Free productivity tools for your school: Google vs. Microsoft in 2026

Neither suite is right for every school: Google Workspace for Education fits schools built on Chromebooks and simple administration, and Microsoft 365 Education fits schools built on Windows and desktop Office. The question that changed is what "free" means, because on November 5, 2026, Microsoft announced it will retire its free plan, Office 365 A1, on January 1, 2028.

Like many of you, I started on Microsoft Office tools. Then I came to love Google's collaborative tools. This is the comparison a school leader needs before a renewal meeting, with the current editions, limits, and prices side by side.

Pooled storage

One storage allowance shared by everyone in a school's account. Mail, files, and shared drives all draw from it, and an admin can set limits for different groups of users.

What is actually free from each company in 2026?

Today, both companies give a qualifying school a suite at no charge. Google's Education Fundamentals includes Classroom, Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, Gemini, and 100 TB of pooled storage. Microsoft donates Office 365 A1, which includes web versions of the core apps, inside the same 100 TB base pool.

The next two years look different. Microsoft says A1 reaches end of sale through partner channels on May 1, 2027 and retires on January 1, 2028. A school with an enrollment that began before that date can keep using A1 through the term, then must move users to a replacement license. The new no-cost offer, Microsoft 365 Education A0, has conditions: it is for students who use Windows devices, the school needs full paid faculty coverage on A2 or higher, and it leaves out Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Teams.

How do the paid editions compare on price?

Read these list prices carefully, because the units differ. Google's suggested price for Education Plus is $6 per user per year, and the Teaching and Learning add-on is $60 per user per year. Microsoft's education page lists Office 365 A3 at $3.25 per faculty user per month and $2.50 per student user per month, and Office 365 A5 at $8.00 and $6.00.

The licensing rules matter as much as the price. Google says paid subscriptions must cover total enrollment and active staff, with a floor of 50 licenses. Microsoft says institutions can mix editions and license only the users who need an offer, subject to its eligibility rules. Your reseller's quote is the real number on both sides, and Microsoft says renewal prices might vary with the retirement of A1 and the Student Use Benefit.

How far does the storage go, and what happens in 2028?

Google adds 20 GB to the pool for each Education Plus license and 100 GB for each Teaching and Learning license. Microsoft adds 50 GB per paid A3 license and 100 GB per paid A5 license, and it caps A1 users at 100 GB of OneDrive. Both sell more in 10 TB steps, and Microsoft's estimated retail price is $300 a month.

Storage each paid license adds to the shared pool

Under Microsoft's new model, the 100 TB base goes away and capacity comes from paid licenses, starting at each school's first renewal or extension on or after January 1, 2028. Paid student licenses add storage for the first time. Microsoft says most schools (99.96%) are well below their current allotment, but a school with few paid licenses should run this math before renewal, not after.

What do Gemini and Copilot add for teachers and students?

Google includes the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook in every education edition for users of all ages, with some features restricted under 18. Gemini in Classroom gives teachers planning tools. Starting August 10, 2026, it became available to students of all ages whose admin had already granted access. Google says the Classroom tab is on by default, and it stays off where a school had already turned it off for students.

Microsoft includes Copilot Chat at no additional cost, for staff and for students 13 and older, plus Teach for lesson plans, quizzes, and rubrics, and a Study and Learn Agent for students. In the new lineup, Copilot Chat starts at A2. Microsoft 365 Copilot inside Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook is a paid offering, and the A7 edition includes Microsoft Copilot.

AI add-on list price per user per month

Google lists its add-on at $20 with a one-year commitment, and at $15 for Education Plus customers buying 50 to 999 licenses. Start with the included tools, then buy add-ons only for the staff who show a clear use.

How do management and privacy compare?

Google runs users, services, and age settings from one Admin console. Add ChromeOS Education Upgrade and the same console manages Chromebooks with more than 500 policies. On the Microsoft side, School Data Sync is a free service that syncs rosters from your student information system. In the new lineup, A2 includes mobile device management and A3 adds Intune for Education. Copilot Chat access for students depends on setting the ageGroup attribute correctly in Entra ID.

Both companies now make clear public statements on AI data. Google says no Workspace for Education data is used to improve or train AI models, and that there is no advertising in core services. Microsoft says your data is isolated within your tenant and never used to train foundation models, and that Copilot inherits the security and privacy policies you have already set.

Pick the suite your people will actually use, then read the renewal terms before anyone signs.Ernie Delgado, BeyondK12

Which suite fits which school?

