Some Google Workspace customers unexpectedly see “Google Workspace Base” listed alongside “Google Workspace Starter” in their Admin Console or billing section. This often leads to confusion because the Base plan is not publicly advertised or available for new purchases.
This article explains what the Google Workspace Base plan is, why only certain customers can see it, how it differs from Starter, and what actions administrators or resellers should take.
Google Workspace is a cloud-based productivity and collaboration suite that includes Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Admin tools.
Google currently markets the following public plans:
Business Starter
Business Standard
Business Plus
Enterprise (various editions)
Google Workspace Base is not a public-facing plan.
Google Workspace Base is a legacy / internal SKU maintained by Google for:
Migrated G Suite customers
Older reseller-managed tenants
Grandfathered billing arrangements
It exists to ensure service continuity for customers created under older licensing models.
Not listed on Google’s official pricing page
Cannot be newly purchased
Visible only to specific Google tenants
Subject to retirement or forced migration
Customers originally using:
G Suite Basic
G Suite Business
Early Google Apps for Work plans
were migrated by Google to Workspace Base during platform transitions.
Accounts created or managed via:
Google Workspace Resellers
CSP or partner billing systems
may retain access to internal SKUs, including Base.
Google maintains older SKUs in:
Long-standing Indian business tenants
Accounts with uninterrupted billing history
Previously discounted or custom-priced tenants
| Feature Area | Workspace Base | Workspace Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Public availability | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| New purchase allowed | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Admin Console access | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Gmail (custom domain) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Storage allocation | Legacy-defined | Defined per Starter |
| Long-term support | ❌ Not guaranteed | ✅ Guaranteed |
| Reversion after upgrade | ❌ Not possible | N/A |
No official public price
Pricing varies by:
Original G Suite plan
Reseller contract
Historical billing agreement
May appear cheaper than Starter in some tenants
Publicly listed monthly pricing
Consistent and standardized
Subject to Google’s current pricing policies
Note: Google does not guarantee continued pricing or availability for Base.
Existing customer with stable operations
Lower historical pricing
No immediate feature gaps
No compliance or audit requirements
New domain or new users
Compliance or storage requirements
Google-mandated migration
Long-term stability and support needs
Google Admin Console dynamically exposes plans based on:
Tenant creation date
Billing system type (direct vs reseller)
SKU eligibility flags
Historical migrations
This means:
Two customers may see different plans
Visibility does not mean availability for new purchase
Log in to admin.google.com
Go to Billing
Open Subscriptions
Click the active plan
Check:
Subscription creation date
Previous plan history
Reseller association
⚠️ Important Warning
Once you move from Base → Starter, you cannot revert.
Review storage usage per user
Verify feature parity
Export billing history
Confirm reseller support
Notify customer of irreversible change
Cause: Google enforced retirement
Fix: Migrate to Starter or higher plan
Cause: SKU restriction
Fix: Upgrade to Starter
Cause: Grandfathered billing
Fix: Explain legacy pricing difference (no technical fault)
Base plan does not guarantee future security updates
Advanced security features may be missing
Google may limit policy controls over time
Enterprises should avoid long-term dependency on Base
Do not migrate Base unless required
Document existing Base tenants clearly
Educate customers about irreversible upgrades
Prefer Starter or higher for new domains
Monitor Google Workspace update notices regularly
Google Workspace Base is a legacy plan preserved for historical and technical continuity, not a standard offering. Its visibility is account-specific, driven by migration history, reseller involvement, and billing legacy.
For stability, support, and compliance, Google Workspace Starter or higher plans are recommended for all new and future deployments.
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