The applications integration into the operating system are significant. Since Microsoft makes both Office and Windows the integration is tight and provides many benefits. That said, we support ministries using Google Workspace for email and then licensing Office for Word and Excel.
To overcome any integration issues, Google offers Chromebooks running Chrome OS which has a seamless integration with Google Workspace. It is important to note that both platforms work on both operating systems and both work on PCs and Macs.
Applications: Microsoft vs Google for churches? In our opinion, Microsoft is the better choice when it comes to applications.
Data
Both platforms offer strict data policies and ensure the customer owns the data, not Google or Microsoft. The differences really come down to how each provider operates.
Microsoft released Office to help PCs in the early days be productive. The early versions of Office were not cloud based as the cloud didn’t exist back then. Microsoft continues to develop and sell Office and Microsoft 365 as a business productivity suite. Microsoft is a service company in the business of selling software.
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While much younger, Google started as a data company. Google’s search engine is heavily data driven and that data is what Google sells, both in terms of search engine results and advertising.
While your data is secure on both platforms, do you want your data and productivity suite with a tech company based on services or data? Even with all the protections in place there are aspects of operating any Google product or service that can make the customer feel like the product and not the user.
Data: Microsoft vs Google for churches? In our opinion, Microsoft is the better choice as a services company and not a data company.
At MBS, we try to be software agnostic. While we have our recommendations, we want to support what works best for your ministry, even if it may not be what we recommend.
The decision for which platform to use should not be taken lightly. It is an extreme drain on ministry resources to switch back and forth. If you’re currently deciding, here’s an article with tips on making software decisions that last. The principles for picking Church Management Software also apply to selecting a productivity suite.
Overall: Microsoft vs Google for Churches? It’s Google!
For the reasons above, and others depending on your needs, we do recommend Microsoft over Google. However, we maintain proficiency on both platforms so we can serve as you’d like to be served.
Whether you agree with our recommendations or not, are you making a software decision that will last? As always, we are here to help you decide, implement your decision, and support your goals.