Google Workspace Migration Tools: Move from Microsoft 365 and More

Google provides several migration tools and services that help organizations move data into Google Workspace. Depending on the source platform, these tools can support the migration of email, calendars, contacts, files, and other business content.

The most appropriate migration approach depends on your source environment, data volume, and business requirements.

Yes. Organizations can migrate data from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, including email, calendars, contacts, OneDrive files, and selected SharePoint content.

A migration assessment helps determine the best method and identify any content that may require additional planning.

Migration timelines vary significantly based on the number of users, amount of data, source systems, technical complexity, and change management requirements.

Small environments may be completed relatively quickly, while large enterprise migrations often involve phased deployment approaches.

Migration costs typically depend on:

• Google Workspace licensing

• Data volume

• Source systems

• Professional services requirements

• User training and change management needs

• Any third-party migration tooling

An assessment can help establish a realistic project scope and budget. An assessment can help establish a realistic project scope and budget. If you'd like expert guidance, contact Steegle.

Migration tools help move data, but successful migrations also require planning, communication, governance, testing, and user adoption. A migration partner can help reduce risk, avoid common issues, accelerate project timelines, and provide expertise throughout the transition.

Documents stored in SharePoint can often be migrated to Google Drive or Shared Drives. However, SharePoint pages, navigation structures, custom workflows, and intranet experiences typically require redesign rather than direct migration.

Organizations looking to replace a SharePoint intranet often use Google Sites as a foundation and may enhance the experience with solutions such as Steegle.One for navigation, branding, employee engagement, governance, and intranet management.

For organizations exploring AI adoption, workplace modernization, or platform consolidation, now may be an appropriate time to evaluate available options.

Google's continued investment in Gemini, Google Workspace, Google Cloud, and migration technologies is making it easier for organizations to assess whether Google's ecosystem aligns with their long-term business and technology strategy.

The data import tool is Google's free, cloud-native migration service built directly into the Google Workspace Admin Console. You can access it by navigating to Data > Data import & export > Data import. It is designed to move data from various sources like Microsoft 365, IMAP accounts, and personal Gmail into Google Workspace.

Yes, it is completely free to use. Because it is built into the Admin Console and runs on Google's infrastructure, it does not incur any cloud hosting fees, setup costs, or license fees. You only pay for your existing Google Workspace subscription.

Super Administrator Requirement: Only a Super Administrator has the necessary privileges to set up, authorize, and run the import within the target Google Workspace account.   

Reseller Restriction: Google explicitly states that resellers cannot use this service to import data on behalf of their customers. The migration must be initiated and executed directly from within the organization's own admin account by a super admin.

IMAP Migrations (Data Import Tool): Google's built-in Data Import/Migration service in the Admin console enforces a cap of 100 users (mailboxes) per import batch. If you are migrating an organization larger than 100 users via IMAP, you must process them in multiple batches (or utilize alternative enterprise tools like GWMME or Google Workspace Migrate for larger scales).

Exchange Online / Larger Volumes: For Microsoft Exchange Online and larger enterprise setups, Google's matrix supports higher-capacity paths (such as GWMME or advanced deployment options) that can handle significantly larger volumes beyond the native 100-user per-batch IMAP limitation.

Google provides a separate tool called the Migration Planner. You can run this as an "air-gapped" utility that scans your source data locally. No data is sent to Google until you decide to proceed with the actual migration.

A well-planned migration should minimize disruption. The tool copies existing data while the old system continues to function. However, during the initial sync, users might see an empty or partially populated inbox as data transfers in the background.