No More Free Google Apps for Business Accounts for New Customers

Up to now, there’s been a free version of Google Apps for Business and a premium version, but Google is changing that policy. Henceforth, all new Google Apps for Business customers will be required to pay $50 per user per year.

Although customers will no doubt be a bit unhappy with the new structure, they are getting a little something for that money, including a 25GB Gmail inbox, 24/7 phone support, and a guaranteed 99.9% uptime guarantee. These are of course in addition to Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, Sites, and Vault.

Google Apps for Business

Grating as it may be, all things considered fifty bucks a year per person isn’t exactly going to put most small businesses under. Further, note that existing customers of both free and premium versions of Google Apps for Business will be unaffected by the change, Google Apps for Education will continue to be free for schools and universities, and Google Apps for Government will remain at $50 per user per year.

Ice cream parlor
Google hopes small businesses like this one it once featured won't mind the change

And of course, individual accounts are still as free as ever, and there’s no need to worry about that changing anytime soon.