In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Zoho Mail vs Google Workspace at a glance
- 02Price and storage compared (SGD, October 2026)
- 03The Zoho free plan: what you give up
- 04Apps, admin and security controls
- 05Which suits your business?
- 06Switching between Zoho and Google: effort and steps
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Choose Zoho Mail if you mainly need cheap, reliable email on your own domain and can live with Zoho's apps. Choose Google Workspace if your team works in Docs, Sheets and Meet, shares files with clients, or wants Gmail's familiar interface. For a few users, the price gap is small in absolute terms.
Zoho Mail vs Google Workspace at a glance
Prices from Zoho Mail's pricing page and Google Workspace's Singapore pricing page, shown in SGD, as of October 2026. Both exclude GST.
Zoho Mail / Workplace
Lowest costFrom S$1.33/user/mo
- Mail Lite: 5 GB per user, annual only
- Workplace Standard: S$3.99 annual, 30 GB mail
- Office apps, chat and meetings in Workplace plans
- Free plan for up to 5 users
Best for: Email-first teams watching every dollar.
Google Workspace
Most familiarFrom S$9.40/user/mo
- Business Starter: 30 GB pooled per user
- Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, Meet
- Easy file sharing with clients
- Gemini AI features in all plans (limited in Starter)
Best for: Teams that collaborate in documents daily.
Google's price is the flexible (monthly) plan; it advertises about 16% off with an annual commitment, and introductory discounts for new customers. Zoho shows both annual and monthly prices for some plans.
Price and storage compared (SGD, October 2026)
| Plan | Price per user per month | Email storage |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Mail Lite | S$1.33 or S$1.67 (annual only) | 5 GB or 10 GB |
| Zoho Mail Premium | S$5.32 (annual only) | 50 GB + 50 GB retention |
| Zoho Workplace Standard | S$3.99 annual, S$5.32 monthly | 30 GB, plus team file storage |
| Zoho Workplace Professional | S$7.98 annual, S$9.31 monthly | 100 GB + 100 GB retention |
| Google Business Starter | S$9.40 flexible | 30 GB pooled per user (email and Drive) |
| Google Business Standard | S$18.80 flexible | 2 TB pooled per user |
| Google Business Plus | S$29.40 flexible | 5 TB pooled per user |
For a five-person team on the cheapest paid plans, Zoho Mail Lite costs about S$80 a year and Google Business Starter about S$564 a year at flexible pricing. The gap grows with headcount, but so does the cost of people working in tools they find awkward.
The Zoho free plan: what you give up
Zoho's Forever Free plan hosts email for one domain, for up to 5 users, with 5 GB per user. It is available only in some Zoho data centres. The key limit, stated on Zoho's page, is that IMAP, POP and ActiveSync are not included.
In practice that means you cannot connect the mailbox to Outlook, Apple Mail or your phone's built-in mail app. You use Zoho's web mail and Zoho's own mobile apps. For a one-person business that is fine; for a team used to Outlook it usually is not.
Apps, admin and security controls
Both are full business suites, but they feel different day to day.
- Office apps: Google has Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, which most clients and suppliers already use. Zoho Workplace includes Writer, Sheet, Show and WorkDrive, which handle Microsoft Office files but are less familiar to outsiders.
- Meetings and chat: Google Meet and Chat versus Zoho Meeting and Cliq. Both work; Meet links are more widely recognised by clients.
- Sign-in security: both support multi-factor sign-in. Zoho lists identity management and an MFA app on paid plans; Google lists security and management controls on all business plans.
- Retention and eDiscovery: Zoho includes email retention and eDiscovery from Mail Premium. In Google Workspace, compare plans if you need to keep and search email for legal reasons.
- AI: Google includes Gemini features, limited on Starter. Zoho includes its Zia assistant on paid plans.
If your accountant, clients or freelancers send Google Docs links and expect you to edit, Google saves friction. If most of your work happens in email and accounting software, Zoho's apps are rarely a problem.
Which suits your business?
Choose Zoho Mail if
- You mainly need professional email on your domain
- Budget matters more than familiar apps
- You already use Zoho Books, CRM or other Zoho apps
- You have staff who only need a basic mailbox
Choose Google Workspace if
- Your team lives in Docs, Sheets and shared Drives
- You collaborate on files with clients and partners
- You want Gmail and Google Meet that everyone knows
- You may outgrow 5 to 30 GB of mailbox storage soon
Also consider Microsoft 365, especially if you need desktop Word and Excel. Our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison covers that choice.
Switching between Zoho and Google: effort and steps
Moving email between providers is routine but needs planning, mainly around DNS and timing.
Create the new accounts first
Set up the new tenant and users while your old email keeps working. Verify domain ownership with a DNS record.
Copy old email across
Both providers offer migration tools. Copy the bulk of old email before you switch, then a final top-up after.
Switch MX records at a quiet time
Lower the DNS TTL a day before, then change MX records to the new provider. New mail starts arriving there within hours.
Update SPF, DKIM and DMARC
Replace the old provider's SPF include and DKIM key with the new ones, then check with a test email.
Reconnect phones and laptops
Each person signs in to the new mailbox on their devices. Keep the old service for a month in case something was missed.
Our guide to migrating email between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 covers the same steps in more detail.
Do it yourself or get help?
Setting up either provider for one or two people is a reasonable DIY job if you are comfortable editing DNS. Our guide to setting up business email in Singapore walks through it.
If you would like it done properly, our Business Email Setup (S$249) sets up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for up to 5 people with SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your own account, and Email Migration (S$390) moves up to 5 mailboxes with folders and contacts. Licence fees are paid by you directly to the provider.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. As of October 2026, Zoho Mail Lite starts at S$1.33 per user per month on an annual plan and Zoho Workplace Standard at S$3.99, while Google Workspace Business Starter is S$9.40 per user per month on the flexible plan. All prices exclude GST, and both companies run promotional discounts.
Yes, Zoho's Forever Free plan hosts email for one domain for up to five users with 5 GB each, but it is available only in some Zoho data centres and does not include IMAP, POP or ActiveSync. That means you use Zoho's web and mobile apps rather than Outlook or your phone's built-in mail app.
Generally yes on paid plans. Zoho lists IMAP and Exchange ActiveSync access, which let you connect Outlook, Apple Mail and phone mail apps; confirm it for the plan you choose. The free plan does not include IMAP, POP or ActiveSync, so it works only through Zoho's own web and mobile apps.
It depends on how your team works. If you collaborate daily in Docs, Sheets and Drive, share files with clients and want familiar Gmail and Meet, Google is usually worth it. If you mostly need professional email and your other work happens in accounting or CRM tools, Zoho does the job for less.
It is a routine migration. Create Google accounts, copy old email with a migration tool, switch your domain's MX records at a quiet time, update SPF and DKIM, then reconnect devices. For a small team it usually takes a few days of preparation and a short cut-over, with no lost email if planned properly.