Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for free – is it possible?

Google Workspace is known as a paid (subscription-based) set of office productivity apps developed by Google. And – in principle – it is exactly that. However, there are some exceptions, and some user groups can use Google Workspace for free. Who and how can get a set of Google apps without any fees?

Google Workspace for free – for whom and on what terms?

Google office suite can be used for free by:

• Schools and universities
• Non-profit organizations
• Companies

A Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals edition is addressed to both schools and universities. Non-Profit Organizations are also entitled to free use of the basic edition of the Google Workspace service. Companies, however, can have all the features of any Gooogle Workspace edition for free only for a limited time. Google itself offers only 2 weeks of free trial, but with a partner, like FOTC, you can test the service for a full month, and get significant discounts afterwards. Contact us, to start start a 30-day free trial.

Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals

Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is a free edition that facilitates access to productivity tools for teachers and students. It can be used by primary and secondary schools as well as universities. However, an institution can start using Google Workspace Enterprise for Education only if it meets certain conditions. It must have a verified status of an accredited educational institution and grant official schooling certificates.

The Google Workspace for Education edition was tailored specifically to the needs of teaching professionals and their pupils. It includes applications for communication, file editing, and storage. The tools enable collaborative project creation and ensure smooth contact and resource sharing between students and teachers. It is worth noting that Google Workspace for Education also has security features for school system administrators. For example, it includes mobile device management options and the Google Vault service for easy archiving and eDiscovery.

Online lessons are easy to organize thanks to the Google Classroom application, which, among others, facilitates the work of teachers, and ensures internal communication in classes.

Google Workspace for non-profits

Non-profit organizations are also entitled to the free version of Google Workspace. To be able to use the package for free, you need to register an account for a verified non-profit organization. This, in turn, involves meeting certain requirements.

The organization must:

• have the status of a charity,
• be verified as a non-profit organization by TechSoup or a TechSoup regional partner,
• be a public benefit organization, foundation, or association registered in the National Court Register or an equivalent public register. 

The Google for Non-profit program excludes state entities or organizations, healthcare providers (including hospitals) and educational units (in this case the dedicated service is Google Workspace for Education).

Google Workspace for Nonprofits is a package of tools that streamlines organization’s activity, engaging new people in charity work and running online fundraising.

Google Workspace for businesses

Companies also don’t have to immediately invest in the Google Workspace services. It is much safer to make the final decision about moving to the cloud after trying out all of its advantages for free. That’s why any company can sign up for an extended free trial through an official Google partner. The conditions for testing the service are very simple:

• The company chooses the package that it wants to test (Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus or one of the Enterprise offerings), 
• Google Partner implements the package and registers any number of user accounts,
• The company uses all the features of the selected package for free for 30 days.

It is worth mentioning that the conditions of the trial period are much more favourable with the Google Partner than when the test is implemented directly by Google. 

Google offers companies only 14 trial days and the number of test users is limited to 10.

Until December 2012, companies had the possibility to register for a free, but stripped down version of the Google Workspace called the G Suite Legacy. However, this option was withdrawn from the Google product catalogue. Organizations that signed up to G Suite Legacy could use this package for 10 years and in 2022 they are prompted to switch to paid Google Workspace edition.

Regardless of whether you run a company, are a member of a non-profit organization or work at school – with the help of FOTC you can test the Google Workspace for free for 30 days by filling out the form on this page. A month is a sufficient time to learn more about the functionality of Google services and decide if this is the right solution for your business.

See also:

• Gmail for business – everything you need to know before implementing it
• How to introduce and maintain Inbox Zero in Gmail?

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