Replace your SaaS · Communication
For most small businesses the honest answer is don't switch suites; right-size your plans. Email and documents are core infrastructure, and a suite migration is a big project. That said, here's where the real savings are.
Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace
$2,820/yr at 10 users
Microsoft 365 Business BasicGoogle Workspace Business Starter
Zoho Workplace
Proton Workspace Standard| Plan | Price (as listed) | 10 users / yr | 25 users / yr | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | $23.50/user/mo, paid yearly (with Copilot). Premium $32.00 | $2,820 10 × $23.50 × 12 | $7,050 25 × $23.50 × 12 | source, Oct 14, 2026 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | $32.00/user/mo, paid yearly | $3,840 10 × $32 × 12 | $9,600 25 × $32 × 12 | source, Oct 14, 2026 |
| Google Workspace Business Standard | $14/user/mo on annual plan (intro offers excluded): 2 TB pooled per user, booking pages, eSignature | $1,680 10 × $14 × 12 | $4,200 25 × $14 × 12 | source, Oct 14, 2026 |
| Google Workspace Business Plus | $22/user/mo on annual plan | $2,640 10 × $22 × 12 | $6,600 25 × $22 × 12 | source, Oct 14, 2026 |
Excludes taxes, add-ons and usage fees.
Editorial picks, ordered by our view of fit for 5-50 person teams. We haven't lab-tested them, and no vendor paid for placement. "Best value" marks the lowest verified annual cost for 10 users among these picks; it isn't a quality score.
Heads up: "Try" links may be affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission at no cost to you, and it never changes our rankings. How we make money
Move staff who don't need desktop Office to Basic ($7 vs $23.50).
Price: $7.00/user/mo, paid yearly: web/mobile Office, Teams, business email, 1 TB OneDrive per user
Source: microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products · checked Oct 14, 2026
Move light users to Starter ($7 vs $14), if 30 GB pooled storage per user is enough.
Price: $7/user/mo on annual plan (intro offers excluded): 30 GB pooled storage per user
Source: workspace.google.com/pricing · checked Oct 14, 2026
Biggest saving: email, docs, chat and meetings from US$3/user/mo billed annually.
Price: Standard US$3/user/mo billed annually (US$4 monthly). Professional US$6/user/mo billed annually
Source: zoho.com/workplace/pricing.html · checked Oct 14, 2026
Privacy-first suite. Not cheaper, but it bundles mail, drive, VPN and passwords.
Price: $12.99/user/mo, billed $155.88 every 12 months. Premium $19.99
Source: proton.me/business/plans · checked Oct 14, 2026
Free desktop office apps for people who just need documents and spreadsheets.
Price: Free and open source desktop office suite
Source: libreoffice.org/discover/libreoffice · checked Oct 14, 2026
| Feature | M365 Business Standard | M365 Business Basic | Google Workspace Starter | Zoho Workplace Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per user/mo (annual) | $23.50 | $7.00 | $7 | $3 |
| Desktop Office apps | ✓ | - (web/mobile) | — | — |
| Cloud storage | 1 TB/user | 1 TB/user | 30 GB pooled/user | See vendor |
| Business email | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video meetings | Teams | Teams | Meet, 100 people | ✓ |
✓ = included, — = not included on that plan or not offered. "See vendor" = we couldn't confirm it on the pricing page.
10 users
Save $1,386/yr
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 10 × $23.50 × 12 = $2,820. Alternative: 3 on Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($846) + 7 on Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($588) = $1,434. Savings: $2,820 − $1,434 = $1,386.
25 users
Save $4,356/yr
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 25 × $23.50 × 12 = $7,050. Alternative: 3 on Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($846) + 22 on Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($1,848) = $2,694. Savings: $7,050 − $2,694 = $4,356.
10 users
Save $1,320/yr
Google Workspace Business Standard: 10 × $14 × 12 = $1,680. Alternative: 10 × $3 × 12 = $360. Savings: $1,680 − $360 = $1,320.
25 users
Save $3,300/yr
Google Workspace Business Standard: 25 × $14 × 12 = $4,200. Alternative: 25 × $3 × 12 = $900. Savings: $4,200 − $900 = $3,300.
10 users
Save $1,980/yr
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 10 × $23.50 × 12 = $2,820. Alternative: 10 × $7 × 12 = $840. Savings: $2,820 − $840 = $1,980.
25 users
Save $4,950/yr
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 25 × $23.50 × 12 = $7,050. Alternative: 25 × $7 × 12 = $2,100. Savings: $7,050 − $2,100 = $4,950.
Savings use the verified list prices above. Real savings depend on your seat count, billing period, discounts and switching time. Run your own numbers.
Changing suites means moving email (MX records), calendars, files and logins. Right-sizing tiers within your current suite is easy and can be done at renewal.
Before you switch, read when NOT to switch and use our migration checklist.
At entry level they're the same: $7/user/mo on annual plans (M365 Business Basic and Workspace Business Starter). At the next tier, Workspace Business Standard is $14 versus $23.50 for M365 Business Standard with Copilot.
Zoho Workplace Standard at US$3/user/mo billed annually was the cheapest suite we verified.
Usually not. First move light users to cheaper tiers. Switching suites is a multi-week project.
Free PDF + weekly email
50 cheaper alternatives with verified prices and 10-user cost math, plus one money-saving SaaS swap in your inbox each week. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Free PDF: 50 cheaper SaaS tools, with verified prices
Get the cheat sheet