• Google fits a Chromebook school, a small technology team that wants one console, and a school that wants AI tools under admin control for students younger than 13.
• Microsoft fits a Windows school, staff who depend on desktop Office, and a school that wants to pay for advanced editions for only some users.
• A current A1 school has a decision to make either way. Price the replacement licenses, then compare that number with a move. Our guide to migrating to Google Workspace for Education shows what a move involves.

1. Count your users and devices. List staff, students, alumni accounts, and how many devices run ChromeOS, Windows, and iPadOS.
2. Find your renewal date. Microsoft's changes land at your first renewal or extension on or after May 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028, so the date sets your clock.
3. Price both futures. Ask a reseller for each suite's cost at your real user count, including storage.
4. Test AI with your youngest users in mind. Decide who gets what, then check that the admin settings match your policy.

Where to start this week

Ask your technology lead two questions: what edition are we on, and when does it renew? Those answers tell you whether this is a calm choice or a deadline. Whichever suite you keep, teachers need time to learn it, and our professional development team can help plan that.

Your suite now comes with AI, so your policy has to catch up. The free AI Readiness Assessment takes eight questions and scores your school out of 24 across Policy, People, Curriculum, Guardrails, and Funding.

Related reading: The role of AI ethics and human judgment in protecting student data in schools and What is an AI strategy in K-12 education?

Questions school leaders ask

Is Google Workspace for Education still free?+

Education Fundamentals is listed at no charge for qualifying institutions, with 100 TB of pooled storage, Classroom, Gmail, Drive, Meet, Gemini, and Gemini Notebook. Education Plus is the paid edition at a suggested $6 per user per year, and Google requires paid licenses to cover every active user.

Is Microsoft 365 free for schools?+

Office 365 A1 is free for eligible institutions today, with web versions of the core apps. Microsoft will retire it on January 1, 2028, and A1 licenses cannot be renewed once an enrollment that began before that date ends. The new no-cost offer, A0, is for students on Windows devices at schools with full paid faculty coverage on A2 or higher.

Can students under 13 use Gemini or Copilot?+

Google says the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook are available to users of all ages, with some features restricted under 18 and access set by the admin. Microsoft describes Copilot Chat and the Study and Learn Agent as available to students 13 and older.

Do Google and Microsoft train AI on school data?+

Google says no Workspace for Education data is used to improve or train AI models, and that Gemini data is not human reviewed. Microsoft says Copilot data is isolated within your Microsoft 365 tenant and never used to train foundation models. Read the terms in your own contract as well as these public statements.

Which is better for a small Catholic or independent school?+

Neither by default. A Chromebook school with a small technology team may gain the most from a single console. A school with Windows labs and staff who depend on desktop Office may fit Microsoft better. Confirm eligibility first: Google says accredited K-12 institutions qualify, and that religious organizations that are not registered 501(c)(3)s do not.

Sources

1. Microsoft Education Blog, Future-ready education: Evolving Microsoft 365 Education (November 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
2. Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 Education portfolio evolution (November 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
3. Microsoft Education, Changes to storage offerings across Microsoft 365 Education (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
4. Microsoft Education, Get started with Office 365 (plans and list prices) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
5. Microsoft Education, Microsoft 365 Copilot in education (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
6. Microsoft Education Blog, New AI experiences and academic offering for Microsoft 365 Copilot (October 2025) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
7. Microsoft Education Tech Community, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for students 13+ (2025) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
8. Microsoft Learn, School Data Sync overview (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
9. Google for Education, Compare editions (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
10. Google Workspace Admin Help, Google Workspace for Education pricing and licensing (October 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
11. Google Workspace Admin Help, Understand storage availability and usage (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
12. Google Workspace Admin Help, Quickstart guide to Gemini and Gemini Notebook for Education (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
13. Google Workspace Admin Help, Control access to Google services by age (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
14. Google Workspace Updates, Gemini in Google Classroom is expanding to users of all ages (August 2026) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
15. Google for Education, Privacy and security (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
16. Google for Education, Chromebooks overview (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
17. Google Workspace Admin Help, Sign up for Google Workspace for Education (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
18. Argote and Ingram, Knowledge transfer: a basis for competitive advantage in firms (2000) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)

EDErnie DelgadoFounder and CEO of BeyondK12. 35 years in education technology, founder of Beyond Technology Education in 2001, host of the BeyondK12 podcast.About BeyondK12