For years, we have been using Gmail as well as many other Google Apps for work. Recent times have seen a question on the need for paid Google Apps vis-à-vis free Gmail. There is a constant debate on Google Apps vs. Gmail. Of which one to choose for one’s use.
As we know, Gmail is a web-based free e-mail service that provides gigabytes of storage to its users. An e-mail management system, Gmail comes with contact management, e-mail forwarding, spam filtering, and many other useful features. Released in 2004, Gmail has been designed for both commercial and non-commercial use. In addition to e-mail services, you get access to free Google Apps or Google Apps free edition.
On the other hand, Google Apps is a package of cloud based service tools and software developed for enterprises and educational institutions. Google Apps can broadly be divided into two categories: Google Apps for Work and Google Apps for Education. For a small monthly or yearly charge, Google Apps provides your enterprise and classroom access to Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Hangouts, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Admin, Google+, Vault, and unlimited storage.
What’s the difference?
The main difference between Gmail and Google Apps for Work is the e-mail address. Google Apps lets you use your own domain as part of their e-mail address such as abc@yourcompany.com. While with Gmail, your e-mail address would be abc@gmail.com.
Another difference is the price. If Gmail is free, you need to pay $5 a month or $60 a year as per your plan (flexible or annual) to use products in the Google Apps suite for a user.
The most important difference is that with Gmail you have access to free Google apps such as e-mail service, Google Docs, Google Drive, and other such Google Apps. However, with Google Apps for Work, you get a number of additional business-grade services including a professional e-mail at your domain, additional storage, 24/7 customer service, enhanced security features, and many others. All these services can be accessed via a monthly or yearly plan. Google also offers a 30-day trial period for Google Apps for Work.
Why do I need Google Apps For Work?
If you own a business or thinking of starting a new one, then it is imperative that you have Google Apps For Work product suite. As Google Apps is a cloud-based service, Google Apps For Work product suite lets you work from anywhere, and share important documents on the go. In addition to having access to a range of products, you can secure all your devices and data. The Google Admin product in the suite helps you manage e-mail addresses, the connected mobile devices, and the security settings.
The following table provides a comparison between Gmail and Google Apps for Work.
Gmail |
Google Apps for Work |
It is free. | Offers a free 30-days trial. Offered for $5 a month or $60 with taxes for a year. |
No domain names allowed. Standard e-mail address: abc@gmail.com | Offers adding domain name to e-mail address. |
Provides access to free Google Apps or Google Apps free edition with limited feature. | Provides access to professional apps with business-oriented features such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Hangouts, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Admin, Google+, Vault, and unlimited storage. |
No offline support provided. | Offline support provided. Let’s users view, create, and edit content, and sync automatically when connected. |
Users create their own account and reset their own passwords. | An IT administrator sets Google Apps Email account and provides assistance for password reset. |
It is designed for individuals. | It is designed for businesses. |
An individual manages the account. | An IT administrator can manage user accounts through the built-in Google Apps IT administrative control panel. |