Google Classroom vs. Google Workspace for Education

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Classroom
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
N/A
$0
per license/per month
Google Workspace for Education
Score 9.5 out of 10
N/A
Google Workspace for Education includes Google products like Classroom, Meet, Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, to create an online ecosystem for learning. The Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals edition is available at no per student cost to available institutions.
$3
per student, per year
Pricing
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Editions & Modules
Education Fundamentals
$0
per license/per month
Google Workspace for Education Standard
$3
per student/per year
Teaching and Learning Upgrade
$4
per license/per month
Google Workspace for Education Plus
$5
per student/per year
Google Workspace for Education Standard
$3.00
per student, per year
Teaching and Learning Upgrade
$4
per month per license
Google Workspace for Education Plus
$5.00
per student, per year
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsEducation Fundamentals Version - 30-day free trial for qualifying institutions.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Considered Both Products
Google Classroom
Chose Google Classroom
Skyward and Google Classroom are completely different programs that are used for completely different things. The only comparable areas are communication with students. Skyward does so through the class rosters and message center and Google Classroom does so through the …
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom is more intuitive but with fewer options than Canvas.
Chose Google Classroom
I was lucky enough that I was referred to Google Classroom by the head of the math department at a local school who have been using the platform since Covid. The only other education platform I've used is Udemy where I did some courses. I have not Used Udemy to build a course …
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom is very similar. Had more comparability with other digital learning sites. Links more easily with Epic, discovery education, etc.
Chose Google Classroom
I chose Google Classroom for its diverse range of features, user-friendly interface, and the great value it offers in terms of quality and price.
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom stacks up well against similar platforms, offering a user-friendly interface, seamless integration with Google Workspace, and efficient assignment management. The selection of Google Classroom often depends on existing software ecosystems, user familiarity with …
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom's toolset is suited better for younger students. In our use of systems like Schoolbox and Canvas, they are better suited for older students(Year 7-12). These tools offer integrations into a school database which helps in cutting down double handling data. But, …
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom has a well-organized data sharing and data collection pipeline whereas others don't. Google Classroom has a plagiarism checker whereas others don't.
Chose Google Classroom
I think Google Classroom is a more complete package than Khan Academy because of its integration with Google Classroom and it is a well-suited platform for student learning because it allows students to post questions on discussions and participate in its platform. Google Meet …
Chose Google Classroom
I selected Google Classroom because it is a great website for managing and organizing learning. It is simple to use for interface; interacts with a wide range of apps and websites; effortlessly shares, collects, and grades Google Workspace documents. It is also free , …
Chose Google Classroom
Schoology is more customizable. It allows for user customization. Cleaner user interface; able to organize things in multiple folders.
Chose Google Classroom
As mentioned previously, the low barrier to entry was the final decision. Intuitive user interface is friendly for children.
Chose Google Classroom
Honestly, both the software's are equally good for online classes and meetings.
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom ties to the Google G Suite for EDU which has very good support and documentation as needed, at no additional cost, which is a big deal for setting it up. The integration with Chromebooks, Active Directory, Clever and other common platforms make it very …
Chose Google Classroom
Google Classroom was chosen unilaterally for one of my places of work, although I had checked Google Classroom when it was first released and decided against it for my own company owing to its poor reporting and other controls.
Provided one has the servers to use it and an …
Chose Google Classroom
We think Google Classroom is better than the existing platforms like Moodle, Canvas, and Microsoft Teams due to the following reasons:
  1. Moodle is a better platform that can compete with Google Classroom, since it is free and we can download and customize as per our wish and we …
Chose Google Classroom
I think Google Classroom is better suited for younger audiences and less tech-involved than a Blackboard or Canvas site. I would much rather use google classroom with my student in a middle school than Blackboard and Canvas which are better suited for colleges. I think those …
Chose Google Classroom
To create an instructional space online, Google Classroom is ahead of its competitors. It does precisely what educators need - create a virtual classroom where students can collaborate, post discussions, post their work, and receive immediate feedback. It feels like a real …
Chose Google Classroom
I have not used other platforms compared to Google Classroom, but have been introduced to Canvas. Still trying to learn it--Google Classroom is easy and user-friendly.
Chose Google Classroom
None, I have only used Google Classroom to share content with my students.
Chose Google Classroom
I haven’t reviewed other products.
Google Workspace for Education
Chose Google Workspace for Education
Google has a simpler approach to its apps. With all applications being online, things like auto-save being a default have been helpful for many staff in our organisation. Compare this to Microsoft where much of the admin has to be managed by the ICT Team, Google allows for a …
Chose Google Workspace for Education
Ultimately, since we use Chromebooks, it did not make sense to choose Microsoft. Its price points are significantly higher, and the platform is more business-oriented than tailored to the education market.
Chose Google Workspace for Education
While having more features and being overall more powerful, Microsoft's tools and services feel always more complex to use, are slower and its collaboration features are not on par with Google's.
