Many professionals rely on Google's tools, which are now bundled into the comprehensive Google Workspace suite. This collection of apps promises to streamline workflows for everyone, from solo entrepreneurs to global enterprises.
But as businesses scale and needs evolve, understanding the Google Workspace pricing structure becomes critical. How much is Gmail business? The answer isn't a simple number, as the real Gmail cost is tied directly to different plans, each offering a unique set of features, cloud storage limits, and security controls. This can make the Gmail pricing confusing.
Navigating these options can be a challenge. That's why we’ve created this guide to help you figure out how much business Gmail costs. We'll break down each plan, explain what you get for your money, and help you understand the true business Gmail cost so you can make an informed decision for your team.
What is Gmail and who uses it?
Image source: workspace.google.com
At its core, Gmail is Google's email service, but for businesses, it’s the central hub of the Google Workspace ecosystem. It's designed to be more than just a place to send and receive messages; it’s the gateway to a suite of productivity tools used by over nine million paying organizations, plus millions of individuals, students, and educators worldwide.
Its widespread adoption is due to a powerful set of functions that cater to a broad audience, from freelancers to large corporations. Key functionalities typically include:
Professional email management. Gmail allows users to create custom email addresses with their own domain (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com), which is crucial for building a professional brand identity. It also includes organizational tools like labels, filters, and a priority inbox to manage high volumes of correspondence. While these features are helpful, tools like Lark take this a step further by integrating email directly with team chats, allowing you to share and discuss an entire email thread without forwarding.
Seamless integration with Google apps. Gmail is deeply connected with other Google services. You can save attachments directly to Google Drive, create Google Calendar events from an email, and launch a Google Meet video call right from your inbox. This integration extends to productivity tools like Google Docs, allowing you to collaborate on documents and presentations—for example, by sharing Gmail docs directly from your drive. This integration is a primary reason teams invest in the ecosystem.
AI Powered Features. A significant recent development is the integration of Google AI capabilities. These AI powered tools can help draft emails, summarize long threads, and suggest smart replies, aiming to boost productivity directly within the email interface.
Pooled cloud storage. Each plan comes with a set amount of cloud storage through Google Drive, which is shared across all users in your organization. This is used for everything from email attachments to files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Robust security. Gmail includes powerful spam-blocking technology, phishing protection, and other security measures to help keep your account and data safe from threats. Higher-tier plans add advanced controls for even greater protection.
While Gmail acts as a gateway to other Google apps, Lark offers a truly unified workspace where email, chat, meetings, and project management are seamlessly connected, eliminating the need to constantly switch between separate tools and fostering a more fluid, collaborative environment.
Gmail price in Google Workspace and Google One plans explained
A frequent point of confusion is that a business version of Gmail isn't available as a standalone purchase. The Gmail price is integrated into a subscription for either a Google Workspace plan or a Google One plan. This means that to get a professional email with your custom domain, or simply to expand your personal storage, you need to choose one of their tiered packages. So, how much does Gmail cost per month? The answer hinges on the plan you select, whether for business or personal use.
Gmail price in Google Workspace
For businesses, the Gmail business email pricing is set on a per-user, per-month basis. Each progressive tier enhances the features of the previous one, offering more storage, advanced security, and greater capacity for teamwork. Below, we’ll explore the primary business plans to clarify the Gmail business charges and the features included at each level.
Image source: workspace.google.com
Google Workspace Business Starter
Priced at $7 per user/month, the Business Starter plan is the most accessible entry point into the Google ecosystem. It's designed for freelancers, solopreneurs, and very small businesses that need professional email and basic collaboration tools. It answers the fundamental question of what is Google Workspace Business Starter: it’s the foundational package for getting your business online with Google's tools.
The Gmail custom domain price is effectively covered by this plan's fee, giving you the core functionality you need to operate professionally. This plan provides 30 GB of cloud storage for each user.
Gmail features
Custom and secure business email
Standard spam and malware protection
Integration with Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Meet (up to 100 participants)
Ability to manage user accounts and security settings through the Admin console
Google Workspace Business Standard
For $14 per user/month, the Business Standard plan is a significant step up and is aimed at growing small to medium-sized businesses. This plan retains all the features of Business Starter but dramatically increases storage to 2 TB of pooled storage per user and enhances collaboration capabilities, making the overall G Suite pricing (now Workspace) more robust.
