Gmail vs Exchange Online: Which Email Service is Better for Your Business?
Email is one of the most essential tools for any business, whether it’s a small startup or a large corporation. Choosing the right email service can have a significant impact on your productivity, security, collaboration, and cost. Two of the most popular email services for businesses are Gmail and Exchange Online, both of which offer a range of features and benefits. But how do they compare, and which one is better for your business needs? In this article, we will compare Gmail and Exchange Online on several key aspects, such as pricing, storage, security, integration, and collaboration. We will also provide a table with a summary of the main differences between the two email services.
Pricing Options for Gmail vs Exchange Online
One of the first factors to consider when choosing an email service is the cost. Both Gmail and Exchange Online have different plans and pricing options, depending on the size and needs of your business. Gmail is part of the Google Workspace suite, which includes other apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Meet, and Google Calendar. There are four plans to choose from: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise. The Business Starter plan costs $6 per user per month and offers 30 GB of storage per user, email and chat support, custom email domain, and basic security and management features. The Business Standard plan costs $12 per user per month and offers 2 TB of storage per user, video conferencing for up to 150 participants, shared drives, and advanced security and management features. The Business Plus plan costs $18 per user per month and offers 5 TB of storage per user, video conferencing for up to 250 participants, enhanced security and compliance features, and advanced endpoint management. The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing and unlimited storage per user, video conferencing for up to 500 participants, advanced security and analytics features, and premium support and services.
Exchange Online is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, which includes other apps such as OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. For email only there are two plans to choose from: Exchange Online Plan 1 and Exchange Online Plan 2. The Exchange Online Plan 1 costs $4 per user per month and offers 50 GB of storage per user, web and mobile access, anti-malware and anti-spam protection, and basic compliance and security features. The Exchange Online Plan 2 costs $8 per user per month and offers 100GB storage per user, web and mobile access, anti-malware and anti-spam protection, and advanced compliance and security features, such as data loss prevention, eDiscovery, and retention policies.
Microsoft also includes Exchange Plan 1 email services in Business Basic $6/month, Business Standard $12.50/month, Business Premium $22/month, and in their Enterprise plans.
For a comparison of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, see this article.
Storage Capacity differences between Gmail or Exchange Online.
Another important factor to consider when choosing an email service is the storage capacity. Both Gmail and Exchange Online offer generous amounts of storage per user, but they differ in how they allocate and manage it. Gmail offers 30 GB, 2 TB, 5 TB, or unlimited storage per user, depending on the plan. However, the storage is shared across all the Google Workspace apps, such as Google Drive, Google Photos, and Google Docs. This means that if you use a lot of space in one app, you will have less space available for your email. Gmail also has a limit of 25 MB for attachments, which can be a problem if you need to send or receive large files. Exchange Online offers 50 GB or unlimited storage per user, depending on the plan. The storage is dedicated to email only, and does not include other Microsoft 365 apps, such as OneDrive, Word, or Excel. This means that you will have more space available for your email, and you can also use OneDrive to store and share files up to 100 GB in size. Exchange Online also has a limit of 150 MB for attachments, which is much higher than Gmail’s limit.
Security Benefits and differences between Gmail and Exchange online
Security is another crucial factor to consider when choosing an email service, especially for businesses that deal with sensitive or confidential information. Both Gmail and Exchange Online offer high levels of security and protection for your email, but they have different approaches and features. Gmail uses encryption to protect your email in transit and at rest, and also scans your email for spam, phishing, and malware. Gmail also offers two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security to your account. Gmail also has a feature called Confidential Mode, which allows you to send and receive emails that expire after a certain period of time, or require a passcode to open. You can also revoke access to the email at any time, or prevent the recipient from forwarding, copying, printing, or downloading the email. Exchange Online also uses encryption to protect your email in transit and at rest, and also scans your email for spam, phishing, and malware. Exchange Online also offers two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security to your account. Exchange Online also has a feature called Information Rights Management, which allows you to control and restrict the access and usage of your email. You can also apply policies and rules to your email, such as data loss prevention, eDiscovery, and retention policies, which help you comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Microsoft is the clear winner in for any industry that requires compliance as their reporting and security options are much broader than Google.
