Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) is a suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools from Google that can help businesses streamline their operations and increase their team productivity. The suite of tools includes Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive, as well as other tools such as Hangouts and Gmail. With Google Workspace, businesses have access to a range of powerful tools that can help them collaborate more effectively, store and share documents, and communicate with team members.
Google Workspace licensing is an important part of the suite. It allows businesses to purchase licenses for their employees, allowing them access to the suite of tools. The licenses come in several different packages, ranging from Basic to Enterprise. Each package comes with different amounts of storage, features, and user accounts.
In this article, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Google Workspace licenses.
- What is Google Workspace
- How much does a Google Workspace cost?
- What features are included in Google Workspace?
- Can I upgrade or downgrade my Google Workspace license?
- Can I add more users to my Google Workspace account?
- Do I need to purchase additional licenses for third-party applications?​
- Do I need to purchase additional licenses for additional storage?
- Can I purchase more than one Google Workspace plan?
1. What is Google Workspace?
A Google Workspace license is a subscription that provides access to the Google Workspace suite of business applications and services. It includes features such as cloud storage, integrated collaboration tools, and email hosting.
2. How much does a Google Workspace cost?
The cost of a Google Workspace license varies depending on the type of subscription you choose. There are two license families in Google Workspace; the Business family and the Enterprise family. The Business family includes three types of plans: Business Starter at $6 per user per month, Business Standard at $12 per user/month, and Business Plus at $18 per user/month.Â
On the other hand, the Enterprise family also includes three types of plans: Enterprise Starter at $10 per user per month, Enterprise Standard at $20 per user/month, and Enterprise Plus at $30 per user/month.
3. What features are included in Google Workspace?
A Google Workspace license includes access to the core applications, such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, Chat, Sites, and more. It also includes access to advanced features like third-party integrations, unlimited storage, and automated backups. The table below contains a summary of the features and pricing of the Google Workspace plans to help you make a more informed decision depending on your business needs.
| Google Workspace SKUs | Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus | Enterprise Starter | Enterprise Standard | Enterprise Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $6 | $12 | $18 | $10 | $20 | $30 |
| Family | Business Family | Enterprise Family | ||||
| User/License Limit | 300 | 300 | 300 | NONE | NONE | NONE |
| Office Suite | ||||||
| Gmail, Calendar and Editors |  | | | | | |
| Shared access across drives + offline access | | | | | | |
| Chats and Rooms- with tasks | | | | | | |
| Spaces outside of your domain | N/A | | | | | |
| Google Cloud Search for internal search and assist across Google Services | N/A | | | N/A | | |
| Enterprise Class File Sync + Share | ||||||
| Drive | | | | | | |
| Shared Drives | N/A | | | | | |
| Advanced Drive Auditing and reports | N/A | | | | | |
| Storage per user | 30GB | 2TB | 5TB | 1TB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Enterprise Video Meetings | ||||||
| Dial in access to meetings | Up to 100 Participants | Up to 150 Participants | Up to 500 Participants | Up to 250 Participants | Up to 500 Participants | Up to 500 Participants |
| Google Meet + instant access with link | | | | | | |
| Record meeting + save in Drive | N/A | | | | | |
| Advanced Google Meet Capabilities, Breakout rooms, record, polls, Q&A + additional features | N/A | | | | | |
| In Domain Live Stream Capability | N/A | N/A | N/A | Up to 10 K Viewers | Up to 10 K Viewers | Up to 500 K Viewers |
| Google Endpoint Management | ||||||
| Fundamental Endpoint Management (Basic Mobile Management, Device reports) | | | | | | |
| Advanced Endpoint Management (Advanced mobile Management, Public iOS app Management | N/A | N/A | | | | |
| Enterprise Endpoint Management (Context-Aware access, BeyondCorp partner Integrations and Private iOS App Management | N/A | N/A | | N/A | | |
| Security | ||||||
| 99.9% uptime guarantee + encryption in transit & at rest | | | | | | |
| Enterprise certifications & compliance | | | | | | |
| Security Key Management for 2-Step verification | | | | N/A | | |
| Advanced Security Vault and Data retentions | N/A | N/A | | N/A | | |
| Advanced data loss prevention for Gmail + Drive files BigQuery data analysis | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | |
| 3rd party email archiving | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Security Center: Prevent, detect, remediate threats | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Cloud Identity Premium | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| AppSheet Build apps without code | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Data regions | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
4. Can I upgrade or downgrade my Google Workspace license?
Yes, you can upgrade or downgrade your Google Workspace license at any time. All you need to do is contact the Google Workspace support team and they will be able to assist you with the process. Alternatively, you can work with a certified Google Cloud Partner like Pawa IT Solutions and we will do it on your behalf as requested.
5. Can I add more users to my Google Workspace account?
Yes, you can add more users to your Google Workspace at any time. Google Workspace licenses can be purchased directly from Google or from a reseller. Once purchased, licenses can be managed through the Google Admin console. This allows businesses to manage user accounts, assign licenses, and set up groups and access permissions. With Google Workspace, businesses can take advantage of a powerful suite of tools that can help them increase their team productivity. Simply put, all you need to do is contact the Google Workspace/Pawa IT support team and they will be able to help you with the process.
6. Do I need to purchase additional licenses for third-party applications?
No, you do not need to purchase additional Google Workspace licenses for third-party applications. You can use your Google Workspace account to access a range of third-party applications, such as Zoom, Slack, DocuSign, and more, provided you have created an account in the third-party application.
7. Do I need to purchase additional licenses for additional storage?
No, you do not need to purchase additional storage licenses per user, as Google removed this option in line with its new storage policy. But don’t worry! As an organization, you have options to update to a higher plan and receive more storage per user or assign the users with higher storage demand a different Google Workspace plan within the same domain by mixing different plans under Partial Domain licensing (PDL)
8. Can I purchase more than one Google Workspace plan?
Yes, you definitely can! Google Workspace supports Partial Domain Licensing (PDL) in which you can mix different Google Workspace plans within the organizational domain. With a PDL, you can save on costs by upgrading only the users who have exceeded their storage or require features offered in higher plans.
I hope this article has answered some of your questions about Google Workspace licenses. If you have any further questions, please contact the Pawa IT Cloud and Engineering team at [email protected].
