Google Workspace vs G-Suite: What’s the difference?

by Edlink Team

Table of Contents

Google recently announced the launch of its suite of educational offerings called Google Workspace for Education – replacing G Suite for Education. The rebrand comes with several changes on how Google supports schools on its platform and app integration with Google Classroom. The notable changes are:

New Name

In 2020, Google rebranded many G Suite services to fall under the Google Workspace umbrella. But it didn’t change the name of G Suite for Education until February of 2021. Now, all of Google's productivity suites fall under the Google Workspace brand.

New Pricing Tiers

Now Google offers 4 different tiers for schools who want to adopt Google Workspace for Education:

  • Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals (free for qualifying schools)
  • Google Workspace for Education Standard ($3/student/year)
  • Teaching and Learning Upgrade ($4/license/month)
  • Google Workspace for Education Plus ($5/student/year)

Education Fundamentals is the base offering for schools and includes Google Classroom, Gmail, Docs, and other basic Google services designed for educational compliance. The Education Standard tier adds onto those services and provides additional security and auditing tools for school administrators. Generally, most options available in G Suite for Education can be found in these tiers.

The Teaching and Learning Upgrade and Education Plus tiers add new functionality not present in G Suite. Specifically, users of these tiers receive additional interactive Google Meet features (such as Q&A and polling tools) and access to Google Classroom add-ons.

Google Classroom Add-ons

Perhaps the biggest announcement of Google Workspace for Education is Google Classroom’s add-ons. Add-ons are not yet available, but they do present a new avenue for apps to integrate with the LMS. It also signals Google's initiative to innovate and further grow the platform.

Currently, apps can integrate with Google Classroom through the Classroom API. As of this publication, Google hasn’t announced the method of app publishing as a Google Classroom add-on. It’s yet to be seen if add-ons will integrate through the existing Classroom API, a new API, or maybe even through the LTI standard. Developers and product managers should stay updated about Classroom add-ons and be prepared to develop their own.

Know that only the high paid tiers of Google Workspace have access to add-ons. Unlike apps that integrate through the Classroom API, only certain schools using Google Classroom will be able to access the add-ons.

*as of mid-2022, Google add-ons are released

FAQ

Why the change from G-Suite to Google Workspace?

Google didn’t just change the name, it launched a more advanced product. Below are some of the improvements that came with the name change.

Tighter app integration

Workspace blends Google apps more smoothly which creates a more unified workspace experience versus the more siloed experience in older G-suite versions. Examples for this interoperability include being able to start a Google Meet video call directly from Gmail or Docs, chat and collaboration features built directly into documents and seamless real-time collaboration across apps.

Updated pricing

We discuss this a little bit above but they completely redid their pricing model. With Google Workspace, there are revamped subscription tiers like Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, and Enterprise that replace older G-Suite Basic/Business/Enterprise plans. Additionally, storage policies and feature sets were adjusted (e.g., per-user pooled storage limits instead of unlimited for some plans). These changes reflect Google Workspace’s focus on flexibility for different team sizes and work styles.

Advanced features

Google Workspace now includes admin and security tools, AI-powered capabilities, built-in collaboration features, and centralized management console. These areas have continued expanding to this day, especially the AI-powered features like Gemini.

How to integrate with Google Workspace?

Google offers extensive documentation on how to integrate with Google Workspace. Edlink does not currently offer an integration solution to Google Workspace but we do have one for Google Classroom. We recommend integrating with the Edlink API so that you are instantly connected with all of the most popular LMS and SIS systems, including Google Classroom, and don’t have to build one-off integrations with each system yourself.

What is Google Workspace for Education?

Google Workspace for Education is a suite of Google tools that empower schools and universities to secure their learning environments, enhance instructional impact, and prepare students for the future. Google Workspace for Education offers multiple options to meet your organization’s needs including digital storage, collaborative docs, video conferencing, and much more.

Why would schools use Google Workspace for Education?

Google Workspace tools are easy for both students and teachers to use. Their intuitive user-interface and reliability make them a great solution for the unique technology needs of educators and learners.


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