How to reduce your Google Workspace costs
Google Workspace is priced per person, so the bill grows with every hire — including people who only ever use email. Here are six ways to pay less, starting with the ones that cost nothing. Only the last one involves another provider.
Updated 27 October 2026.
Six ways to pay less
- Count who really uses it. List every paid user and what they use: Gmail only, or also Drive, Docs and Meet. The Admin console’s reports show recent activity per user. This list decides everything below.
- Turn shared addresses into aliases. info@, sales@ and accounts@ do not need their own paid accounts. Google’s help says each user can have up to 30 email aliases at no extra cost.
- Archive former employees instead of paying for them. Google’s archiving for former employees keeps their data while freeing the active licence for someone else. On Business plans it may need an Archived User subscription; ask Google or your reseller for its price.
- Choose the plan by need. Google’s India price page on 23 October 2026 listed Base at ₹99 and Starter at ₹270 per user per month (annual commitment, GST extra). If nobody needs what the larger plan adds, a smaller one may do.
- Remove licences you are not using. Unassigned seats on an annual plan still cost money until the commitment ends; plan renewals around your real headcount.
- Keep Google only for the people who need it. Staff who only use email can move to an email-only provider on the same domain, with the same addresses, while the rest stay on Google Workspace. This is split delivery, and it is usually the biggest saving.
Google’s help pages and prices checked on 27 October 2026 and 23 October 2026. Google’s prices change; check its current price page before you decide.
An example with split delivery
| All on Google Workspace Starter | 3 on Starter, 17 on GINbox 10 GB | |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | ₹5,400 | ₹810 |
| GINbox (billed yearly) | — | ₹1,173 |
| Per month | ₹5,400 | ₹1,983 |
Work out your own numbers with the calculator on the split delivery page, and see the Google Admin steps in Google Workspace split delivery, step by step.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest way to keep using Google Workspace?
Pay only for people who really use it. Shared addresses can be free aliases, former staff can be archived, and people who only need email can move to an email-only provider on the same domain with split delivery.
Does a Google Workspace alias cost money?
No. Google’s help says you can add up to 30 email aliases for each user at no extra cost, so info@, sales@ or accounts@ can be aliases of a person rather than paid accounts.
Can some employees use Google Workspace and others a cheaper email service?
Yes, with split delivery: the people who stay keep Google Workspace, everyone else gets a mailbox at an email-only provider on the same domain. With GINbox that is from ₹69 a month for a 10 GB mailbox, billed yearly, GST extra.
What happens to a former employee’s mail if I remove their licence?
Deleting the user deletes their data unless you transfer it first. Google offers archiving for former employees: their data is kept, they cannot sign in, and the active licence becomes free to reassign. On Business plans this may need an Archived User subscription.
Try it on your own domain
Set up a real mailbox at your own domain, with every record checked for you. No card needed.