How to Choose the Right Google Workspace Plan for Your Business Needs

By: The One Click Enterprise Team | February 10, 2025

So, you've decided to professionalize your business with Google Workspace—a fantastic decision that will enhance your collaboration, security, and brand image. But now you're looking at the options and faced with a choice: Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus... What’s the real difference, and which one is right for your South African SME?

Choosing the right plan is crucial. You don't want to pay for advanced features you'll never use, but you also don't want to be held back by limitations as your business grows.

This simple guide will break down the most popular Google Workspace "Business" plans to help you make an informed choice.

The Foundation: Google Workspace Business Starter

This is the perfect entry point for getting your business operating professionally online.

• Who it's for: Freelancers, solopreneurs, and small teams (typically 1-5 people) whose main goal is to get a professional email address and access to solid, cloud-based collaboration tools.

• Key Features You Get:

  • Custom Professional Email: you@yourcompany.co.za

  • Video Meetings: For up to 100 participants (with a 1-hour time limit per meeting).

  • Cloud Storage: 30 GB of secure cloud storage per user.

  • Core Apps: The full suite of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Calendars.

  • Standard Security: Robust protection and administrative controls.

• The Bottom Line: Choose Business Starter if your primary goal is to establish a professional brand identity and collaborate effectively on a budget.

The Step-Up: Google Workspace Business Standard

This is the most popular choice for growing SMEs and the plan we recommend most often. It offers significant upgrades that directly support a scaling team.

• Who it's for: Growing businesses (typically 5-50 people) that collaborate heavily, work with larger files, and need more advanced video conferencing features.

• What You Get in Addition to Starter:

  • Massive Storage Upgrade: You jump from 30 GB to 2 TB (2000 GB) of pooled storage per user. This is the single biggest reason to upgrade and is essential for businesses that handle large design files, videos, or extensive project documents.

  • Enhanced Google Meet: Host meetings with up to 150 participants, and crucially, you unlock video meeting recording. This is a game-changer for creating training materials, documenting important decisions, and sharing meetings with absent team members.

  • Full Shared Drives: This plan fully enables Shared Drives, meaning all your important files can be owned by the team instead of individuals—a vital feature for business continuity.

• The Bottom Line: Upgrade to Business Standard if your team needs more storage space or if the ability to record video meetings is important for your operations.

The Powerhouse: Google Workspace Business Plus

This plan is for businesses with more advanced security, legal, and data compliance needs.

• Who it's for: Businesses that handle highly sensitive client data, such as legal firms, financial services, or companies that need to adhere to strict data retention policies.

• What You Get in Addition to Standard:

  • Even More Storage: Your pooled storage increases to 5 TB per user.

  • Advanced Security & Archiving: This is the key benefit. You get access to Google Vault, which allows you to retain, archive, and search your company's data (emails, files) for compliance and eDiscovery purposes. This is a legal requirement for some industries.

  • Upgraded Google Meet: Host meetings with up to 500 participants and get attendance tracking reports.

• The Bottom Line: Choose Business Plus if data security, legal compliance, and long-term data archiving are top priorities for your business.

Quick Comparison Table

   Feature                              Business Starter                              Business Standard                                      Business Plus

Custom Email                         ✅ Yes                                                   ✅ Yes                                                              ✅ Yes 

Storage                                   30 GB / user                                   2 TB / user (Pooled)                                     5 TB / user (Pooled)

Meet Recording                      ❌ No                                                    ✅ Yes                                                              ✅ Yes

Full Shared Drives                 Basic                                                      ✅ Yes                                                              ✅ Yes

eDiscovery & Vault                ❌ No                                                    ❌ No                                                                ✅ Yes

Best For                         Solopreneurs & Small Teams             Most Growing Businesses                       Security & Compliance Needs

The Partner Advantage

Making the right choice can save you money and prevent future headaches as your business scales. As a Google Cloud Partner in South Africa, we do more than just sell licenses. We consult with you to understand your specific business needs and recommend the perfect plan.

We can also provide exclusive discounts and handle the entire setup and migration process for you, ensuring a seamless transition.

Contact One Click Enterprise today for a free, no-obligation Google Workspace consultation.