How to Cancel Google Workspace in 2026 (Save Your Data + Avoid Losing Email)

Google Workspace starts at $7.20/user/month ($86.40/year) for what many solopreneurs and small teams can get free. Here's how to cancel without losing your custom email domain or files.

The Google Workspace Price Creep

Google has raised Workspace prices significantly since the free Google Apps days:

• Business Starter: $7.20/user/month (30GB storage per user)
• Business Standard: $14.40/user/month (2TB storage per user)
• Business Plus: $21.60/user/month (5TB storage per user)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (unlimited storage)
• Solo user cost: $86.40-259.20/year for what a free Gmail + Google Drive setup mostly covers

Step 1: Export All Your Data (Google Takeout)

This is the MOST important step. Do this days before canceling:

1. For EACH user account, go to takeout.google.com
2. Select all products: Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts, Photos, etc.
3. Choose Export Once → .zip format → largest file size (50GB)
4. Click Create Export — Google will email download links when ready (can take hours/days)
5. Download ALL zip files to a local drive
6. Verify emails open correctly in a mail client and Drive files are intact

Step 2: Set Up Email Elsewhere (If Using Custom Domain)

If you use a custom domain email (you@yourbusiness.com), you MUST migrate it before canceling:

• Zoho Mail (free for 5 users): Best free alternative for custom domain email. 5GB/user. Full-featured.
• iCloud+ Custom Email ($0.99/mo): If you're Apple-centric, add your domain to iCloud for just $0.99/month
• Cloudflare Email Routing (free): Forward custom domain emails to any free Gmail account. No hosting fee.
• Fastmail ($5/mo): Privacy-focused alternative. No ads. Import directly from Google.
• Microsoft 365 ($6/user/mo): If you need Office apps anyway, includes Outlook custom domain email

Step 3: Transfer Your Domain

If Google Domains manages your domain, transfer it before canceling Workspace:

1. Go to domains.google.com
2. Click your domain → Registration Settings
3. Unlock the domain and get the transfer authorization code
4. Transfer to Cloudflare ($0 markup, at-cost renewal), Namecheap, or Porkbun
5. Update MX records at your new registrar to point to your new email provider

Note: Google Domains was sold to Squarespace in 2023. Your domain may already be at Squarespace Domains.

Step 4: Cancel Google Workspace

1. Sign in to admin.google.com as a super admin
2. Go to Billing → Select your subscription
3. Click Cancel Subscription
4. Choose cancellation date (immediate or end of billing period)
5. Confirm cancellation
6. Screenshot the confirmation

The Free Google Stack (What You Can Keep)

After canceling Workspace, you still have access to free Google services with a regular @gmail.com account:

• Gmail: 15GB free (shared with Drive and Photos)
• Google Drive: 15GB free storage
• Google Docs/Sheets/Slides: Fully free, no limits
• Google Calendar: Free
• Google Meet: Free for 1-hour meetings with up to 100 participants
• Google Chat: Free

The main thing you lose: custom domain email and admin console controls. For most solopreneurs, Cloudflare Email Routing (free forwarding) + free Gmail covers everything.

Getting a Refund

• Annual plan: No prorated refunds after 14 days. Cancel before renewal.
• Monthly plan: Service ends at end of billing period. No mid-month refunds.
• Flexible plan: You're only charged for active users — remove users immediately to stop charges.
• Within 14 days of new annual plan: Full refund available via Google support.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Canceling before exporting data: You have only ~24 hours after cancellation to recover data. Don't risk it.
• Forgetting shared drives: Shared Drive data is deleted when the organization is deleted. Export it separately.
• Not updating MX records: If you set up email elsewhere but forget to update DNS, emails will bounce.
• Canceling the wrong account: If you have multiple Workspace subscriptions, make sure you're canceling the right one.
• Losing 2FA recovery: If you used Workspace email as recovery for other accounts, update those FIRST.