files into each person’s Google Drive, and SharePoint Online sites into shared drives, with permissions.

Jump to migration steps Read the full comparison
By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 19, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Switching from Microsoft 365 to Google WorkspaceVerified Sep 19, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: What catches teams out when they move from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace?

Plan choice, first: Google points Exchange migrations to Business Standard or Plus and calls Starter limited, so the $7 Starter plan isn't a clean swap for Microsoft Business Basic.

The data import tool copies Exchange Online mail, calendars, contacts and tasks, OneDrive files, and SharePoint sites into shared drives, but Teams chats, Power Automate flows and Access databases have no automatic path. Those flows are the hidden risk, because one person usually built them, they quietly send a report or move a file, and nobody notices they're gone until something downstream stops. Ask every team what runs on its own before you set a date. Then finish the cutover a few weeks before your Microsoft commitment ends, so there's time to export what's left, and keep a few Microsoft licences for anyone who truly needs desktop Excel.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 19, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Estimate · your inputs

Switching Cost & Friction Estimator

Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.

25,000
10

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.

Estimated Migration Time —
Data Friction Rating —
Total Hidden Switching Cost $0

    Why teams move from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

    AI included

    Gemini in Gmail, and in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet from Business Standard.

    Pooled storage

    Up to 5 TB a user on Business Plus, shared across the organization.

    Browser-first

    Nothing to install; files open anywhere.

    How the migration actually works

    Choose Business Standard or Plus if you want Google’s Exchange migration features; Starter is limited.

    StepWhat you do
    1Prepare Google WorkspaceSign up, verify your domain and create users.
    2Import mail, calendar and contactsIn the Admin console, open the data import tool and connect Exchange Online; it copies email, calendar, contacts and tasks.
    3Import OneDrive and SharePointIn Data import, connect Microsoft OneDrive as a Microsoft Global Administrator and upload a CSV of users: files and folders land in each person’s My Drive. For SharePoint Online, upload a CSV of site URLs, the target shared drive for each and a manager: sites become shared drives with files, folders and permissions.
    4Switch your domain’s mail recordsWhen the copy is complete, point your domain’s MX records at the new provider and add its SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Run a final incremental sync afterwards to catch mail that arrived during the change.
    5Decide on Office filesDocs, Sheets and Slides can edit Office files directly; convert files people will co-edit.
    6Retire Microsoft 365Export anything left with Purview eDiscovery, then cancel at the end of your commitment.

    What this path doesn’t do for you:

    Teams chats, Power Automate flows and Access databases have no automatic path. Desktop Office users lose installed apps unless you keep some Microsoft licences.

    Moving SharePoint Online and OneDrive files to Google Drive

    Most of the work in this move is files, not mail. Google’s data import tool (Admin console, Data, Data import & export, Data import) has separate imports for OneDrive and for SharePoint Online. Both copy rather than move: nothing in Microsoft 365 is deleted or changed, and until you exit an import you can run delta imports to pick up files changed during the cut-over.

    You need a Google super administrator and a Microsoft Global Administrator, a Workspace licence for each person you import, and the shared drives created in advance for SharePoint sites. A default import handles up to 500 OneDrive users or 1,000 SharePoint sites; the advanced method runs on your own Azure app and API quota, with up to 5,000 users or sites per batch and 5 batches at a time.

    In Microsoft 365Lands in Google Workspace as
    OneDrive files and foldersThe person’s My Drive, same folder structure, files in their original format
    SharePoint site collection (with subsites)A shared drive
    Document librariesFolders in the shared drive
    OneNote notebooksFolders
    Writer permissionEditor
    Reader or Viewer, Reviewer, Can’t downloadViewer
    Site Visitors, Members, OwnersViewer, Contributor, Content Manager on shared-drive folders
    “Anyone” and “People in your organization” linksAnyone-with-the-link and domain sharing; when an item has several links, the most restrictive wins
    Files shared with external peopleShared with the same people, who get an email notification

    Source: Google Workspace Admin Help, “What’s imported from OneDrive?” and “What’s imported from SharePoint Online?”, checked September 25, 2026.

    What does not come across

    • Previous versions: only the latest version of each file imports
    • SharePoint lists and site pages
    • Personal Vault files, Favorites, folder shortcuts and colours, and file expiration dates
    • Files and folders created or last modified by external users
    • In default imports, child items with tighter permissions than their parent folder
    • OneDrive files into shared drives, or SharePoint files into My Drive: each goes only to its own destination type

    Which Google migration tool to use

    These are admin tools for an organisation’s Microsoft 365 tenant. For a personal OneDrive (a Microsoft account rather than Microsoft 365 for business), download or sync the files to a computer and upload the folders to Google Drive.

