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. Businesses move in both directions, and both vendors build tools specifically to help you do it. 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. Both vendors provide their own migration tools in their admin consoles, so files do not have to be moved by hand. 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. Each platform has its own tool. Moving to Microsoft 365, you use the batch migration tool in the Exchange admin center, which brings email, contacts and calendars over from Google Workspace. Moving to Google Workspace, you use the Admin console's data import method for Exchange Online. Either way it 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 spread across the internet. How long depends on the TTL on the old MX records — other mail servers keep their cached copy until that TTL runs out, so a record with a one-hour TTL clears in about an hour and a record with a one-day TTL takes about a day. Lowering the TTL a day or two before the cutover shortens the window. During the window, some emails may still arrive at the old platform. Plan accordingly, and see DNS propagation for how to shorten it.

Contacts and calendar migration

If you use the vendor tools above, contacts and calendars usually travel with the email: Microsoft's batch migration tool moves email, contacts and calendars from Google Workspace in one job, and Google's Exchange Online import copies email, calendar and contact data.

Where you need to move them on their own, standard file formats work:

Contacts are exported as a CSV file (a simple spreadsheet format) or as vCard, which is the format Google uses for contact exports. Both Google and Microsoft can import these.
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 usually the most time-consuming part, but you do not have to move them by hand. Both vendors provide a tool inside their own admin console, so start there.

From Google Drive to OneDrive and SharePoint:

Microsoft's Migration Manager, in the SharePoint admin center, moves files, their metadata and their sharing permissions from personal and shared Google Drives.
You install a Microsoft migration app into your Google Workspace account, scan the drives you want, then run the migration.
It copies rather than moves — the originals stay in Google Drive — so it is safe to run early and run again later.
Everyone needs to have signed in to Microsoft 365 and set up their OneDrive before you start.
Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are not Office file formats, so check anything complex once it has landed.

From OneDrive or SharePoint to Google Drive:

Google's Admin console has data import methods for both OneDrive and SharePoint Online that bring across files, folders and permissions. There is a simpler default method and an advanced one for larger organizations.
Google documents a matching import path for Microsoft Teams chat messages.
Office files (.docx, .xlsx) open in Google Docs and Sheets, but may have minor formatting differences.

For a one or two person setup, downloading the files and re-uploading them by hand is still fine, and often quicker than setting a tool up. Individual users can export their own files with Google Takeout; Google picks the formats it considers most portable and offers extra options for some services, so check what you get before you rely on it.

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.

Switching from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365

The main adjustments for your team:

Getting comfortable with Outlook's folder-based email (rather than Gmail's label-and-search approach)
Installing Office apps on each computer (optional but useful)
Understanding the split between OneDrive (personal files) and SharePoint (team files)
Learning Microsoft Teams if your team uses video calls and chat

Switching from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace

The main adjustments for your team:

Getting comfortable with Gmail's label-based organization rather than folders
Getting used to editing documents in the browser — there are no desktop versions of Docs, Sheets and Slides, though Drive for desktop can sync your files to your computer
Learning Google Drive and shared drives for file storage
Getting used to Google Meet and Google Chat instead of Teams

Common questions

Will I lose any emails during the migration?

When done correctly, no. The vendor migration tools copy your data rather than move it — Microsoft's file tool leaves the originals in Google Drive — so the old platform keeps its copy until you close it down. During the brief DNS transition window, a small number of emails may arrive at the old system and need to be forwarded manually. Careful planning minimizes this.

Can we keep our existing email addresses?

Yes. Your email addresses (like name@yourbusiness.com) are tied to your domain name, not your email platform. Switching platforms does not change your email addresses.

How much will migration cost?

Cost depends on how many users you have and how complex your setup is. Both vendors provide migration tools inside their own admin consoles, so you often do not need to buy extra software at all. Third-party tools exist if your setup is unusual; check their own pricing pages before assuming a figure. Time is usually the bigger cost — staff time to plan, configure, and orient the team. Contact us for a realistic estimate for your specific situation.

Do we need to keep both platforms active during the migration?

Yes, for a brief overlap period. Both platforms are built for this — Microsoft's own guidance on moving from Google Workspace says to keep both environments active and move groups of users over time. You need the old platform running until the migration is confirmed complete and the DNS has fully switched over. Typically this overlap is just a few days.

What about our Google Meet or Teams meeting links in calendar invites?

Existing calendar invites will still contain the old platform's meeting links. After migration, you will need to update recurring meetings to use the new platform's video call links. This is worth doing for any important recurring meetings.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.