If you’re looking for business email solutions, you may be confused by the terminology surrounding various Google services. Chances are you already have a google account and use gmail regularly, but does that mean you’re a g suite member? and if you sign in to g suite, does that mean you are a gmail user by default?
once you understand the differences between g suite and gmail, everything will seem much clearer. this guide should help you resolve the differences.
gmail vs g suite vs google accounts
let’s start with a high level overview of gmail, g suite and google accounts:
- gmail. as you probably know, gmail is a specific google product designed to help users send, receive and manage email. You may already have a Gmail account, an email address that ends with @gmail.com. It’s completely free to sign up for gmail and create your own gmail address. With that free account, you can send and receive emails with up to 15GB of storage. if and when you create a gmail account, your account will also double as a google account.
- google accounts. a google account is a specific account with google that gives you allows access to products such as google docs, sites, maps and photos. If you have created a Gmail account, with an @gmail.com email address as your username and a unique password, these login credentials will double as your Google account information. However, it is important to note that you do not need a Gmail account to create a Google account; hypothetically you could sign up with a yahoo email account or similar. all gmail accounts are google accounts, but not all google accounts are gmail accounts. still, google accounts and gmail accounts are often used interchangeably.
- g suite. now let’s talk about g suite. Simply having a gmail or google account will not give you access to g suite; g suite is a collection of different productivity tools, applications, and services designed for organizational use. There are many different service packages available through G Suite, ranging from basic, low-cost options like the Basic Edition, to more advanced packages like the Enterprise Edition. There are also unique g suite products designed for different sectors, such as government, nonprofits, and education.
the differences between g suite and gmail
okay, what are the differences between g suite and gmail? Let’s start with what they have in common. If you sign up for G Suite, you’ll be able to set up one Gmail account and possibly multiple accounts. Most of the gmail-related services you use for email will be the same. however, there are many differences between a free gmail account and a g suite account:
1. cost
gmail: You can sign up for gmail for free and get access to most productivity apps for free, but if you want more robust services, you’ll need to pay for a g suite account.
g suite: g suite plans vary in cost; Basic plans are $6 per month per user, Business plans are $12 per month per user, and Enterprise plans are $25 per month per user. you can also try g suite free for 14 days.
2. administrative control
gmail: When you create a gmail account for yourself, you have full control in a sort of self-contained environment. you are (usually) the one who creates your own account and will have full oversight over how that account is used, as long as you protect your login credentials.
g suite: With a g suite plan, you’ll have administrative control over all the email addresses you create; In other words, you can create different Gmail addresses for individual members of your team, and then maintain full control over how those addresses are used. While your team members can send and receive email as they normally would, you’ll be able to create, edit, and delete accounts as you see fit. you’ll also be able to easily reset passwords and handle other problems from a high level.
3. customizable domain names
gmail: When you sign up for a gmail account, one of the stipulations is that you are required to use the @gmail.com extension. you’ll have some degree of control over the first part of your email address, but the “gmail” part is fixed.
g suite: With g suite, you can create your own domain and use it for your gmail addresses. you can create addresses like @yourdomainnamehere.com, but still rely on gmail as your central email management platform.
4. storage
gmail: as a free gmail user, you will have access to up to 15gb of storage. That’s not bad for an account that’s completely free, but if you’re a business user in charge of creating, sharing, and storing thousands of files, that’s not enough.
g suite: with the basic plan of g suite you will get 30 gb of cloud storage per user. business plan and enterprise plan give you unlimited cloud storage per user if you have 5 or more users. if you have less than 5 users, you will have 1tb of cloud storage per user in these tiers.
5. access to other applications and services
gmail: Regardless of the type of google account you have, you’ll have access to the basic apps and services that google offers, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
g suite: however, if you pay for g suite, you will get access to specific g suite applications and services. For example, at the Enterprise level and above, you’ll gain access to a “Smart Search” feature in G Suite, as well as granular security controls. You’ll also have built-in e-discovery for email, chat and files, analytics, and other g suite tools to help you assess how your employees use these services.
6. shared access
gmail: free gmail accounts and google accounts can share the files they create using google apps, but there are manual steps involved in most cases.
g suite: Users within the same g suite group can quickly and easily share their materials without the need to manually share each document with other users. administrative users will have access to and ownership of any documents that are created within individual user accounts.
7. customer service
gmail: With gmail accounts, if you experience technical problems, you will need to resolve them yourself or wait for them to be resolved.
g suite: At g suite, you get access to 24/7 customer support via phone and email. If you’re having trouble accessing the tools you need, need help migrating old information, or have technical difficulties, someone will be immediately available to help.
Whether you have a full g suite account or are relying on the free version of gmail, it’s important to understand the differences between gmail and g suite. And if you’re like most professionals, you send and receive hundreds of emails every day, so adopting better habits can help you save countless hours of time. To learn more about the benefits of g suite vs. gmail, check out this list of g suite features and this list of g suite tips and tricks.
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