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Productivity · head to head

Google Workspace vs Novu

Google Workspace logo

Google Workspace

Productivity

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

From
€6.8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Novu logo

Novu

Communication

Open-source notification infrastructure for multi-channel messaging

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Novu 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; Novu free plan activity feed retention is limited to 24 hours, restricting how far back teams can debug delivery issues.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Workspace covers Gmail business email, Novu covers Multi-channel workflows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Workspace and Novu actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Workspace and Novu differ
AttributeGoogle WorkspaceNovu
Starting price€6.8/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebweb, api
CategoryProductivityCommunication
Founded2006Unknown

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

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 Novu

  • Multi-channel workflows
  • Advanced email editor
  • Activity feed
  • Multi-environment support
  • Role-based access control
  • Self-hosting

What people use each for

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

Google Workspace

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

Novu

  • Building multi-channel notification workflows for a SaaS productnot Google Workspace
  • Self-hosting notification infrastructure for data controlnot Google Workspace
  • Managing separate notification environments for staging and productionnot Google Workspace
  • Tracking notification delivery history and activitynot 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

Novu

  • Free plan activity feed retention is limited to 24 hours, restricting how far back teams can debug delivery issues.
  • Overage on Pro and Team plans is billed at $1.20 per 1,000 additional workflow runs, which can add up at scale.
  • HIPAA BAA compliance and dedicated SSO are Enterprise-only and require custom pricing.

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

Novu

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 workflow runs/month
    • All channels included
    • Up to 20 workflows
  • Pro$30/month
    • 30,000+ workflow runs/month
    • Advanced email editor
    • Remove Novu branding
  • Team$250/month
    • 250,000+ workflow runs/month
    • Up to 10 environments
    • 90-day activity feed retention

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Workspace if

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

Choose Novu if

  • You need multi-channel workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want advanced email editor.
Novu review

Questions people ask

Is Google Workspace or Novu better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Workspace starts at €6.8/month and Novu at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Workspace or Novu?
Novu has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €6.8/month for Google Workspace and Free for Novu.
Does Google Workspace or Novu run on more platforms?
Google Workspace runs on Web. Novu runs on web, api.
Can I use Novu for free?
Yes. Novu 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 Novu is typically brought in for.
What can Google Workspace do that Novu cannot?
Google Workspace covers Gmail business email, Google Drive storage, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google Calendar. Novu covers Multi-channel workflows, Advanced email editor, Activity feed, Multi-environment support.

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
Novu: What does Novu cost?

Novu offers a Free plan for 10,000 workflow runs per month, Pro from $30/month for 30,000+ runs, Team from $250/month for 250,000+ runs, and custom Enterprise pricing for 10M+ runs.

Source
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
Novu: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the Free plan includes 10,000 workflow runs per month, all messaging channels, up to 20 workflows, 2 environments, and up to 3 team members.

Source
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
Novu: How is usage metered?

Billing is based on the number of workflow runs per month rather than per user or per message, with overage on paid plans charged at $1.20 per 1,000 additional runs.

Source
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
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