MapleMail vs Google Workspace

Pick Google Workspace if

• You need Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet in one subscription.
• Your team already lives in Google's tools and moving would cost more than it saves.
• You want a large vendor with a 24/7 support organisation behind it.
• You are comfortable with your mail sitting in Google's global data centres.

Pick MapleMail if

• You want your business email stored in Canada, under Canadian law and PIPEDA.
• You already have the documents and meetings tools you need, and you are paying for a suite to get an inbox.
• You are billed in Canadian dollars and would rather not watch an exchange rate.
• You want to be able to name the person who runs your mail server.

What you actually give up

Storage. Google Workspace Business Starter gives 30 GB pooled per user; MapleMail Standard gives 5 GB per mailbox. For most small businesses running ordinary email that is plenty, but if your team treats the inbox as a file archive, count that first.

And the suite itself. There are no documents, spreadsheets or video calls in MapleMail. If replacing Google Workspace means buying those separately, do the arithmetic on the whole stack, not just the mail line.

Moving is not the hard part

MapleMail uses standard IMAP, so existing mail copies across with an ordinary mail client. You keep your domain and your addresses — nothing on your business cards changes. We generate your MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and you publish them at your registrar.

Common questions

Will my mail still land in the inbox?

Deliverability comes from authentication, not from your provider's size. SPF, DKIM and DMARC are configured for your domain as part of setup. Test it on the free plan before you move anything.

Can I run both while I switch?

Yes — that is the normal way to do it. Set up MapleMail on a subdomain or a test domain, confirm everything works, then move the MX records when you are satisfied.

Is Google Workspace cheaper on an annual commitment?

Compare the two on the same terms before you decide. The figures in the table above are the list prices published on each vendor's Canadian pricing page on 9 September 2026, and Google runs promotional rates for new customers that expire after the first year. Check the renewal price, not the intro price.