Should Your Company Upgrade to Google Workspace Enterprise?

A Strategic Guide for Mid-Sized European Businesses

Many companies in the 50–250 user range run smoothly on Google Workspace Business Standard or Business Plus. These plans cover most productivity and collaboration needs: Gmail, Google Drive, Meet, Docs, Sheets, and essential security features.
Yet, Google also offers Enterprise plans with additional security, compliance, and management tools. The question for IT and business leaders is: Does Enterprise bring enough value to justify the higher cost?

Let’s break it down.

Pricing: The First Hurdle

• Business Standard: ± €13.60/user/month
• Business Plus: ± €21.10/user/month
• Enterprise: custom pricing (typically €20–31+/user/month, depending on volume and discounts)

For a company with 150 users, the jump from Business Plus to Enterprise could add €8,000–20,000 per year in extra license costs.
This means Enterprise needs to deliver strategic benefits — not just “nice-to-have” features.

Core Advantages of Enterprise

Security and Compliance

• Context-Aware Access: Control access to apps and data based on user identity, location, or device security status.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Gmail & Drive: Automatic rules to prevent sensitive data from leaving the company.
• S/MIME encryption & Client-Side Encryption: Higher-level email and document protection.
• Security Sandbox: Advanced detection of malware in attachments.
• Vault (eDiscovery, Retention, Legal Hold): Included in Enterprise, optional in lower tiers.

👉 For regulated industries (finance, healthcare, legal, public sector), these are often non-negotiable.

Management & Scalability

• Enhanced Admin Controls: Device management, detailed audit logs, security investigations tool.
• App Access Control: Prevent shadow IT by controlling which third-party apps can access Workspace data.
• Assured Controls (EU Data Regions, Admin Logs Export): Useful for GDPR and European compliance.

👉 If you already have an MDM, DLP, or SIEM system, these features may overlap. If not, Enterprise can reduce reliance on extra vendors.

Collaboration & Productivity

• Google Meet: Enterprise enables meetings up to 500 participants, live streaming to 100,000 viewers, noise cancellation, and attendance tracking.
• Drive: Unlimited storage (vs. pooled storage on Business plans).
• AppSheet Enterprise: Advanced no-code app building without extra licensing.

👉 This matters if you regularly host town halls, large training sessions, or build internal tools on Workspace.

Where Business Plus is “Good Enough”

• Storage: Business Plus offers 5 TB pooled storage — enough for most 50–250 user companies.
• Meet: Up to 500 participants already included.
• Vault: Available on Business Plus, covering most retention/eDiscovery needs.
• Endpoint Management: Basic controls included.

👉 For companies without strict compliance needs, Business Plus often balances features and cost best.

When Enterprise is a Strategic Fit

Enterprise is worth it if your company:

1. Operates in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, legal, government contractors).
2. Needs advanced DLP and security investigations — to detect insider threats, prevent data leaks, and meet auditor demands.
3. Wants EU data sovereignty assurances and granular admin export controls.
4. Has a distributed, mobile workforce that requires context-aware access (e.g., block logins from unmanaged devices).
5. Plans to consolidate tools: replacing separate DLP, MDM, or SIEM vendors with built-in Workspace capabilities may justify the higher price.

When to Stay on Business Plus

You’re likely fine with Business Plus if:

• Your main concern is collaboration, storage, and reliable email — without advanced compliance overhead.
• Your industry has light regulatory requirements (creative agencies, consultancies, tech scale-ups, professional services).
• You already invested in third-party security tools (e.g., endpoint security, SIEM) and don’t need Google’s built-ins.
• Cost optimization is a priority, and Enterprise features would remain underutilized.

Recommendation Framework

Before deciding, ask:

• Regulatory Fit: Does your industry require client-side encryption, DLP, or sandboxing?
• Tool Consolidation: Could Enterprise replace existing security vendors and lower total IT spend?
• Growth Outlook: Will user numbers or compliance demands grow significantly in the next 12–24 months?
• Risk Appetite: What’s the cost of a data breach vs. the cost of Enterprise licenses?

Conclusion

For most mid-sized European companies (50–250 users), Business Plus is the sweet spot: strong security, collaboration, and compliance features at a reasonable cost.

But if your company operates in regulated industries, faces strict audits, or wants to consolidate IT tools, then Enterprise is a strategic investment — not just an upgrade.

👉 The decision isn’t about features alone. It’s about aligning your Google Workspace plan with risk, compliance, and growth strategy.

‍