If you're setting up a professional business email address, two platforms dominate the market: Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Both give you a branded email address (you@yourbusiness.co.uk) and a suite of business tools. But they suit different businesses for different reasons.
What they have in common
Both platforms provide:
- A professional domain-based email address
- Access on all devices (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop)
- Cloud storage for files and documents
- Collaboration tools for teams
- Spam filtering and security features
At the core level, either will do the job for a small business. The differences come down to ecosystem, cost, and what you're already comfortable with.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is the business version of the Office suite you probably already use. If your team works with Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, everything is already there — properly integrated with your email and cloud storage.
What you get:
- Outlook for email (highly regarded for business use)
- Teams for calls, meetings, and messaging
- OneDrive for file storage and sharing
- Full Office apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote
- 50GB mailbox per user
- Strong security and compliance tools
Cost: From £8/month per user for the Business Basic plan.
Best for: Businesses that use Office documents regularly, those with existing Microsoft setups, or anyone who values Outlook as their email client.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace uses Gmail as the email client with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Meet for collaboration.
What you get:
- Gmail interface with your business domain
- Google Drive for cloud storage
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
- Google Meet for video calls
- 30GB storage per user on the base plan
Cost: From around £5/month per user on the Starter plan.
Best for: Businesses already embedded in the Google ecosystem, teams that live in Google Docs and Sheets, or those who prefer Gmail's interface.
Which does NC Digital set up?
We set up Microsoft 365 for our clients, which we recommend for most South Wales small businesses. The reasons are practical:
- Most small business owners are already familiar with Outlook and Office
- Microsoft 365 has stronger email deliverability tools out of the box
- The 50GB mailbox is generous for the entry price
- Teams is widely used and easy to adopt
If you have a specific reason to use Google Workspace, we can advise on that too — but for the majority of our clients, Microsoft 365 is the right call.
Getting set up
Our Professional Mailboxes & Email Setup service handles the entire Microsoft 365 setup for you — from £8/month per user. We configure your domain, set up your mailboxes, and get everything working on your devices.
Get in touch and we'll have your professional email running quickly.