Collaboration app suite for teams
4.6/5 (8762 reviews)G Suite - formerly Google Apps for Work - combines all of the familiar productivity and collaboration tools by Google and combines them in an all-in-one suite for universal access across teams. The list of apps comprise: Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Google+, Drive, Sites, along with Google Docs, Sheets, Forms and Slides. Governance of these apps is provided by Google Admin Console and Google Vault.
Google Admin Console allows businesses to add users, manage devices and configure security settings for their data. Administrators can add and remove users, set up groups, and add verification steps and single sign on (SSO) all from a single console. This feature also includes mobile device management to facilitate BYOD and with the ability to implement security policies on iOS and Android devices. Google Vault allows users to archive, search and export on the company email and on-the-record chats for reporting and auditing.
Pros
The fact that it's all cloud based is what makes GSuite the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes. Starting with Gmail (everyone's used to this service) and having really competent alternatives to Microsoft Office products makes this a dream. It's also cheap enough and scalable on the pricing side. They've got all covered for sure.
Cons
It's hard to find a con on an almost perfect service, but sometimes they take a long time to update the iOS apps with their latest features, something that in Android doesn't happen, of course. Also, the Google Drive app for macOS needs some more work to be up to their standards.
G Suite has allowed better real-time communication, company branded emails, and provided lots of integrated software tools that are easy to use, share, and adapt for various projects. The ability to share and edit documents among a large group and in real time has greatly reduced administrative time in managing group projects (e.g. minutes can be taken during a meeting with several people entering information and then instantly shared with all).
Pros
I began using G Suite many years ago as the Director of a small foundation. Since we were a 501c3 we got it for free!! Now that I'm in the private sector - I still appreciate knowing that Google supports non-profits in this way. Bonus points! Anyway - back to the product. G Suite allowed me to set up unique email addresses that used our website url ending (rather than gmail) for our staff, board members, or special projects. We were able to create surveys, forms, and other documents and then set the access and privacy as needed for each item. This was a huge game changer for me as an administrator. No more getting 12 various emails and attachments with feedback on a document. All of us can make notes, suggest changes, etc. in real time.
Cons
Occasionally I have run into limitations on my ability to do things that are easily accomplished with Microsoft desktop applications or other software providers - like formatting documents, creating word limits in surveys, etc. I've also been unable to access cloud based items on a couple of occasions due to G Suite errors. These were quickly resolved but still inconvenient in those moments.
Overall my experience with Gsuite has been such an adventure.
The structure allows for safety but there is so much within the suite that your imagination is honestly the only limit.
Because there are so many pieces that can be integrated, changed and work together, I do believe that Gsuite has brought out a different way of thinking for me that allows me to think about process, procedures and customer satisfaction and streamlining all in one.
I have had so much learning and playing and growing with the suite.
Pros
I enjoy that this software has so many integrations and is flexible.
I find that I have a good main structure to work with but that I can add, change or manipulate the softwares that are involved within the gsuite.
I find that collaborating with my Team is a lot easier with hangouts. Our file storage system has become more streamlined with drive. We can each view eachothers calendars so there isn't any double bookings.
My favourite tool within the Gsuite is Google Sheets.
There isn't anything that I can't do with sheets. Together with App-Script I have managed to developed some mini functioning software for my teams as a way to keep daily tasks and data together, but also automate it enough to take away the admin aspects of their day.
Gsuite has brilliant educational material. If I dont know how to do something or if I'm not sure I can integrate with another tool, searching is as simple as asking a question and BOOM! Answers given!
Cons
I sometimes find that tools are all over the place. There isn't one 'Operating System' of sorts that puts them together. This is where something like Chrome OS comes in handy, however on my windows machine I rely on bookmarks, pinning and browser extensions to have my frequently used tools together.
However, myself (and most people) are so used to this that it's an almost invisible challenge. It only becomes a little bit complicated when trying to look for ways to seamlessly use both tools together.
This is where the right slide drawer in Gmail comes in handy. I just dont use my mailbox enough to frequently use that right slide drawer. If I could have that right slide drawer installed as an extension to my browser that would be all the more useful!
G suite has really simplified on-boarding people, both because it works well with everything and because it's easier to start using than desktop software like open-office or libre office.
Generally speaking, even folks who haven't used it before find it easier to use than other office suites. For people who are really accomplished in something like ms-office, there might be some annoyances but we have not had issues w/doing projects that had say excel and sheets users together. Google has done a really good job of looking at the entire set of features needed to make various docs, and focusing on the most important things be easy and work well, delivered in a cloud-centric way.
