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Productivity · head to head

Google Workspace vs Microsoft OneNote

Google Workspace logo

Google Workspace

Productivity

Everything you need to get work done, all in one place

From
€6.8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft OneNote logo

Microsoft OneNote

Productivity

Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft OneNote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Workspace starter tier storage limited to 30 GB per user, requiring upgrade to Standard or higher for adequate document storage; Microsoft OneNote notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Workspace covers Gmail business email, Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Workspace and Microsoft OneNote actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Workspace and Microsoft OneNote differ
AttributeGoogle WorkspaceMicrosoft OneNote
Starting price€6.8/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
Founded20061975

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Google Workspace

  • Gmail business email
  • Google Drive storage
  • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Meet video conferencing
  • Google Chat
  • Google Forms
  • Google Sites

Only in Microsoft OneNote

  • Free-form page canvas
  • Notebook hierarchy
  • Indexed handwriting
  • Audio recording
  • Web clipper and Outlook capture
  • Shared notebooks
  • Cross-platform clients
  • Tags and cross-notebook search

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Google Workspace

  • Business email and communicationnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Cloud document collaborationnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Team productivity and file sharingnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Enterprise application suitenot Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote

  • Handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote.not Google Workspace
  • Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not Google Workspace
  • A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not Google Workspace
  • Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not Google Workspace

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Workspace

  • Starter tier storage limited to 30 GB per user, requiring upgrade to Standard or higher for adequate document storage
  • Starter and Standard tiers both capped at maximum 300 users per organisation
  • Video meetings limited to 100 participants on Starter tier, 150 on Standard tier
  • Recording capabilities only available on Standard tier and above
  • eDiscovery, Vault, and advanced security features only available on Plus and Enterprise tiers

Microsoft OneNote

  • Notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • Personal notebooks consume OneDrive quota, which is 5 GB on a free Microsoft account, so a notebook full of scans, images and recordings quietly exhausts the whole account including the space Outlook needs for mail.
  • Sync happens at section level and conflicts are resolved by placing both versions on the page, so simultaneous edits to a large or media-heavy section produce duplicated content that somebody has to merge by hand.
  • Search behaves differently across clients, so what the Windows desktop app finds inside handwriting, images and attachments is not necessarily what the browser or mobile version finds, and the same query gives different answers on different devices.
  • There is no relational structure, no database and no properties, so anything that needs a table of records with fields has to be maintained by hand or moved elsewhere, and OneNote's own tables cannot be queried or filtered.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Workspace

€6.8/month
  • Starter$6.8/month
    • 30 GB storage
    • Custom business email
    • Basic Gemini AI features
  • Standard$13.6/month
    • 2 TB storage
    • Enhanced email features
    • Gemini AI across multiple apps
  • Plus$21.1/month
    • 5 TB storage
    • Advanced security features
    • Expanded Gemini AI access
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 5 TB storage upgradeable
    • Up to 1,000 meeting participants
    • Enterprise-grade security

Microsoft OneNote

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Workspace if

  • You need gmail business email.
  • You also want google drive storage.
Google Workspace review

Choose Microsoft OneNote if

  • You need free-form page canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want notebook hierarchy.
Microsoft OneNote review

Questions people ask

Is Google Workspace or Microsoft OneNote better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Workspace starts at €6.8/month and Microsoft OneNote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Workspace or Microsoft OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €6.8/month for Google Workspace and Free for Microsoft OneNote.
Does Google Workspace or Microsoft OneNote run on more platforms?
Google Workspace runs on Web. Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Microsoft OneNote for free?
Yes. Microsoft OneNote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Google Workspace starts at €6.8/month.
What is Google Workspace best used for?
Google Workspace is most often used for business email and communication, cloud document collaboration, team productivity and file sharing, enterprise application suite. Of those, business email and communication and cloud document collaboration are not what Microsoft OneNote is typically brought in for.
What can Google Workspace do that Microsoft OneNote cannot?
Google Workspace covers Gmail business email, Google Drive storage, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google Calendar. Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Workspace: What are the Google Workspace pricing tiers?

Google Workspace offers Starter at 6.80 EUR/month (normally, currently 30% off), Standard at 13.60 EUR/month, Plus at 21.10 EUR/month, and Enterprise with custom pricing.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Is OneNote really free?

Yes. The application is free with a Microsoft account, with no time limit and no feature gate. What you may end up paying for is the OneDrive storage the notebooks consume.

Google Workspace: How many users does each tier support?

Starter, Standard, and Plus plans support up to 300 users. Enterprise plans support unlimited users.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Can I keep notebooks off Microsoft's cloud?

The Windows desktop app can keep local notebooks, but they will not sync to other devices and any shared access requires OneDrive or SharePoint.

Google Workspace: What storage is included in each plan?

Starter includes 30 GB, Standard and Plus include 2 TB and 5 TB respectively. Enterprise includes 5 TB upgradeable.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: How do I get my notes out?

Section by section as a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document. A OneNote package preserves a whole notebook but only for another copy of OneNote. Third-party converters exist and the page layout usually does not survive them.

Google Workspace: What meeting features are included?

Standard and Plus plans include Meet video conferencing, though participant limits increase by tier. Enterprise supports up to 1,000 meeting participants.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Which version should I install?

Microsoft consolidated onto a single OneNote application on Windows after retiring the Store version, so install the one distributed with Microsoft 365 rather than looking for an alternative.

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Related pages

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