Team email without Google: an open-source Google Workspace alternative
Google Workspace is the default for team email with Docs and Meet around it. Work Inbox does less (mail and shared notes today) for a lower price per person, with free shared mailboxes and the option to run it on your own Cloudflare account.
Side by side
Google Workspace's facts from its own pages, checked 9 November 2026. Prices as Google Workspace shows them, before tax.
| Feature |  Work Inbox |  Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | €1 / €2.50 / €5 a month (Starter, Pro, Business), billed monthly; first 5 people free, at least 5 billed; self-hosted free | $7 to $22 a month (annual), $8.40 to $26.40 flexible |
| Free plan or trial | Included: Free for up to 5 people; 14-day trial for teams, no card. Self-hosting free for good | Partly: 14-day trial, no free plan |
| Shared mailboxes | Included: Unlimited on every plan, no licence per mailbox | Partly: No shared mailbox as such: Google Groups' collaborative inbox |
| Aliases and catch-all | Included: Unlimited aliases, catch-all per domain, plus addressing | Partly: Up to 30 aliases per user |
| Notes or docs edited together | Included: Shared notes with live editing, checklists, tables, @mentions | Included: Google Docs, the most polished live co-editing |
| Self-hosting and source code | Included: Open source; runs on your own Cloudflare account | Not available: No: hosted by Google only |
| IMAP and mobile mail apps | Not available: Not yet: web app only (installable). IMAP gateway planned | Included: Gmail apps on iOS and Android; IMAP |
| Claude / ChatGPT (MCP) | Included: MCP server: search and read mail, notes, contacts and drive files on every plan; replies and changes on Pro and Business | Partly: Official MCP servers in developer preview; Gemini on Standard and up |
| Calendar, contacts, files | Partly: Calendar, contacts (a team address book) and a shared drive; no office documents or video calls | Included: Calendar, Contacts, Drive, Meet, Sheets, Slides |
Google Workspace's plans
- Business Starter: $7 a person a month on an annual plan, $8.40 flexible; 30 GB pooled storage
- Business Standard: $14 annual, $16.80 flexible; 2 TB
- Business Plus: $22 annual, $26.40 flexible; 5 TB
Why teams pick Work Inbox
- Shared mailboxes are real mailboxes, free on every plan, not Groups set up as an inbox.
- Free for up to 5 people, then from €1 a person, or free on your own Cloudflare account.
- Open source: you can read the code that handles your mail.
Pick Google Workspace if
- Your team lives in Docs, Sheets and Meet.
- You need Gmail on phones, Outlook or another IMAP app today.
- You need Gemini across mail, documents and meetings.
Questions
Can Work Inbox replace Google Workspace?
For mail, shared notes, contacts, files and calendar, yes: a team address book, a shared drive, and team calendars with invitations that Gmail and Outlook users can answer. For office documents and video calls, no: Work Inbox has no Docs/Sheets editors or video calls, and the calendar has no CalDAV sync or booking pages yet.
Can I move my domain's mail from Google Workspace?
Yes: add the domain in Work Inbox and replace its MX records with the one Work Inbox lists. New mail then arrives in Work Inbox. Old mail comes along too: upload an export (.mbox or .eml files) in Settings → Mail → Import mail.
Sources
Other comparisons
Bring your domain
Your team's mail on it this afternoon.