Other unexpected upsides are multi-user and online collaboration features, this is available in some other cloud-centric packages but google was one of first to offer this and it's done very seamlessly.
Probably the biggest unexpected advantage is the scripting. We now have important business-level applications running in g-suite that were built incredibly quickly, cheaply and have evolved nicely over time. This is for a company without any professional javascript developers, and it's pretty easy to get somewhat quantitatively-oriented folks to add simple functions even if they're not programmers. This benefit has come so incrementally, and we're tapping only a small portion of whats available... the g-suite api is probably the biggest short and long-term benefit of the product.
Pros
So much capabilities for the price.
G suite does a lot, but it doesn't try to do everything.
What is does is done incredibly well, very easy to use, good user-experience even for first-time users.
Learning curve is so short for most features, it's easy to get started and easy to keep adding skills.
Good support for open standards and multiple document and output formats (including raw like json/csv).
Large community makes it easy to find examples for most things you'd want to attempt.
Cons
G suite is great about Pareto optimization- it does most things really well.
What it doesn't do well is noticeable. Usually can be accomplished via another way that it does better.
For example to take full advantage of suite, you often need to learn/consider the google/g-suite way of accomplishing. Which once you get in the mindset is easier, it's a do more with less mindset.
There are situations where if you're a hardcore excel user, you may find it a bit weak on "included" excel things like pivots or charts. Likewise for presentations, they're basically choosing 70-80% of what you're likely going to use in other products and doing them at a higher level of quality. For most people they won't matter and will be fine. But if you are really, really advanced (we are mostly cs or mba types that are pretty technical, but not necessarily in doc creation)... so if you happen to have some really obscure feature of some program in your suite, you'd first check to see how g suite can accomplish that and if it's to your liking.
This product is essential to the workplace, and there isn't an alternative that provides all the products, services, and features included in G Suite. It provided a cost savings by allowing us to cancel subscriptions to other services that are included in our G Suite subscription. Overall, it's a must have for any office.
Pros
G Suite encompasses our email, file storage, backups, spreadsheets, documents, forms, collaboration projects, and much more, all in one place with one login that I can access from anywhere with a computer, tablet, or from my phone. I can't imagine having multiple vendors to provide all the services we get with G Suite. The ability to work with multiple people, both inside and outside our organization, to update the same spreadsheet or document in real time is extremely beneficial. I can also save files to my Google Drive directly from my computer, without having to log in and upload them. If a person leaves the company, we retain all their data, should it be needed. Also, when an employee leaves, he or she can migrate a copy of all their files and emails to a personal account if they wish, but no longer have access to the company account and the company copy of all their data.
Cons
Customer service mostly consists of reading support docs, forums, and articles. You can't call a person for assistance if you don't know how to do something.
Basic G Suite: $5 per user per month.
or $50 per user per year plus tax
G Suite with unlimited storage and Vault: $10 per user per month
or $120 per user per year plus tax
G Suite enterprise plan: $25 per user per month
Below are some frequently asked questions for G Suite.
G Suite offers the following pricing plans:
Starting from: USD 5.00/month
Pricing model: Subscription
Free Trial: Available
Basic G Suite: $5 per user per month.
or $50 per user per year plus tax
G Suite with unlimited storage and Vault: $10 per user per month
or $120 per user per year plus tax
G Suite enterprise plan: $25 per user per month
G Suite offers the following features:
G Suite has the following typical customers:
Freelancers, Large Enterprises, Mid Size Business, Non Profit, Public Administrations, Small Business
G Suite supports the following languages:
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
G Suite has the following pricing plans:
Subscription
G Suite supports the following devices:
Android, iPhone, iPad
G Suite integrates with the following applications:
ClickMeeting, DeskAway, DirectIQ, GroupCamp Project, ONE UP, OneLogin, SuperSaaS, WorkforceGrowth, Zoho Analytics, Zoho CRM
G Suite offers the following support options:
FAQs, Forum, Knowledge Base, Online Support, Video Tutorials
We have managed everything in the Google ecosystem for so long and with so much ease that it took away the worries and problems of mantaining a server and investing in infraestructure for a business with not so many employees, but with productivity software needs too. We can rest assured that Google will work 99,9999% of the time without putting in risk our data and connectivity.