Gmail and Online Exchange Integration
Integration is another key factor to consider when choosing an email service, as it can affect your workflow and productivity. Both Gmail and Exchange Online integrate well with their respective suites of apps, such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, which offer a range of tools and features for collaboration, communication, and productivity. However, they also differ in how they integrate with other third-party apps and services. Gmail has a large and diverse ecosystem of third-party apps and extensions that you can use to enhance and customize your email experience. You can access these apps and extensions from the Google Workspace Marketplace, or from the Gmail sidebar. Some of the popular apps and extensions that integrate with Gmail are Dropbox, Trello, Slack, Zoom, and DocuSign. Exchange Online has a smaller and more selective ecosystem of third-party apps and add-ins that you can use to enhance and customize your email experience. You can access these apps and add-ins from the Microsoft AppSource, or from the Outlook ribbon. Some of the popular apps and add-ins that integrate with Exchange Online are Evernote, Asana, Salesforce, Webex, and Adobe Sign.
Collaboration Offerings from Gmail and Exchange Online
Collaboration is another essential factor to consider when choosing an email service, as it can affect your teamwork and efficiency. Both Gmail and Exchange Online offer a variety of features and tools that enable and facilitate collaboration, such as chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and co-editing. However, they also have some differences and limitations. Gmail offers chat and video conferencing through Google Chat and Google Meet, which are integrated with Gmail and other Google Workspace apps. You can chat with your colleagues, create group conversations, and start or join video meetings from your Gmail inbox. You can also share and co-edit files with your colleagues using Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which are also integrated with Gmail and other Google Workspace apps. You can access and edit these files from your Gmail inbox, or from the Google Drive sidebar. However, Gmail has some limitations when it comes to collaboration, such as the number of participants in a video meeting, which ranges from 100 to 500, depending on the plan. Gmail also has some compatibility issues with Microsoft Office files, which may affect the formatting and functionality of the files. Exchange Online offers chat and video conferencing through Microsoft Teams, which is integrated with Exchange Online and other Microsoft 365 apps. You can chat with your colleagues, create group conversations, and start or join video meetings from your Outlook inbox. You can also share and co-edit files with your colleagues using OneDrive, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which are also integrated with Exchange Online and other Microsoft 365 apps. You can access and edit these files from your Outlook inbox, or from the OneDrive sidebar. However, Exchange Online has some limitations when it comes to collaboration, such as the storage space for files, which is shared across all the Microsoft 365 apps, and may run out quickly if you use a lot of files. Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace has some cross compatibility issues with working on the other’s respective file types.
As you can see, both Gmail and Exchange Online have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the right recommendation depends on the requirements of your business. The best choice depends on your business size, needs, preferences, and budget. To help you make an informed decision, we have prepared a table with a summary of the main differences between the two email services. If you are unsure which solution may be right for your business, schedule a free consult here and our business workflow experts will recommend the right solution for your business.
Gmail and Exchange Online Comparison
| Feature | Gmail | Exchange Online |
| Pricing | $6 to $18 per user per month, or custom pricing for Enterprise plan | $4 to $8 per user per month |
| Storage | 30 GB, 2 TB, 5 TB, or unlimited per user, shared across all Google Workspace apps | 50 GB or unlimited per user, dedicated to email only |
| Attachment limit | 25 MB | 150 MB |
| Security | Encryption, anti-spam, anti-phishing, anti-malware, two-factor authentication, Confidential Mode | Encryption, anti-spam, anti-phishing, anti-malware, two-factor authentication, Information Rights Management, data loss prevention, eDiscovery, retention policies |
| Integration | Google Workspace apps, and a large and diverse ecosystem of third-party apps and extensions | Microsoft 365 apps, and a smaller and more selective ecosystem of third-party apps and add-ins |
| Collaboration | Google Chat, Google Meet, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides | Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint |
| Video conferencing limit | 100 to 500 participants, depending on the plan | 300 participants |
| Compatibility with Microsoft Office files | Some issues with formatting and functionality | High compatibility |
| Compatibility with Google Workspace files | High compatibility | Some issues with formatting and functionality |
