Google will stop offering its free G Suite plan later this year, 9to5Google has reported.
The publication has seen an email Google sent to Workspace administrators on Wednesday informing them of the change.
“We are writing to let you know that your G Suite legacy free edition will no longer be available starting 1 July 2022,” the email stated.
Google said those who wished to maintain their services and accounts needed to upgrade to Google Workspace.
The standard price of the cheapest plan, Workspace Business Starter, is $6.00 (R92) per month per user.
Google is currently offering all its Workspace packages at a discounted price to new users, with the same entry-level plan priced at $4.80 (R74) for the first 12 months.
Each plan includes 12 Google apps and services, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Jamboard.
Users who don’t specify which plan they want to be upgraded to by 1 May 2022 will automatically be transitioned to one of the options based on their usage patterns.
Below is a breakdown of the pricing and features of each plan.
Google first introduced Google Apps, which later became G Suite, for businesses and schools in 2006.
The free plan was officially discontinued in 2012 but has remained available to existing users.
It has allowed people to get free Gmail, Docs, Drive, and a range of other apps for their small businesses or private use. In addition, users could create their own custom domain for their Gmail address.
This change won’t affect individual users with free Google accounts, which provide access to apps like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets without a paid-for subscription fee.
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, and Google Workspace for Nonprofits will also remain free.
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