Google Workspace vs ProtonMail comparison

Google and Proton Technologies are both solutions in the Email Applications category. Google is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3, while Proton Technologies is ranked #10 with an average rating of 9.0. Google holds a 22.1% mindshare in EA, compared to Proton Technologies’s 5.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Proton Technologies users who would recommend it.

Google Workspace

Read 102 Google Workspace reviews

6,006 Views
3,478 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ProtonMail

Read 2 ProtonMail reviews

1,175 Views
989 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Google Workspace

ProtonMail

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Google Workspace and ProtonMail are contenders in the email and productivity tool market. Google Workspace leads with integration and collaboration, while ProtonMail excels in privacy and security.

Features: Google Workspace offers Gmail, Google Docs, and Sheets for seamless collaboration. Its extensive integration with third-party apps increases its utility. ProtonMail provides encrypted email services with robust security features to protect user privacy. Its primary distinction lies in its dedication to secure communications.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Google Workspace offers extensive resources for setup and integration with 24/7 support. ProtonMail provides an uncomplicated setup focused on privacy with limited integration options. Google delivers more varied support channels, accommodating a broader range of business needs.

Pricing and ROI: Google Workspace has scalable pricing tiers suitable for different business sizes, enhancing ROI with productivity capabilities. ProtonMail features flexible pricing for personal users seeking privacy. Google Workspace offers superior ROI for businesses requiring comprehensive tools, while ProtonMail serves as a cost-effective choice for security-focused users.

To learn more, read our detailed Email Applications Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Email Applications

June 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

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)

ProtonMail

Ranking in Email Applications

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

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 ProtonMail is 5.9%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Sunil-Nair

IT Manager at Universal Carpets & Rugs

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.

Read full review

Vitor Vicente

Works

Secure email communication facilitates safe financial exchanges and enhances data privacy

I use ProtonMail for exchanging invoicing with clients, managing financial information, and receiving notifications from bank accounts and investment brokers. It's dedicated to high-importance communication involving financial information The auto encryption of attachments is valuable. ProtonMail…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's secure. It offers data security and user privacy. I use it for personal purposes. The interface is okay, and it's easy to use."

"G Suite Enterprise is user-friendly, and the technical toolkits and other information are on the website. Additionally, the technical documents are comprehensive."

"Reduces IT spend, freeing up cash for other areas: sales, marketing, recruitment, etc."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is email."

"The user interface is fantastic. It's also available for the individual person, so that's also a great thing about it."

"Google seems to be a more stable environment than our current on-premise Microsoft solution that we're replacing."

"It is a stable platform. It is very easy to use, and most importantly, it is very easy to administer. It also gets up and running quite easily."

"What I like most about Google Workspace is the Google Drive app because you can easily access it from anywhere and from any device. I also find the solution easy to use. It's user-friendly."

More Google Workspace pros

"What I appreciate most about ProtonMail is that they are trusted, which is why I choose them."

"The auto encryption of attachments is valuable."

Cons

"There is some redundancy in the functionality between certain modules."

"The UI could be more graphic and sassy, but otherwise, it is quite functional."

"I find the price high for the full suite features. Compared to Exchange Online, the price might not be too high, but you cannot choose only one functionality. When you buy Google Workspace, you have to get everything, including file storage and communication tools, which I don't use."

"G Suite could offer something a little more solid in terms of chat — something that is a little more like Slack and integrates with everything. But, unfortunately, the chat is very basic there. It doesn't offer that many features and feels like it doesn't belong there."

"When I compare with Office 365, G Suite has fewer features."

"The cost could be improved. It can sometimes be a bit confusing figuring out how we are actually being charged."

"And I think Google Translate could add more features. For example, it could be integrated when typing in a document or a web browser like Grammarly."

"Improvements to G Suite would be the ability to collaborate more easily and better quality video compression in Google Meet."

More Google Workspace cons

"One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email."

"I think it is good but I feel that only tech-savvy people use ProtonMail. It is not that popular among other people."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have purchased an annual subscription."

"The main challenge regarding startups with identity services is you could be on a platform that works well but the services are expensive. For example, Microsoft Azure costs approximately $30 per user which is expensive. You end up choosing a different platform, such as G Suite Enterprise because it is priced reasonably and is less expensive than other solutions."

"The pricing is very high, although I cannot tell if this is the result of the Indian vendors artificially inflating it."

"The solution is expensive."

"There are several areas where a G Suite implementation can reduce costs: lower license fees than some competing products, reduced hardware, and IT support costs."

"The pricing is comparable, it's pretty decent."

"I give the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being the most affordable."

"2,500 Rupees per month per user."

More Google Workspace pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

12%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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.

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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...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ProtonMail?

The pricing is competitive, offering good value on the average plan. It’s approximately $100 for annual billing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ProtonMail?

The UI was previously cumbersome, however, it has improved. One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email. However, thi...

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What is your primary use case for ProtonMail?

See all answers

Comparisons

Amazon WorkMail vs Google Workspace

Compared 28% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs Google Workspace

Compared 26% of the time

Office 365 vs Google Workspace

Compared 6% of the time

Amazon WorkDocs vs Google Workspace

Compared 3% of the time

Zoho Mail vs Google Workspace

Compared 3% of the time

More Google Workspace Competitors

Zoho Mail vs ProtonMail

Compared 18% of the time

Microsoft Exchange vs ProtonMail

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs ProtonMail

Compared 9% of the time

Superhuman vs ProtonMail

Compared 4% of the time

Amazon WorkMail vs ProtonMail

Compared 4% of the time

More ProtonMail Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Workspace

June 2025

Download Google Workspace product report

Buyer's Guide

Email Applications

June 2025

Download ProtonMail product report

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

No data available

Overview

Similar to G Suite, all Google Workspace plans provide a custom email for your business and include collaboration tools like Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, and more.

As we’ve evolved G Suite into a more integrated experience across our communication and collaboration tools, we’ve rebranded to Google Workspace to more accurately represent the product vision.

Google

ProtonMail is the world‘s largest encrypted email provider, with over 11 million users trusting us to secure their data every day. We are the email service of choice for security-conscious enterprises.

Proton Technologies

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.

Wall street journal,The New york times, The Gurdian, Forbes, Fox News

Find out what your peers are saying about Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and others in Email Applications. Updated: June 2025.

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