The higher Gmail business email cost at this level is justified by the inclusion of more advanced tools and much larger storage pools, which are essential for teams that handle more data and collaborate frequently.
Gmail features
All features from Business Starter
The introduction of Gemini AI, which can help draft replies, summarize email threads, and improve your writing directly within Gmail
Enhanced meeting capabilities, including recording, which can be shared via Gmail
Google Workspace Business Plus
At $22 per user/month, the Business Plus plan is built for larger teams and organizations that require more advanced security and compliance features. This tier addresses the needs of businesses that handle sensitive data and need to ensure their communications are archived and secure.
The increase in the google docs cost per month and overall suite price here is directly tied to a significant storage increase to 5 TB per user and the inclusion of security tools like Google Vault.
Gmail features
All features from Business Standard
Google Vault, which allows you to retain, archive, and search email data for eDiscovery and compliance purposes
Enhanced security and management controls for administrators to better protect email communications
Advanced endpoint management to secure data on all devices accessing company Gmail
Google Workspace Enterprise
The Enterprise plan is for large corporations with complex operational and security needs. There is no public Gmail company email price for this tier; instead, it offers custom pricing available by contacting Google's sales team. It provides the highest level of features, security, and support, including as much storage as you need (starting with 5 TB per user and available upon request).
This plan answers the question of how much is Gmail for work at the highest level, providing maximum flexibility and control for large-scale deployments.
Gmail features
All features from Business Plus
Top-tier security with S/MIME encryption for enhanced email protection
Advanced data loss prevention (DLP) to stop sensitive information from being shared outside the organization via email
Integration with third-party archiving tools and the most granular admin controls available
Gmail price in Google One
If you use a personal Gmail account (ending in @gmail.com) and don't require a custom domain, Google One is the solution for expanding your cloud storage. Every Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. When that limit is reached, a Google One subscription is an affordable way to get more space. These plans are designed for personal use and can be shared with up to five other family members.
Image source: one.google.com
Basic Plan: For a small monthly fee (around $1.99/month), you can upgrade to 100 GB of storage. This is ideal for light users who just need a bit more breathing room for their emails and files.
Standard Plan: At about $2.99/month, this plan offers 200 GB of storage, suitable for users with more substantial storage needs for photos and documents.
Premium Plan: For around $9.99/month, you get a generous 2 TB of storage, which is perfect for heavy users, families, and those who store large files like videos. This plan also includes extra benefits like a VPN for multiple devices and advanced photo editing features.
AI Premium Plan: This top-tier consumer plan, at about $19.99/month, includes 2TB of storage plus access to Google's most advanced AI features, like Gemini Advanced.
Tips for choosing the right Gmail pricing plan
Selecting the right plan goes beyond simply comparing the Gmail price of each tier. It's about aligning the features and limitations with your team's specific workflow, size, and growth trajectory. Making the right choice ensures you’re not overpaying for features you don't need or hitting a wall because a crucial tool is missing.
To make an informed decision, consider these key factors:
Assess your storage needs. The jump from 30 GB on the Starter plan to 2 TB on the Standard plan is significant. Evaluate your team's current file usage and projected needs. Do you work with large video files, extensive design assets, or just text documents? Answering this will help you avoid storage bottlenecks. For comparison, some alternatives like Lark provide a generous 100 GB of storage even on their free plan, far exceeding Google's paid entry-level offering.
Evaluate collaboration requirements. How does your team work together? If your collaboration is mostly limited to co-editing documents and spreadsheets, the standard Google tools might suffice. However, if your workflow requires seamless transitions between chatting about a project, creating a task from that message, and co-editing a related document, you may find Google’s separate apps cumbersome. A truly integrated platform like Lark allows you to manage tasks, documents, and communication all within a single chat window, eliminating friction.
Consider your security and compliance needs. For many businesses, standard security is enough. But for those in regulated industries like finance or healthcare, features like Google Vault for eDiscovery and data retention are non-negotiable. Be honest about your legal and security obligations, as this will be a primary driver for choosing the Business Plus or Enterprise plans.
Plan for scalability. Your business today might not be your business tomorrow. Consider the user limits (up to 300 for Business plans) and the features you'll need as you grow. Choosing a plan that can scale with you prevents the hassle of a disruptive migration later. Look at the full feature set of each tier and identify which tools will support your future ambitions.