Chose Google Workspace for Education
Google Workspace for Education compares favorably due to its strong security, free Fundamentals tier, and integrated tools like Classroom, though it may lack the advanced features of desktop applications like Microsoft Office. A common reason for selection is its AI-driven …
Chose Google Workspace for Education
Google is far less complicated to use than Microsoft 365, and way more robust than using Apple's iCloud for email, conferencing, and productivity. It's the de facto standard in education, and if the best tool if you have a limited IT team or budget. Also it's ease of …
Features
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Classroom
7.8
Ratings
5% below category average
Google Workspace for Education
-
Ratings
Course authoring8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Course catalog or library8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Player/Portal9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning content5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile friendly5.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Assignments8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance management8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning administration7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Social learning7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Gamification6.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Small Businesses
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.6 out of 10
Zoom Workplace
Zoom Workplace
Score 8.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.7 out of 10
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.7 out of 10
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.9
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
2.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google ClassroomGoogle Workspace for Education
Likelihood to Recommend
- During the pandemic, the college needs a fast and easy solution to conduct Google Classroom. The integration with Google Accounts and Google Meet allows the university to run and access the Classroom on a large scale. - The teacher wants to conduct some exams in third-party software like Moodle. But we have not found any plugin for this famous open-source learning platform. The exam system in Google Classroom is so poor that it doesn't even fully screen the test when students are writing their exams.
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Google [Workspace for Education (formerly G Suite for Education)] is pretty darn good [at] meeting the needs for educators and students. It is not designed to run your business office, transportation group, or lunch services. It doesn't need to be good at those. Focus on teachers and students. They do that really, really well. The Google folks continue to add features that help serve teacher and students. For example, they have really done a good job of adding Google Meet features such as polling and breakout rooms. Those features required a paid subscription to Workspace, but it makes sense since those features compete with Zoom, which requires a subscription for those services.
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Pros
  • Student-teacher communication - I love using Classroom for this because my students can always go back and check what was on Classroom by looking through the stream. This way they don't have to go dig through emails to find what they're looking for.
  • Posting to multiple classes - I can post the same announcement or assignment to multiple classes at once without having to repeat the process or send separate emails.
  • Streamlining grading - when students turn work in on Classroom, it all goes to one place and then when I'm grading I can open their documents directly from Classroom or my Drive folder. This way, I'm not looking through emails and Google Doc shared files for their assignment.
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  • The Admin controls are splendid. They make it easy to manage your computer fleet and user database.
  • Google quickly adapts to needed changes and pushes those out with minimum disruption to services. Just update your Chrome browser and you are on your way. No need to download and update numerous patches that take extensive time to install.
  • From the education side, having access to Google Vault is extremely valuable. Vault gives us the ability to retrieve any document ever created by an account user. That is incredibly necessary in the education world.
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Cons
  • Although usually in the discussion with other LMS apps such as Schoology and Canvas, Google Classroom doesn't possess as in-depth of a platform. There is no ability to set individual learning paths, pace student work with completion settings, or embed other apps directly into teacher-created assignments.
  • The assignment creation options are limited. Teachers can only choose from creating an assignment (usually a link with directions), a material (usually a doc/slide/website, etc), a question, and a quiz.
  • With gamification taking on a new lens in education, there really isn't any way to use gamification elements with Google Classroom. There isn't any way to create Individual learning paths, or use badges and micro-credentials within Classroom. Outside programs would have to be used.
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  • The admin console regularly feel sluggish
  • Require third party tools to make changes to bulk devices
  • Support could be a little better
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Likelihood to Renew
Testing is particularly important in online learning, and Google Classroom falls far short of other learning management systems in this regard. Security is also a concern: while account control is reasonable for the account used with Google Classroom, the person controlling a particular account is often able to, for example, forward or download proprietary materials.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
This is only a product I would recommend to a humanities teacher. Math and science teachers cannot use this product the same way that I can as an English teacher. It is great for word process and for reading, but unable to handle the demands of math and science. Therefore, I would highly recommend this product to English or Social Studies teachers, but NOT math or science teachers
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Always up, never down. Compatible with so many different platforms, OSes, and tools. For instance, someone can be on a phone, tablet, laptop, and all of those tools are compatible with Google apps like Meet, Docs, Slides, and anything else Google based. It's flexiblity is fantastic and meets our changing hardware and software requirements
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Reliability and Availability
We have had very little trouble in accessing Google Classroom. Our issues, if any, have risen from our server and not the Google servers.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Since this platform is provided by Google, the technical support is better than any others, and we are not required to bother about the space constraints for adding the contents. If we have a good uninterrupted internet facility we can access Google Classroom without any delay or lag. They have app support in both Android and iPhone.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
It was relatively easy to implement due to the simplicity of the platform. Even our more technology challenged teachers found it easy to get started with Google Classroom.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Skyward and Google Classroom are completely different programs that are used for completely different things. The only comparable areas are communication with students. Skyward does so through the class rosters and message center and Google Classroom does so through the classrooms for each student and their teacher, but each is unique in their own way.
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Ultimately, since we use Chromebooks, it did not make sense to choose Microsoft. Its price points are significantly higher, and the platform is more business-oriented than tailored to the education market
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Scalability
It is very easy to push out this program across our buildings. Teachers are able to use it without much trouble.
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • Students are able to continue learning in a remote environment
  • Parents have a single, consistent organization structure to make it easy to track assignments and progress for multiple children
  • Much better solution than the quickly assembled Zoom-and-gloom of the previous spring when school abruptly went remote with no planning
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  • Unifying document management has saved time for people to find what they need.
  • Collaboration abilities across the suite allow for streamlined workflows.
  • The ever-expanding toolset within the ecosystem allows for dynamic shifts in the way organisations can manage their digital footprint.
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ScreenShots