Email Hosting by Gmail: Is Google Workspace Worth It for Canadian Businesses?

You’re using Gmail for everything. It’s familiar, it works, and everyone knows how to use it.

Then a client asks why your business email is still [email protected] instead of [email protected].

That’s when you realize free Gmail doesn’t look professional for business. 

But Google Workspace which is Gmail’s business version costs $7.20 CAD per user monthly.

Is the branded email worth $86.40 per year per employee?

I used Google Workspace for client businesses for over three years. 

That means managing accounts for companies with 5-50 employees, dealing with billing in USD when CAD fluctuates, and comparing what you actually get versus what you pay for.

Google Workspace makes sense for some Canadian businesses.

For others, it’s paying premium prices for features you’ll never use. Here’s when it’s worth the investment and when simpler email hosting works better.

What Google Workspace Actually Is

Google Workspace is Gmail plus business features. You get custom domain email like  [email protected], extra storage, and collaboration tools like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and admin controls.

Core difference from free Gmail: Custom domain email, guaranteed uptime, phone support, and admin tools for managing users.

What most businesses actually use: Custom email addresses and maybe Google Meet. The rest sits unused.

Google Workspace Plans for Canadian Businesses

Business Starter: $7.20 CAD/user/month

• 30GB storage per user
• Custom email
• Meet with 100 participants
• Standard security

Business Standard: $17.28 CAD/user/month

• 2TB storage per user
• Meet with 150 participants  
• Enhanced security
• Vault (email archiving)

Business Plus: $25.20 CAD/user/month

• 5TB storage per user
• Meet with 500 participants
• Advanced security
• Enhanced admin controls

Most Canadian SMBs choose Business Starter because they need email, not terabytes of storage.

What You Actually Get for $7.20 CAD/Month

Custom domain email:  [email protected] instead of [email protected]. This alone justifies the cost for most businesses.

Gmail interface everyone knows: No learning curve. If employees use personal Gmail, they already know the interface.

30GB storage per mailbox: Sufficient for 2-3 years of typical business email. But there are more than most alternatives.

Google Meet integration: Video meetings work directly from Gmail. No separate logins.

Mobile device management: Basic controls for company phones/tablets accessing work email.

99.9% uptime guarantee: Service-level agreement promising reliability and free Gmail has no guarantees.

Phone support: When email breaks, you can call Google. Free Gmail only has community forums.

Google Workspace vs. Basic Email Hosting: Honest Comparison

Truehost Canada Email -$6 CAD/user/month:

• Custom domain email ✓
• 50GB storage more than Workspace
• Webmail + Outlook/Apple Mail
• Canadian servers 
• Live chat support
• What you don’t get: Google Docs, Meet, Drive

Google Workspace – $7.20 CAD/user/month:

• Custom domain email ✓
• 30GB storage
• Gmail interface
• Global infrastructure
• Google Docs/Sheets/Slides
• Google Meet
• Phone support

What you don’t get: Canadian servers, CAD billing

If you use Google Docs and Meet regularly, Workspace makes sense. But if you only need professional email, basic hosting costs less and delivers faster Canadian performance.

Hidden Costs Canadian Businesses Should Know

USD billing with forex risk: Google charges in USD. When CAD weakens, your email costs increase. A 5% CAD drop means 5% higher email costs automatically.

Admin time for managing users: Adding or removing employees requires admin console work. Not difficult, but it’s a task someone needs to handle.

Storage upgrades push you to higher plans: If users exceed 30GB, you must upgrade the entire company to Business Standard  which costs $17.28/user. Can’t buy storage individually.

Meet participant limits matter for growing businesses: Business Starter limits Meet to 100 participants. Webinars or all-hands meetings with contractors exceed this quickly, forcing upgrades.

Add-ons cost extra: Google Voice, enhanced email archiving, advanced security, all cost extra beyond base Workspace price.

When Google Workspace Makes Sense for Canadian Businesses

Teams already using Google’s free tools: If employees use personal Google Docs/Sheets for work, Workspace formalizes this with company ownership and security.

Companies needing video meeting integration: Meet works seamlessly with Gmail. Book meetings, join from email, share recordings are all integrated.

Businesses with distributed teams: Google’s collaboration tools work well for remote teams editing documents simultaneously.

Organizations prioritizing brand recognition: “Powered by Google” provides credibility. Some clients trust Google infrastructure more than smaller providers.

Companies with mobile workforces: Gmail’s mobile apps are excellent. Employees who work primarily from phones appreciate the interface.

When Simpler Email Hosting Works Better

Email-only needs: If you don’t use Google Docs or Meet, you’re paying for unused features. Basic email hosting delivers custom email at lower cost.

Budget-conscious businesses: Saving $1.20 per user monthly ($14.40 per user yearly) adds up. For 10 employees, that’s $144 CAD annually.

Companies prioritizing Canadian infrastructure:  If most email recipients are Canadian, hosting with Canadian servers like Truehost Canada delivers faster performance.

Businesses using Microsoft Office: If your team uses desktop Office or Office 365, Microsoft 365 integrates better than mixing Google Workspace with Microsoft tools.

Organizations wanting CAD billing: Eliminating forex risk provides budget predictability. CAD billing means your email costs stay constant.

Google Workspace Deliverability Reality

Generally excellent deliverability: Google’s infrastructure and reputation ensure emails reach inboxes reliably. Corporate spam filters trust Google mail servers.

Occasionally filtered by anti-Google organizations: Some companies block all Google services for security/privacy reasons. Rare but happens.

Requires proper configuration: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records must be configured correctly. Google provides the records but you must add them to DNS.

New domains start with lower trust: Even with Google’s infrastructure, brand new domains have limited sending reputation initially. Give it 2-4 weeks to build trust.