In short: Google Workspace is Google's cloud productivity suite: Gmail with your own domain, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Chat and Calendar. It is licensed per user in Business editions (Starter, Standard and Plus, for up to 300 users) and Enterprise editions, on a Flexible monthly plan or an Annual/Fixed-Term plan.
What is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace is Google's suite of cloud productivity apps for organisations: professional Gmail on your own domain, Google Drive and shared drives, Docs, Sheets and Slides, Meet video meetings, Chat, Calendar, Forms and Sites, all managed from the Google Admin console. Google has also built its Gemini AI features into Business and Enterprise editions.
Editions fall into families:
- Business Starter, Business Standard and Business Plus for organisations with up to 300 users, stepping up in storage, meeting features, security and compliance tools such as Google Vault
- Enterprise editions (including Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus, plus Enterprise Essentials options) with no user cap and stronger security, data protection and management
- Frontline editions for staff who mainly use mobile devices
- Archived User licences for keeping leavers' data in Workspace at lower cost
- Education and nonprofit editions for qualifying schools and charities: see our education and charity licensing guide
Exact features change regularly, so we confirm the current edition comparison when we quote.
Google Workspace: vendors and products we supply
- Google: Google Workspace editions, Cloud Identity, Cameyo and Google Cloud on one account.
- Google Workspace: Every Workspace edition, from Business Starter to Enterprise Plus.
What to look for
- Storage per user or pooled across the organisation
- Meet limits: participants, recording and attendance tracking
- Security: advanced endpoint management, context-aware access, data loss prevention and data regions in higher editions
- Compliance: Vault for retention and eDiscovery is in Business Plus and Enterprise editions
- Mixing editions: whether you can assign different editions to different users in your account
- Admin and support: how you will manage users, groups and policies day to day, and who to turn to when something goes wrong
How Google Workspace is licensed
Google Workspace is licensed per user, with two payment plans:
| Flexible Plan | Annual/Fixed-Term Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Monthly | Commitment for the term |
| Adding users | Any time | Any time |
| Removing users | Any time, bill reduces next month | Only at renewal |
| Cancel early | Any time | Remaining contract balance is payable |
| Cost per user | Higher | Lower |
Google allows a switch from Flexible to Annual at any time, but from Annual to Flexible only at renewal. Our guide to monthly vs annual licences explains how to decide. Prices depend on edition, plan and quantity: ask us for a quote.
How to choose
- Count users and shared mailboxes; shared inboxes can often be Google Groups rather than paid users.
- Decide which features matter: storage, Vault, security controls or advanced Meet.
- Choose Flexible for changing headcount, Annual for stable teams.
- Plan backup: Google Vault is not a backup, so consider Google Workspace backup.
- Add security: MFA, email security and DMARC.
- Review edition assignments every few months; staff who changed role may no longer need a higher edition.
If you are moving from another email platform, we can plan the migration of mail, files and calendars.
How we help
We supply Google Workspace on your Forever Systems account, transfer existing subscriptions where possible, advise on editions and plans, and help with setup and migration. Your Workspace licences sit on the same invoice as your security and backup. Contact us for a quote.
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Google Workspace Business and Enterprise?
Business editions are for up to 300 users and step up in storage, meeting and security features. Enterprise editions have no user cap and add stronger security, data protection, compliance and management controls.
Can I reduce Google Workspace licences mid-term?
On the Flexible Plan, yes, at any time. On the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan you can add licences at any time but can only reduce them at renewal.
Can I move my existing Google Workspace account to you?
In most cases, yes. A Google Workspace subscription can usually be transferred to a new reseller without changing your users, data or domain. We guide you through the steps.
Is Google Workspace for Education available?
Yes, for qualifying institutions. Education Fundamentals is available at no cost to eligible schools, with paid editions adding security and teaching features. See our education licensing guide.