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Azure NetApp Files vs Google Workspace comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.4
Azure NetApp Files provides high performance and flexibility, enabling significant cost savings and improved IT management despite initial costs.
Sentiment score
6.2
Google Workspace boosts ROI with cost-saving features, seamless integration, and productivity enhancements, despite perceived high costs.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft and NetApp provide Azure NetApp Files with varying support quality, appreciated for complex issues despite regional inconsistencies.
Sentiment score
5.0
Google Workspace support receives mixed reviews; ease of use lessens direct support needs, but non-Western regions face challenges.
Microsoft has limitations with Azure Files, which do not support disaster recovery, so they approached NetApp for help based on their experience in on-premises and cloud storage.
Cloud Architect at IBM
They have top-notch people.
Cloud/Data/Database Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
In the past, we experienced a problem with automatic emails being blocked, and the support team resolved the issue quickly.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
Even as a technical person, I struggle to find appropriate contact numbers or email addresses.
Principal Consultant at Wipro Limited
I sent a complaint letter but it was hard to find customer service for that.
Assosiate Professor at Palazzo del Mediterraneo
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Azure NetApp Files offers flexible scaling and cost efficiency for large deployments, despite regional and minimum storage limitations.
Sentiment score
7.3
Google Workspace offers seamless scalability, with easy expansion for all organization sizes and minimal maintenance due to its cloud-based nature.
Scalability is high. I would say it's probably around nine because it's quite a robust solution that can scale up to maybe even five hundred terabytes of data.
Cloud Architect at IBM
It supports around 2,500 users in our company, and this scalability assists us in maintaining our infrastructure.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
I believe Google Workspace will have really high scalability because there are a lot of features available, and they have the potential to be used.
Brand Protection Analyst at Corsearch
Scalability involves another configuration with a new email configuration, involving some authentication issues with Microsoft Outlook.
IT Manager at Universal Carpets & Rugs
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Azure NetApp Files is highly stable, offering reliable performance, seamless migrations, and no downtime, even under increased loads.
Sentiment score
7.7
Google Workspace is praised for its stability and reliability, with minor glitches but no significant downtime, affecting user experience.
In terms of storage stability, I believe it's robust and stable, with a high level of redundancy in the cloud backend.
Cloud Architect at IBM
This stability is crucial to us because it ensures we do not lose communication or connection while using messaging and accessing files.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
The stability of Google Workspace is excellent and very solid.
Principal Consultant at Wipro Limited
With Microsoft now that we are using, we have a security system by which every now and then you have to change your password, and whenever you try to access multiple times to the same email from different devices or many times in the same day, they will ask you for a code that you have to insert.
Assosiate Professor at Palazzo del Mediterraneo
 

Room For Improvement

Azure NetApp Files needs enhanced disaster recovery, cost-effective pricing, improved support, and broader regional availability to boost user adoption.
Google Workspace needs better security, Microsoft integration, usability improvements, and enhanced features compared to competitors like Zoom and Teams.
If they bring the cost a little bit closer to what Azure Files offers, it can be a great product in the market and bring a lot of business to NetApp.
Cloud Architect at IBM
I would like for them to have more compression so that it can avoid using more storage.
Cloud/Data/Database Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
The new integration was implemented last September, and we are facing some issues with OAuth 2.0 authentication.
IT Manager at Universal Carpets & Rugs
It would be great if Google Workspace had its own application built into the PC or a desktop application.
Brand Protection Analyst at Corsearch
The security functionalities are similar to those in competitors like Active Directory, but they could be optimized for stronger security features.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
 

Setup Cost

Azure NetApp Files is costly with a four-terabyte minimum, but its premium features compete with Oracle and Amazon.
Google Workspace costs $6-$15 per user monthly; perceived as cost-effective yet sometimes costly, with potential discounts and additional fees.
It is expensive, especially with NetApp Ultra Storage.
Cloud/Data/Database Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
It's highly priced, and there's no cost reservation option available compared to Azure Files.
Cloud Architect at IBM
The current cost is approximately seven to ten euros per user per month.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
The company is moving the data and the Microsoft subscription is no longer continued.
Brand Protection Analyst at Corsearch
 

