Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Google Workspace vs HCL Notes comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

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
7.5
Google Workspace boosts productivity and collaboration, offering streamlined tools and flexibility despite variable costs and returns per organization.
Sentiment score
7.8
HCL Notes users enjoy significant cost-efficiency and secure communication benefits, justifying its $100 annual user fee.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.3
Google Workspace's support is efficient and user-friendly; however, users seek improved communication and direct contact options.
Sentiment score
7.2
HCL Notes support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though a few users face challenges in reaching assistance.
In the past, we experienced a problem with automatic emails being blocked, and the support team resolved the issue quickly.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Google Workspace offers scalable, cloud-based solutions enabling effortless growth, efficient management, and seamless integration for businesses of all sizes.
Sentiment score
7.3
HCL Notes is scalable and versatile, supporting various user sizes, but requires adequate hardware for optimal performance and integration.
It supports around 2,500 users in our company, and this scalability assists us in maintaining our infrastructure.
Scalability involves another configuration with a new email configuration, involving some authentication issues with Microsoft Outlook.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Google Workspace is highly stable and reliable, with users rating it nine or ten, despite minor Outlook integration issues.
Sentiment score
7.3
HCL Notes is highly stable and reliable, with recent improvements enhancing its functionality and mobile-friendliness.
This stability is crucial to us because it ensures we do not lose communication or connection while using messaging and accessing files.
The only issue is collaboration with Outlook, where I am having a bit of a problem.
 

Room For Improvement

Google Workspace needs improved integration, enhanced features, better security, automation, and offline capabilities to compete with Microsoft Office.
HCL Notes requires a modern UI, improved speed, seamless integration, and reliable chat to enhance user experience.
The new integration was implemented last September, and we are facing some issues with OAuth 2.0 authentication.
The security functionalities are similar to those in competitors like Active Directory, but they could be optimized for stronger security features.
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Google Workspace affordable, despite lacking some apps, with pricing rated five to eight out of ten.
HCL Notes pricing is considered reasonable, offering flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and free guest users, with minimal setup costs.
The current cost is approximately seven to ten euros per user per month.
 

Valuable Features

Google Workspace enhances productivity with affordable Gmail, collaboration tools, seamless integration, and secure multi-user access for efficient teamwork.
HCL Notes offers robust security, compatibility, integration, and performance, though newer platforms may provide a superior interface.
The valuable features include the email service, email updates, and Google Drive.
These tools enhance productivity by allowing us to edit the same file at the same time, making collaboration much smoother.
 

Categories and Ranking

Google Workspace
Ranking in Email Applications
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Wireless Email (2nd), Cloud Storage (4th), Content Collaboration Platforms (4th)
HCL Notes
Ranking in Email Applications
8th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Google Workspace is 22.1%, down from 24.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HCL Notes is 3.5%, up from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Sunil-Nair - PeerSpot reviewer
Email collaboration and accessibility have improved team productivity
The valuable features include the email service, email updates, and Google Drive. People are given email access to Google Drive. The team can share manual files and work accordingly. They can access different teams from anywhere, collectively putting files, sharing them, and managing them. Additionally, the manufacturing product does not require any downgrades. It works fine and continuously for the last three or four years. Users can access their emails from anywhere in their browser without a laptop or can directly access from Gmail. This is helpful for salespeople.
Herad Howell - PeerSpot reviewer
Secure communications that prompts responses with room for improved user interface
I primarily value HCL Notes for its security features. The software's secure communication is particularly useful when dealing with professional entities. It ensures that business is conducted smoothly, allowing me to use my organization's email confidently, as opposed to my personal Gmail, which might not prompt responses from some entities.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Applications solutions are best for your needs.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Workspace?
Easy-to-build forms are allowing me to get feedback and information from my internal teams as well as from the customers very efficiently with the result data in structured manner.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Workspace?
The pricing for Google Workspace is moderate. I would rate it a five out of ten, indicating it is neither cheap nor expensive. The current cost is approximately seven to ten euros per user per mont...
What needs improvement with Google Workspace?
I do not have any major suggestions for improvement. However, while the security functionalities are similar to those in competitors like Active Directory, they could be optimized for stronger secu...
What do you like most about HCL Notes?
The security and performance of the solution are good even though our platform is variable, except for the mail services.
What needs improvement with HCL Notes?
We are talking about HCL Notes, and I'm not certain it is easier to manage or has a better interface. HCL Notes had some AI capabilities and support, though it was not very efficient.
What is your primary use case for HCL Notes?
HCL Notes has features similar to what we can get on other products such as Outlook, with everything in one place. We find that Microsoft is more efficient compared to HCL Notes. We have seen some ...
 

Also Known As

G-Suite Enterprise, G-Suite, Google Apps for Business, G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G-Suite Basic, G-Suite Business, Google Vault
IBM Lotus Notes, Lotus Notes
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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.
Connect2Cloud, Hansgrohe, Sauk County, Blue Water Shipping, FDBR, ibml, Multivac, Aarhus University Hospital, Hendricks Regional Health, Asian Paints, Integra Legal, Sunplus Technology, S¾SS, The Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nicrometal, Doncasters Group, Practice Plan, Barr, RACV, Neotechnik, Deutsche Notes User Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Google Workspace vs. HCL Notes and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.