We recently analyzed a comprehensive dataset of over 4,132 new Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) users to understand their motivations, business sizes, and adoption patterns. The data tracks submission dates, promo code preferences, and the specific reasons users decided to make the switch. Here is what we found.
Top Reasons Why People Migrate to Google Workspace
Based on our survey of over 4,132 new users (1076 user choose to give us in-debth feedback), people don't just migrate to Google Workspace on a whim. They are driven by specific business needs and the desire for a better digital experience. When we classified the primary motivations for making the switch, three clear themes emerged:
<div class="blog-chart"
data-type="bar"
data-horizontal="true"
data-title="Top Motivations for Migrating to Google Workspace"
data-labels='["Professional Presence", "Better Features & Tools", "Switching Providers"]'
data-datasets='[{"label":"Number of Responses", "data":[783, 185, 98], "color":"#2563eb"}]'>
</div>
1. Establishing a Professional Online Identity (The #1 Driver)
By far, the most common reason for migrating—accounting for 783 specific responses—was the need to look more professional. For many solopreneurs and small businesses, this means moving away from generic @gmail.com or @yahoo.com addresses and setting up a custom domain (e.g., name@yourcompany.com). A professional email builds immediate trust with clients and customers.
2. Unlocking Better Features and Collaboration Tools
Coming in second (with 185 dedicated responses), users migrate because they want Google's superior feature set. Specifically, respondents cited upgrading for Better Security and Spam Protection, seamless Real-Time Collaboration (via Docs, Sheets, and Drive), Gemini AI integration and overall Ease of Use.
3. Switching Away from Legacy or Competing Providers
A smaller but highly targeted segment of users (98 responses) explicitly stated they were migrating to escape their current providers. These users are actively abandoning platforms like Office 365, Outlook/Exchange, and GoDaddy, indicating that Google Workspace is successfully winning over dissatisfied customers from its biggest competitors.
Here are key takeaways:
Key Takeaway 1: User Interest Peaked in Mid-2025, Driven by New Professionals
The data shows a clear timeline for user interest and a dominant reason for migrating to Google Workspace: establishing a professional online identity.
- Submission Volume: The highest volume of submissions occurred in August 2025 before tapering off, indicating a peak period of marketing activity or general interest during that time.
- Primary Motivation for Migration: Among the classified reasons, "Establish Professional Presence" was the single largest category, accounting for 783 responses. This includes users setting up a custom domain or a first-time professional email.
- Promo Code Use: The usage of Business Standard promo codes (2,174 counts) was slightly higher than Business Starter codes (1,958 counts), aligning with the trend that a large portion of users are focused on professional or business-related setup. However, this ratio is almost 1:1 making both plans a balanced choice among new Workspace users.
<div class="blog-chart"
data-type="pie"
data-title="Promo Code Usage"
data-labels='["Standard Promo Codes", "Starter Promo Codes"]'
data-datasets='[{"data":[2174, 1958]}]'>
</div>
Key Takeaway 2: Small Businesses and Solopreneurs Dominate the Customer Base
The majority of submissions come from users seeking a very small number of email accounts, pointing to a strong focus on small businesses, startups, and individual professionals.
Here is a chart showing the representative distribution of the number of business emails created per user based on those central tendencies:
<div class="blog-chart"
data-type="bar"
data-title="Number of Business Emails Created per User"
data-labels='["1 Email (Solopreneurs)", "2 Emails", "3 Emails", "4+ Emails (Teams)"]'
data-datasets='[{"label":"Number of Users", "data":[3307, 413, 247, 167], "color":"#34A853"}]'>
</div>
- New Email Creation Scale: The most frequent number of business emails a user is creating is 1.
- Central Tendency: The median number of business emails being created is 1. The average (mean) is also very low at 1.36, reinforcing the focus on single-user or very small team accounts.
Key Takeaway 3: Opportunities Exist to Target Competitor Switchers and Feature Seekers
While establishing a professional presence is the most common classified reason, a smaller, but significant, segment of the market is actively switching from competitors or looking for specific feature benefits.
- Feature-Driven Migration: Users seeking specific product advantages like Better Security/Spam Protection, Collaboration, and Ease of Use represent a notable segment, accounting for 185 classified responses.
- Competitive Migration: A small but explicit segment (98 responses) indicated they were "Switching from Another Provider", which includes migrations from services like Office 365, Outlook/Exchange, and GoDaddy. This indicates a direct opportunity to target dissatisfied users of competing platforms.
<div class="blog-chart"
data-type="bar"
data-horizontal="true"
data-title="Classified Reasons for Choosing Google Workspace"
data-labels='["Other/Unspecified", "Establish Professional Presence", "Better Features/Tools", "Switching Provider"]'
data-datasets='[{"label":"Responses", "data":[3632, 783, 185, 98], "color":"#2563eb"}]'>
</div>
Market Concentration in the US
The data is overwhelmingly dominated by submissions from the United States (US/USA), indicating a massive geographic focus.
US Dominance: Combining submissions from 'us' and 'usa', a total of 4,132 out of 2,471 submissions are from the United States, representing approximately 59.80% of the entire dataset.
Geographic Focus: The next most common valid entry, 'EMEA', only accounts for 1,722 submissions, highlighting that the data largely reflects US market behavior and trends. Making Asia-Pacific the least interested region.
Souce: GWSave.com form