Valuable Features

Azure NetApp Files excels in performance, integration, and scalability, providing high redundancy, data protection, and efficient storage solutions.
Google Workspace enables seamless collaboration with real-time editing, robust integration, strong security, and affordability for businesses and organizations.
The most valuable feature is that the sixty-terabyte database snapshot can be done in less than two to three minutes.
Cloud/Data/Database Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
I think the most valuable feature is using the cross-region replication because this feature was not available in Azure Files, and this was the differentiator.
Cloud Architect at IBM
The ability to share documents with students and assign them things and correct them in real time has been beneficial.
Assosiate Professor at Palazzo del Mediterraneo
The valuable features include the email service, email updates, and Google Drive.
IT Manager at Universal Carpets & Rugs
These tools enhance productivity by allowing us to edit the same file at the same time, making collaboration much smoother.
Technical Manager IT Development at Sostenia
 

Categories and Ranking

Azure NetApp Files
Ranking in Cloud Storage
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Migration (9th), Public Cloud Storage Services (13th)
Google Workspace
Ranking in Cloud Storage
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
Email Applications (1st), Wireless Email (1st), Content Collaboration Platforms (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Cloud Storage category, the mindshare of Azure NetApp Files is 3.0%, down from 8.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Workspace is 3.5%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud Storage Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Google Workspace3.5%
Azure NetApp Files3.0%
Other93.5%
Cloud Storage
 

Featured Reviews

Rajat Wadhwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Architect at IBM
Cross-region replication has delivered seamless disaster recovery for enterprise storage needs
In terms of improvement, I would say cost reservation; the cost is a bit high. If we compare Azure Files and Azure NetApp Files, I know that customers are using less of Azure NetApp due to the cost. If they bring the cost a little bit closer to what Azure Files offers, it can be a great product in the market and bring a lot of business to NetApp. Backup is quite critical. As of now, Azure NetApp Files requires you to use Azure NetApp Backup solution, which is in public preview at the moment. I would definitely expect NetApp to come up with that solution so that customers can start using it because they do not have confidence in backup as it is still in preview. They are still doing some testing and research on that product, which is not officially released for use by multiple customers.
AR
Assosiate Professor at Palazzo del Mediterraneo
Collaborative work with students has improved but storage limitations and support issues remain
We have Google Workspace, and we use it primarily for Drive to collect items. We categorize folders with topics and material either for students or for research. We use Google Doc to share documents, especially when we assign homework to be corrected for peer correction or classroom correction. With Teams and Microsoft, we use it for collective calls and exam supervision because we use video surveillance through camera with Teams. We use Teams for meetings and to share material with students. The ability to share documents with students and assign them things and correct them in real time has been beneficial. You can verify what they write, and they can contribute and cooperate to create a collective document, which is something that our society nowadays requires. The ability to cooperate, especially those who work with languages and those who work with writing, need to learn how to cooperate. There is co-editing and co-writing, all these sorts of things. I love the fact that I can easily have access to folders that I can categorize and where I can upload research material and teaching material.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Educational Organization
6%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business63
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise29
 

Questions from the Community

How does Azure NetApp Files compare to NetApp ONTAP?
Azure NetApp Files is a Microsoft Azure file storage service built on NetApp technology. The platform combines the file capabilities of Azure and NetApp to move critical file-based applications to ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure NetApp Files?
On pricing, I would rate it around eight. It's highly priced, and there's no cost reservation option available compared to Azure Files. If NetApp could bring that kind of model for customers to sav...
What needs improvement with Azure NetApp Files?
In terms of improvement, I would say cost reservation; the cost is a bit high. If we compare Azure Files and Azure NetApp Files, I know that customers are using less of Azure NetApp due to the cost...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Workspace?
The company made the decision to migrate, so I'm not sure why specifically. The company is moving the data and the Microsoft subscription is no longer continued, so I have the choice to use Google ...
What needs improvement with Google Workspace?
Before I was in a Microsoft environment, which had its own software that was not website-based. When I moved to Google Workspace, it was not seamless because I have to access it through a web view ...
What is your primary use case for Google Workspace?
I have been using Google Workspace for file organizing, including Google Drive, Spreadsheet, Gmail, and Google Form, with most of my usage being in Spreadsheet. I do use Google Groups, which combin...
 

Also Known As

NetApp ANF, ANF
G-Suite Enterprise, G-Suite, Google Apps for Business, G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G-Suite Basic, G-Suite Business, Google Vault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

SAP, Restaurant Magic
There are over five million businesses that use Google Apps for Business worldwide. Some key customers include The Roche Group, National Geographic, American Red Cross, City of Los Angeles, Flight Centre, and Konica Minolta.
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure NetApp Files vs. Google Workspace and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.