    ToolBest forWorkspace editions
    Data import, default methodMost small and mid-size moves: up to 500 OneDrive users or 1,000 SharePoint sites per import, on Google’s shared API quotaAll Business editions, Starter included
    Data import, advanced methodLarger moves: your own Azure app and API quota, up to 5,000 users or sites per batch and 5 batches at onceAll Business editions, Starter included
    Google Workspace MigrateEnterprise-scale or complex moves, including SharePoint 2010-2016 on-premises, OneDrive for Business and Exchange, run on Google Cloud or your own serversBusiness Standard and Plus, Enterprise

    Pricing side by side

    PlanMicrosoft 365Google Workspace
    Entry planBusiness Basic $7/user/mo (annual)Business Starter $7/user/mo (annual)
    Mid planBusiness Standard $14Business Standard $14
    Top Business planBusiness Premium $22Business Plus $22
    Storage1 TB OneDrive + 100 GB mailbox30 GB / 2 TB / 5 TB pooled
    Free planNone (one-month trial)None (14-day trial)

    US list prices checked on each vendor’s pricing page on September 19, 2026, annual billing.

    Feature parity check

    CapabilityMicrosoft 365Google Workspace
    Import from the other toolGoogle migration in Exchange admin centerData import tool: Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint
    Desktop appsStandard and PremiumNone
    AICopilot Chat; Copilot in apps $21 add-onGemini included
    RetentionPremium, or add-onVault on Business Plus
    Storage1 TB + 100 GB mailbox30 GB–5 TB pooled

    Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?

    Read the Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 comparison Switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 instead?
    Verified data

    Security & access: what changes when you switch

    Security, offline and access rules that differ between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Rows where both tools are the same (7) are left out; the full side-by-side is on each tool’s page: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace.

    What changesMicrosoft 365 (today)Google Workspace (after)
    Other certificationsISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701sourceNot published
    Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesBusiness BasicsourceYesBusiness Startersource
    Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: All Business plans via security defaults; Conditional Access MFA policies need Entra ID P1 (Business Premium)sourceYesEnforcement: Business Startersource
    Admin audit logYesBusiness BasicsourceYesBusiness Startersource
    Data residency choicesNot publishedUS, EUBusiness Standardsource
    EncryptionBitLocker and per-file encryption at rest; TLS and IPsec in transitsourceAES-256 at rest and in transit for Drive/Docs filessource
    Offline limitsDesktop 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 StandardsourceOffline editing needs Chrome or Edge (not private browsing) and the Google Docs Offline extension, set up while online.source
    IP allowlistingYesBusiness PremiumsourceYesEnterprisesource
    Device & session controlsYesBusiness 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.sourceYesBusiness 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.source
    Office & room hardware—Google 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

    Before you cut over

    • Set up single sign-on in Google Workspace on Business Starter before you invite the team, so accounts are created through your identity provider rather than by hand.

    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

    Can Google import from Microsoft 365?

    Yes. The Admin console data import tool covers Exchange Online email, calendar, contacts and tasks, OneDrive files and SharePoint sites.

    Will my SharePoint sites move?

    Google’s tool copies files, folders and permissions from SharePoint Online sites into shared drives.

    Can I migrate OneDrive to Google Drive?

    Yes, for business accounts. In the Admin console’s data import tool, connect Microsoft OneDrive and upload a CSV of users; files, folders and permissions copy into each person’s My Drive, up to 500 users per default import.

    Is there a tool to move SharePoint Online to Google Workspace?

    Yes. Google’s data import tool copies SharePoint Online sites into shared drives, with document libraries as folders and site groups mapped to Viewer, Contributor and Content Manager. Very large or on-premises SharePoint moves use Google Workspace Migrate.

    Do file version histories move?

    No. Only the latest version of each file imports from OneDrive or SharePoint Online.

    Can I keep using desktop Excel?

    Only with a Microsoft licence. Google Sheets can open and edit Excel files in the browser.

    How long does an email migration take?

    It depends on mailbox sizes and the number of users; run a pilot with a few mailboxes first and schedule the MX switch for a quiet period.

    Canonical data for the tools on this page

    Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

    Microsoft 365Pricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›Google WorkspacePricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
    Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365Head-to-head comparisonBox vs Google WorkspaceHead-to-head comparisonDropbox Business vs Google WorkspaceHead-to-head comparisonGoogle Workspace vs Zoho WorkplaceHead-to-head comparisonMicrosoft 365 vs Zoho WorkplaceHead-to-head comparison
    Google Workspace to Microsoft 365Switching guideBox to Google WorkspaceSwitching guideDropbox Business to Google WorkspaceSwitching guideGoogle Workspace to BoxSwitching guideGoogle Workspace to Dropbox BusinessSwitching guideGoogle Workspace to Zoho WorkplaceSwitching guide

    Sources

    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.

    Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

    Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Switching from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace”, helpcompare.com/microsoft-365-to-google-workspace-migration/ (updated ).

    Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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    01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.133 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.264 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

    Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. 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