G Suite vs Microsoft 365: Which Productivity Suite is Better for Students?
As a student, picking the right productivity suite can be a challenging task. Both G Suite and Microsoft 365 offer a range of tools that can enable you to create, collaborate and communicate effectively. However, making the right choice can save you some money and make your work easier. This comparison will help you make an informed decision.
Tools and Features
G Suite
G Suite, which is now referred to as Google Workspace, offers a range of digital communication and collaboration tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Chat. These tools enable students to communicate with teachers and classmates, create and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, schedule and manage assignments and deadlines, and store files and folders in the cloud. G-Suite also provides an additional school account that enables communication and management through Google Classroom.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) provides a set of productivity tools that help students create, edit and present information through Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, OneDrive and OneNote. Microsoft 365 provides a range of advanced features like mail, calendar, to-do lists, and other note-taking tools, email conferences through Teams, and access through desktop or mobile applications.
Pricing
G Suite
Google offers three G Suite plans: Basic, Business, and Enterprise. For students, G Suite for Education is free of charge, and the plan offers unlimited storage and access to a library of educational resources. Additionally, Google offers G Suite Essentials, which contains more advanced features such as video conferencing, but this comes with a fee.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft offers two plans for students: Microsoft 365 Personal, which is suitable for individual users, and Microsoft 365 Family, which can be used on multiple devices within a family. The Personal plan offers Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, plus Microsoft 1TB OneDrive storage for $69.99 a year. On the other hand, the Family plan costs $99.99 annually and offers storage and access to the same productivity tools for up to six people.
Ease of Use
G Suite
G Suite features a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and access its tools. With its "Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals," students are allowed multiple user access, recommended to ensure collaboration between multiple people.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365's interface is also user-friendly but it may take more time to learn than G Suite. However, its native Office apps, which allow students to work offline, make it the preferred choice of many students looking for an offline toolset.
Integration with Other Tools
G Suite
G Suite enables its users to integrate with other Google applications such as Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Keep. Additionally, with a Google Apps account, students can also access their productivity tools on any device connected to the internet.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 can be integrated with other Microsoft applications and services such as LinkedIn, Skype and LinkedIn Learning. This makes it easier for students to access additional learning resources needed for both professional and academic requirements.
Final Remarks
Both G Suite and Microsoft 365 provide students with the necessary tools to manage their school work and projects. However, a suitable productivity suite for students depends on their individual needs, preferences, and budget. While G Suite for Education is more affordable for students, Microsoft 365 Personal or Family offers more advanced tools and services.
In summary, we recommend G Suite for students who need an affordable and user-friendly toolset, and Microsoft 365 for those who require advanced features for offline use, cloud storage, video conferencing, and extra learning resources.
References
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Microsoft 365 Personal and Family. (2022). Microsoft. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products
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Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals. (2022). Google. Retrieved from https://workspace.google.com/education/editions/