Google announced today that it is increasing the price of its G Suite subscriptions. This is the first time the company has raised prices since launching the service back in 2006.
In the United States, the Basic plan will go up by $1 per user each month. The Business plan will increase by $2 per user each month. The Enterprise plan will stay the same. Prices in other countries will also go up, but the amount will depend on local currency and market conditions.
The new prices will start on April 2. If you are on an annual plan, you will pay the new price when your contract renews after that date.
A $1 or $2 increase might not seem like a big deal. But for some small businesses, a 20 percent price increase can be hard to accept. However, Google says the price change is fair. Since launching G Suite, the company has added many new services. These include video conferencing with Hangouts Meet, team messaging with Hangouts Chat, more storage space, and better security tools.
It is also worth noting that G Suite is now a very big business for Google. More than 4 million businesses use the service. Some of them are on enterprise plans with special prices they negotiated privately. But most businesses are on the standard monthly or annual plans.
This is the first price increase in over 12 years. While some customers may not be happy, Google believes the added features and tools make the new pricing reasonable. For now, users have until April 2 before the new prices take effect.
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