Until recently, if you were thinking about adding AI to your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace setup, you had exactly one serious option. Microsoft Copilot had the workplace AI market mostly to itself. That just changed.
Google has launched Gemini Enterprise — a $21/user/month workplace AI platform that plugs into your existing tools, whether those tools are Google's or Microsoft's or neither. For small and medium businesses already paying for one of these platforms, this creates a genuine choice worth understanding before you commit.
What Is Gemini Enterprise?
Gemini Enterprise is Google's direct play for the workplace AI market. At $21 per user per month, it's positioned as an AI assistant that connects to your existing business data — Google Workspace (Docs, Gmail, Drive), Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook), Salesforce, SAP, and more.
The headline differentiator Google is pushing is cross-platform connectivity. Unlike Copilot, which is deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, Gemini Enterprise is designed to work regardless of which productivity suite your business runs on. That's a meaningful pitch if your team uses a mix of tools — or if you're not fully committed to either Google or Microsoft.
What Microsoft Copilot Does in 2026
Microsoft Copilot has been around long enough to develop serious depth. The February 2026 update brought agent mode to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — meaning Copilot can now autonomously make changes to documents while reasoning through each step, rather than just offering suggestions you approve one by one.
Recent additions that matter for small teams:
- Agent mode in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (multi-step autonomous editing)
- GPT-5.2 available in Copilot Chat
- Agentic presentation creation in PowerPoint on the Web
- Microsoft Purview integration for data governance and compliance
If your team lives in Microsoft 365, Copilot's integration is tight. It knows your calendar, your emails, your recent documents, and can pull context from across your Microsoft environment without any extra configuration.
The Pricing Breakdown
Here's where it gets practical:
- Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365: $30 USD/user/month (requires Microsoft 365 Business Standard or higher)
- Google Gemini Enterprise: $21 USD/user/month (connects to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and third-party tools)
That's a $9/user/month gap. For a team of 10, that's $1,080 per year. For 25 people, it's $2,700 per year. Not trivial for an SMB watching its software spend.
There's also the free tier question. Microsoft recently made Copilot available as part of standard Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with the paid upgrade unlocking the deeper features. Google Workspace similarly bundles Gemini capabilities at various subscription tiers. Before paying for either, it's worth checking what you already have access to.
Which Ecosystem Are You Already In?
This is the most important question — and it probably decides your choice more than any feature comparison.
If your team runs on Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams), Copilot is the natural fit. The integration is native — Copilot knows your emails, calendar, and documents without any setup. The agent mode in Office apps means it can now handle multi-step tasks autonomously inside tools your team uses every day.
If your team runs on Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet), Gemini Enterprise is the obvious starting point. Google's AI is deeply integrated with the suite, and the contextual awareness across Gmail and Drive is a genuine practical advantage at a lower per-seat price.
If you run a mixed environment — some Google, some Microsoft, Salesforce, or other tools — Gemini Enterprise's cross-platform connectivity is worth a serious look. The ability to connect one AI layer across your whole stack, rather than Microsoft's tools only, matters more as businesses mix and match software.
Where Each Platform Actually Shines
Rather than spec sheets, here's what each platform does better in real-world use for a small team:
Microsoft Copilot is better for:
- Teams deep in the Microsoft ecosystem (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook)
- Complex document workflows — generating reports, summarising meetings from Teams recordings, drafting emails with full context pulled automatically
- Regulated industries where Microsoft Purview's compliance features matter
- Businesses that want agent mode handling multi-step tasks inside Office documents without manual approval at every step
Gemini Enterprise is better for:
- Teams already on Google Workspace who want tighter AI integration without switching tools
- Businesses using a mix of platforms across Google, Microsoft, and third-party tools
- Price-conscious SMBs where the $9/user/month saving adds up meaningfully
- Teams that want one AI layer spanning their entire stack, not just one vendor's products
The Honest Verdict for Small Teams
For most small businesses, this decision is simpler than the marketing battle makes it sound.
If you're paying for Microsoft 365 Business Standard or higher, start with Copilot. The integration advantage is real, and the agent mode updates make it genuinely useful for document-heavy workflows. The higher price reflects deeper ecosystem integration you're already invested in.
If you're on Google Workspace, Gemini Enterprise is the natural choice — and the lower price makes it easier to trial without a big commitment.
If you're undecided about your whole productivity stack, this is actually a good moment to step back. We've written a longer guide on choosing the right AI assistant for your business in 2026 that covers the broader decision framework.
The bottom line: workplace AI is competitive in a way it wasn't 12 months ago. That's good news for businesses — prices will come down, features will improve, and neither Google nor Microsoft can afford to coast. Whichever you choose today, you're not locked in forever. Pick based on where your team already works, not based on hype.