Switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 (or the other way)

What migrating between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 actually involves — email, files, contacts, and what to expect from the process.

Switching productivity platforms is not a decision to make lightly, but it is also not as frightening as it sounds. Thousands of businesses make this move every year. This guide explains what is involved, how long it typically takes, and how to prepare your team.

Quick summary

Switching between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 involves migrating email, contacts, calendars, and files. Email migration is the most technically involved part. Files need to be moved or downloaded and re-uploaded. Expect some disruption for a day or two, and plan the cutover for a quiet period. The right help makes this manageable.

When switching makes sense

Switching is a significant undertaking. It makes sense when:

Your business has genuinely outgrown your current platform
You are merging with or acquiring another business on a different platform
Your team's daily frustrations with the current tools are costing real time
A key client or partner relationship requires the other platform
You discovered the other platform is a much better fit for how your team works

It does not make sense to switch because one platform looks slightly cheaper at a given moment, or because of a feature you rarely use.

Migration has a real cost

Even a well-executed migration takes time — planning, configuration, staff orientation, and a few days of settling in. Account for this before deciding. The cost is not usually the migration itself; it is the disruption to your team during the transition.

What needs to move

When switching platforms, four things need to migrate:

Email — your past emails, archived messages, and sent items
Contacts — your address book
Calendar events — recurring meetings, appointments, and future events
Files — documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and uploads

The complexity of each depends on how long you have been on your current platform and how organized your files are.

Email migration

Email is the most technical part of the migration. The general approach:

Set up the new platform. Before moving anything, the new email accounts need to exist. This means adding your domain to the new platform and creating all user accounts.

Configure DNS records. Your DNS records — specifically MX records — tell the internet where to deliver email for your domain. These need to be updated to point at the new platform at the right moment.

Migrate historical email. Tools exist to copy your past emails from the old platform to the new one. This runs in the background and typically takes hours to a day or more, depending on how much email you have.

Cut over. At a planned time, you update the DNS records so new incoming emails start arriving at the new platform. This is the "moment of switch."

Verify and clean up. Confirm email is flowing correctly, then close down the old accounts.

DNS changes take time to propagate (spread across the internet) — typically a few hours, sometimes up to 24 hours. During this window, some emails may arrive at the old platform. Plan accordingly.

Contacts and calendar migration

Contacts and calendar events can be exported and imported using standard formats:

Contacts are exported as a CSV file (a simple spreadsheet format) or vCard format. Both Google and Microsoft support importing these formats.
Calendar events are exported as ICS files (a standard calendar format). Both platforms can import ICS files.

Recurring meetings may need to be recreated on the new platform rather than migrated, especially if they use platform-specific features.

File migration

Files are often the most time-consuming part because there is no simple "move everything" tool. The general approach:

From Google Drive to OneDrive:

Use Google Takeout to export all Drive files. This downloads them as standard formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx for Office-compatible files).
Upload the files to OneDrive or SharePoint.
Note: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are converted to Office formats during export. Check formatting after import.

From OneDrive/SharePoint to Google Drive:

Download files from OneDrive or SharePoint.
Upload them to Google Drive.
Office files (.docx, .xlsx) open in Google Docs/Sheets but may have minor formatting differences.

Shared Drives and SharePoint need extra planning

Shared team storage is more complex than personal files. If you use Shared Drives (Google) or SharePoint (Microsoft) for team files, plan the folder structure on the new platform before migrating. This is a good opportunity to clean up old files you no longer need.

How long does a migration take?

A typical small team migration (5–20 people):

Task	Time
Planning and setup	1–3 days
Email migration (running in background)	A few hours to 1–2 days
Files migration	Depends on volume — hours to days
DNS cutover and stabilization	A few hours
Team orientation on new tools	1–2 days of settling in

For most small teams, the whole process spans about a week, with the actual disruption concentrated in a 24–48 hour window around the cutover.

How to prepare your team

A migration goes much more smoothly when your team is prepared:

Tell people in advance. Explain what is changing, when, and what they will need to do (usually: log in with new credentials and download a new app if needed).
Document key contacts and calendar events. Ask team members to note any important recurring meetings or contacts they rely on.
Choose a quiet time. Avoid migrating during a product launch, a busy client week, or your busiest season.
Have a brief orientation. Even a 15-minute overview of the new email client makes a real difference to adoption.