How to migrate from Google Workspace to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace

A guide for everyone who is seeking for a secure alternative

Why migrate from Google Workspace?

There are several reasons why you might decide to abandon Google Workspace and go through the migration process.

• Google Workspace is a proprietary software. Its source code is closed to the public, so nobody, except for the Google programmers, knows how it really works and deals with your data.
• Google Workspace is entirely cloud-based. The tech giant doesn’t provide you with the freedom to host your data on your own server, so you have to keep everything in the cloud, which leads to privacy concerns.
• Google Workspace’s encryption is not reliable. The server-side file encryption doesn’t guarantee robust security because all encryption keys are accessible to Google.
• Google Workspace is not available for free. Its Starter plan costs $7.20 per user per month, so you need to be ready to drain your purse if you plan to stay with Google Workspace after your free 14-day trial period expires.

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace, a secure alternative to Google Workspace

Taking into consideration the reasons mentioned above, it might be a good idea to look into a more flexible and secure solution, like ONLYOFFICE DocSpace.

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a room-based environment for organizing a clear file structure depending on your needs or project goals. The platform comes with the integrated online viewers and editors allowing you to work with files of multiple formats, including text docs, digital forms, sheets, presentations, PDFs, e-books, and multimedia.

DocSpace rooms come with the pre-set access level to ensure quick file sharing and avoid unnecessary repeated actions. Collaboration rooms are intended to co-author docs, track changes and communicate in real time. In Public rooms, external users can view documents without registration. Custom rooms are designed for any custom purpose, for example, to request document review or comments, or share any content for viewing only.

Ready integrations with Zoom, Zapier, WordPress and Drupal contribute to the enhanced user experience.

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a secure way to work with both personal and company documents. It is open-source, fully GDPR compliant and can be hosted on your own server.

• HTTPS protocol encrypts traffic in transit, JWT protects files from unauthorized access. It’s possible to enable password protection and watermarking.
• Along with various access levels, space admins are also able to adjust the security settings to control the login procedure and prevent data leaks, including such options as 2FA and Single Sign-On, trusted mail domains and session lifetime, IP restriction, etc. To monitor user activities, Login History and Audit Trail are available.
• Automatic and manual data backups ensure your data remain safe in case of any infrastructure failures.

For smaller teams which don’t need a large number of admins and power users, DocSpace is provided for free. What’s important, you can invite unlimited number of users to collaborate with colleagues and external partners or customers.

The self-hosted version provides a free DocSpace Community. There is also Family Pack for home use.

Get self-hosted DocSpace / Create a free cloud account

How to get started with data migration

If you decide to migrate from Google Workspace to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace, you need to take care of your data. Starting from scratch is never easy, so ONLYOFFICE makes it possible to transfer all users, their personal and shared documents.

The migration process involves three steps:

• Data export from Google Workspace;
• Preparation stage;
• Data import to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace.

Step 1. Export data from Google Workspace

First of all, you need to export your users’ data from the Google Admin console:

• Log into the Google Admin console;
• Click Open on the Home page;
• Find Tools on the right sidebar and click Data Export.

To start the process, you just need to click the Start Export button. Don’t forget that if you complete data export, you’ll have to wait 30 days till you can start another one.

When the data export process is over, you will receive an email with a special link to Google Cloud Storage. Open the link, and you will access the folder with your users’ data. Download the folder and proceed with the next step.

Step 2. Prepare data for migration

The downloaded folder contains subfolders with your users’ data. Each subfolder corresponds to a user. Choose users whose data you want to transfer to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace.

It’s important to know that each archive represents a Google Workspace user. The best strategy is to upload multiple users’ archives.

Step 3. Import data to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace

When your users’ data is ready, it’s time to transfer it to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace. Log into your DocSpace and go to the Data Import section in the Settings. Click the Import link next to Google Workspace.

Upload the backup file. Wait a bit, until the data upload and analysis are complete.

• Select users and their types (roles) from the list and click the Next step button.
• Select modules for import. Click the Start data import button to proceed with the final step.
• After the data is migrated, click the Finish button to complete the data import.

Quick tip: Also, you can send a welcome letter to the new users. This letter will inform your users about migration to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace. It contains a brief description of the main features and a login link. To send the letter, check the Send invite letter option before clicking the Finish button.

After the migration is complete, the new users can be found in the Accounts section. Personal files, shared files can be accessed through the My documents section. Shared folders, common files, project files can be accessed through the Rooms sections.

As you can see, the Google Workspace migration process is not as difficult as it may seem at first sight. Just follow the steps above to abandon the proprietary software in favor of the open-source alternative.