Feature Comparison
| Feature | Google Workspace | Self-Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Files & storage | Google Drive — 30GB to 5TB per user | Nextcloud — unlimited, your storage |
| Documents | Google Docs, Sheets, Slides | OnlyOffice or Collabora — full Office compatibility |
| Gmail — Google scans metadata | Stalwart Mail — JMAP + IMAP, zero scanning | |
| Calendar | Google Calendar | Nextcloud Calendar (CalDAV) |
| Video calls | Google Meet — processed on Google servers | Jitsi Meet — end-to-end encrypted, self-hosted |
| Chat | Google Chat | Mattermost — channels, threads, integrations |
| Identity | Google Workspace admin | Zitadel — OIDC/SAML, no per-user fees |
| Data location | Google chooses (EU option costs extra) | You choose — UK, EU, or on-premise |
| Data access | Google processes all content server-side | Zero third-party access |
| CLOUD Act | Subject — Google is US-headquartered | Not applicable — EU infrastructure |
| Telemetry | Extensive metadata collection | None — you control all logging |
| Vendor lock-in | High — Google Takeout is incomplete | None — open standards, export any time |
The Privacy Problem
Google's business model is data. Even in Workspace (the paid product), Google collects extensive metadata: who emails whom, when, how often, what files are accessed, search queries within Drive, and usage patterns across all services.
Google states it does not scan Workspace email for advertising. But the metadata it collects — the patterns of communication, the topics of documents, the network of contacts — is commercially valuable and legally accessible under the CLOUD Act.
For organisations handling sensitive data — client files, patient records, legal correspondence, financial information — this metadata exposure is a compliance risk that no DPA or data residency option fully mitigates.
CLOUD Act exposure
Google is a US company. Under the CLOUD Act (2018), US authorities can compel Google to disclose data stored anywhere globally, including EU data centres. Storing data in Google's EU region does not protect against US government access.
Cost at Scale
Google Workspace pricing scales linearly with headcount. Self-hosted infrastructure has fixed costs regardless of user count. The cost advantage of self-hosted grows dramatically at scale.
| Users | Google Plan | Google Annual | DIY Self-Hosted Compute* | Compute Saving* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Business Standard | £1,236/yr | £960–1,800/yr | Similar cost, more privacy |
| 50 | Business Standard | £6,180/yr | £1,800–3,600/yr | 42–71% cheaper self-hosted |
| 200 | Business Plus | £36,720/yr | £3,600–7,200/yr | 80–90% cheaper self-hosted |
| 500 | Enterprise | £120,000/yr | £6,000–12,000/yr | 90–95% cheaper self-hosted |
Google pricing based on published UK rates as of April 2026. Self-hosted figures are raw EU dedicated-server compute and storage costs for a self-managed deployment — they do not include Genitco's managed hosting or ongoing operations, which is priced separately (see pricing). If you want us to run this stack for you rather than self-manage it, expect a materially higher number than the compute-only figures above.
Migration Path
Migration from Google Workspace to self-hosted follows a phased approach:
- Week 1: Deploy self-hosted stack in parallel (Nextcloud, Stalwart, Mattermost, Jitsi)
- Week 1–2: Migrate files from Google Drive via Nextcloud migration tools
- Week 2: Sync email via IMAP from Gmail to Stalwart
- Week 2–3: Migrate calendar and contacts via CalDAV/CardDAV export
- Week 3: Configure identity (Zitadel) and SSO for all services
- Week 3–4: Cut over DNS (MX records) for email routing
- Week 4: Decommission Google Workspace, verify all data migrated
Zero downtime
Both systems run in parallel during migration. Email is synced bidirectionally. Users switch at their own pace. DNS cutover is the final step, and it can be reversed within minutes if needed.