Don't forget the budget. While it’s the most obvious factor, the Gmail cost should be weighed in terms of value, not just the monthly fee. Calculate the total cost of ownership. If you still need to pay for separate project management or internal communication tools, the seemingly affordable Gmail fees can become part of a much larger expense.
Ultimately, if you find that your business needs a solution that combines powerful project management, seamless communication, and generous storage without the high price tag, it might be time to look beyond traditional options and explore an all-in-one platform like Lark.
Find the best value alternative to Gmail in Lark
While Google Workspace is a powerful suite, its siloed applications and escalating Google Workspace pricing can be a significant drawback for many teams. The need to switch between Gmail for email, Chat for messages, and other apps for project management creates friction. For businesses seeking a more integrated and cost-effective solution, Lark presents a compelling alternative.
Lark is designed from the ground up to be a single, unified platform where all your work happens in one place. It combines messaging, video conferencing, email, calendars, collaborative documents, and advanced project management into one seamless application, offering superior value and a more intuitive user experience.
Lark Mail vs. Gmail: Features comparison
While both are powerful email clients, they are built on different philosophies. Gmail is a best-in-class email service that connects to other apps, whereas Lark Mail is a fully integrated component of an all-in-one workspace.
Gmail
Deep integration with other Google apps like Drive, Calendar, and Meet.
Powerful search capabilities that scan your entire email history quickly.
Industry-leading spam and phishing protection.
A familiar interface that millions of users are already comfortable with.
A vast ecosystem of third-party add-ons and extensions.
Lark Mail
Share emails directly to chat: Forwarding is a thing of the past. You can share an entire email thread into a group chat with one click to facilitate immediate discussion and decision-making.
Integrated notifications: New emails create a notification in your Lark Messenger feed, ensuring you never miss an important message while keeping you focused in one application.
One-click document permissions: When you share a document from Lark's collaborative suite in an email, you can grant read or edit permissions to the recipient instantly, streamlining the collaboration process.
Automated workflows: Use auto-filters to manage your inbox effortlessly. You can set up rules to automatically move, delete, or flag emails, keeping your workspace organized.
Unified scheduling: Send and receive event invitations directly within Lark Mail, with seamless integration into Lark Calendar to see team availability and schedule meetings without ever leaving the app.
📖 Learn more about Turn on Smart Inbox and Use a public mailbox.
Lark vs. Google Workspace: Pricing comparison
A direct comparison of pricing highlights Lark's exceptional value. While the Gmail price is bundled into Google's plans, Lark offers more features and flexibility at a lower cost.
Google Workspace
Google’s pricing is straightforward but can add up quickly, especially when you need more than the basic features. The plans for businesses include:
Business Starter: $7 per user/month
Business Standard: $14 per user/month
Business Plus: $22 per user/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing upon request
These plans require payment for every user and often necessitate paying for other third-party tools for things like advanced project management, which are not included.
Lark
Lark offers a more generous and scalable pricing model, providing immense value even on its free tier.
Starter Plan: Completely free for up to 20 users. It includes 100 GB of storage, 11 powerful applications, unlimited AI translation, and robust collaboration tools. This makes it an ideal starting point for small teams and startups.
Pro Plan: Priced at just $12 per user/month, this plan supports up to 500 users and includes 15 TB of pooled storage, unlimited meeting transcriptions, webinar capabilities, and advanced automation in Lark Base. It offers far more storage and features than Google's comparable Business Standard plan for a lower price.
Enterprise Plan: Offers custom pricing for unlimited users. It includes advanced security like Single Sign-On (SSO), supergroups for up to 50,000 users, and top-tier compliance controls, making it suitable for large organizations.
Standout features of Lark
Lark's advantage extends far beyond its email client. Its power lies in the seamless integration of tools designed to enhance productivity and collaboration.
A truly unified platform. Unlike Google Workspace where you constantly switch between separate apps, Lark brings everything together. You can start a video call from a chat, turn a message into a task, or co-edit a document without ever leaving your main workspace.
Advanced project management. Lark Base is a powerful, no-code database tool built directly into the platform. You can create custom project trackers, CRMs, and content calendars with views like Gantt charts and Kanban boards—capabilities that would require a separate, paid tool like Trello or Asana in the Google ecosystem. 👉 Try 100+ templates
Seamless and intelligent collaboration. The integration is deep and intuitive. When you @mention a colleague in a shared document, they get a notification in Lark Messenger. You can schedule a meeting with a group directly from the chat, and Lark will automatically find a time that works for everyone.
A powerful and generous free plan. Lark’s free Starter plan is unmatched. It supports up to 20 users and includes 100 GB of storage, unlimited messages, automation, and access to all 11 of its core applications, providing incredible value from day one.
Built-in automation for everyone. With Lark Base and Lark Approval, you can automate repetitive tasks and workflows without writing a single line of code. Set up automated reminders, trigger actions based on updates, or create complex approval chains with an intuitive interface.
AI-powered efficiency. Lark integrates AI to streamline your work. Get automatic meeting summaries with action items from Lark Meetings, translate messages in real-time across over 100 languages, and use AI to help generate content or organize data in Lark Base.
How to transfer Gmail messages to Lark Mail
Migrating from Gmail to Lark Mail is a straightforward process designed to be as smooth as possible, ensuring you don't lose any of your important data. The migration is typically handled by an administrator through the Lark Admin Console.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process:
Step 1: Activate Lark Mail for your organization
Before you can begin, an administrator must first enable the Lark Mail service for your team in the Lark Admin Console. This gives all users in your organization access to their own Lark Mail account.
Step 2: Initiate the migration process
In the Admin Console, navigate to the mail migration section. Here, you will be able to create a new migration task. You’ll select IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) as the migration type and choose Gmail as your source email provider.
Step 3: Authorize Lark to access Gmail
To transfer the emails, you'll need to grant Lark permission to access your organization's Gmail accounts. This is typically done securely through OAuth 2.0, where users sign in with their Google account to provide temporary access, or by creating an app-specific password in Google's security settings.
Step 4: Map users and begin the sync
Next, you will map each user's Gmail address to their corresponding Lark Mail address. Once the accounts are mapped, you can start the migration process. Lark will begin fetching all emails and labels from the Gmail accounts and copying them over to Lark Mail. The process runs securely in the background, so your team can continue working without interruption.
Step 5: Verify the transfer is complete
Once the migration is finished, users can log into Lark Mail and see all of their historical emails, folders, and labels, just as they were in Gmail. It’s always a good practice to double-check that everything has transferred correctly.
📖 Learn more about Lark Email migration.
With your email history successfully moved, your team can now enjoy the benefits of a fully integrated platform, where communication and collaboration finally come together.
Conclusion
Choosing the right business email solution means looking beyond the sticker price. Understanding the different Gmail price tiers and what each Google Workspace plan offers is the key to a smart investment. The best choice aligns with your team's needs for cloud storage, security, and collaboration. While Google Workspace provides a familiar and powerful set of tools, its model of separate applications can sometimes hinder the seamless workflow modern teams require.
The real cost of a business email solution isn't just the monthly subscription fee. It's also about the time lost switching between apps and the additional storage or software needed for project management. An all-in-one platform eliminates these hidden costs by integrating every tool your team needs into a single, cohesive workspace. This unified approach not only enhances productivity but also delivers superior value.
If you're looking for a solution that combines powerful collaboration, integrated project management, and a more intuitive workflow at a fraction of the cost, consider exploring Lark. It’s designed to bring your team together and simplify your work, all in one place.
FAQs
How much does Gmail cost?
A business Gmail account with a custom domain is not sold separately. The Gmail cost is included in a Google Workspace subscription, which starts at $7 per user/month for the Business Starter plan and increases with higher tiers that offer more storage, security, and collaboration features for your team.
Does it cost money for a Gmail account?
A standard, personal Gmail account ending in @gmail.com is completely free. However, if you need a professional email address with your own custom domain (e.g., name@yourcompany.com), you must subscribe to a paid Google Workspace plan. This service is designed for business and professional use.
How do I get 100GB on Gmail?
Google Workspace plans don't offer a 100GB tier; the Business Starter plan includes 30GB, while the next plan jumps to 2TB. For a more generous starting point, an alternative like Lark provides 100GB of cloud storage on its free Starter plan, offering a great value for teams.
What's the difference between free and paid versions of Gmail?
The free version of Gmail is for personal use, includes advertisements, and uses an @gmail.com address. The paid version, part of Google Workspace, offers a custom email domain, significantly more storage, enhanced security features, an ad-free experience, and 24/7 administrative support, making it ideal for business.
