Google Workplace and price hike policies discussion
System
Administrator
This discussion was created from comments split from: Cloudflare being shady?.
Comments
I’m still using free legacy Google Workspace, it was free 10 accounts 15GB but after free upgrade now I got 300 free accounts with 30GB each…
What upgrade? There was no such thing as an upgrade for free G Suite accounts (unless there’s cheating that includes old resold Google for Education or Google for Nonprofits accounts, which have bigger number of licenses and 30GB of space each by default).
Since June 27, 2022, there have been only two options for legacy Google Apps/G Suite/Google Workspace accounts:
https://support.google.com/a/answer/2855120?hl=en
Old legacy accounts converted into "for personal use" accounts are very limited now. They don't receive some new features, etc.
Can you check if you have access to https://one.google.com/
I was converted from 10 free 15gb G suite legacy for personal use to 300 free 30gb Google Workspace for personal use and it’s still free now.
It was an upgrade to me, because more free account and more free storage lol.
And how did you do that? To "convert it"?
Something does not add up here. There was no option for a free smaller account for personal use to automatically convert into a bigger account for personal use. There was no such option unless it involved an old Education/Nonprofit organization account.
Furthermore, Google was very strict in 2022. You had to either pay or (that came after public backlash) identify the account as 'for personal use' with a maximum of 10 licenses. There was no other option for old legacy G-suite accounts. The only way to keep a larger number of licenses and 30GB of space was by converting an old education or nonprofit account into an Education Fundamentals workspace account.
My account still shows "91 available, 9 assigned" licenses, but Google was clear ... using more than 10 of them, the account won't be considered "for personal use," which means I will need to pay. I am not trying my luck here.
No matter what, there never existed a free G Suite plan with 30GB space unless it's an old free educational or nonprofit account. Those still have 30GB of space per user.
Edit.
Nevermind. I overlooked your edit/screenshot that says "business starter" and not "G suite legacy". It seems to me like you have a different beast here
That says "Google Workspace Business Starter", which is something they grudging allowed some people to upgrade to for free at one point - although they didn't exactly go out of their way to tell anyone.
Given their track record, there's no way of being sure they're not going to randomly shut that down next week either; I'm much happier having migrated my domains out of there.
Can you check if you have access to https://one.google.com/
Yeah, seems like different thing. That's mine (check licence "Name")
Scroll down to the bottom of that link https://support.google.com/a/answer/2855120?hl=en where the comparison between those editions is located.
Because you didn’t upgrade for free when they offered?
I did see similar message in your screenshot, but it was totally free upgrade at the time, 1 or 2 years ago.
I don't have access to one.google.com, it said: You're currently signed in to your Workspace Account. To access Google One, switch to your personal Google Account.
I didn't have that option. Like said, there were two options. One click to start paying for Google Workspace subscription and another click to convert legacy account into account "for personal use". I picked the second option.
I am not sure how you ended up with "business starter" account for free as that's paid subscription.
As you see your account wasn't converted into "google account for personal use" https://admin.google.com/ac/billing/legacytransition but into usually paid Business starter edition.
In case you're not logged in to see url above:
Google Workspace for personal use
Starting August 22, 2023, the option to self-identify as a personal user and revert to a no-cost subscription is no longer available. If you’ve already identified that you use your account for personal use, no further action is needed at this time. Learn more.
I agree, but what did I know 15+ years ago when I started using it on my phone for Android Market (now Google Play - "bringing together Android Market, Google Music, Google Movies, and the Google eBookstore") purchases?
Most, if not all, of my purchased apps are tied to this old account. It's not a problem to migrate domains, emails, or data from gdrive. Even a YouTube channel can be converted/migrated to a regular Google YouTube account i think. But purchases (Play store licenses linked to google account) can't be moved.
Eventually, I may be forced to downsize those 10 licenses to just one, which I use for all those Google Pay purchases and start paying $6 USD per user/month Business Starter plan, even though it's not ideal for me since my mail/space is hosted elsewhere. Alternatively, I could simply forget about all my old purchases, but that isn't an ideal option as long as I use an Android phone either.
As I said, I upgraded or converted (whatever) from Gsuite Legacy to Google Workspace for free, and I just followed the email Google sent to remind, I just followed it.
And yes, I remember I chose "for personal use" too.
Yeah, but mine account is still free G Suite legacy "for personal use," while you somehow ended up with Google Workspace "Business Starter" (which is usually a paid account).
I needed to go to https://admin.google.com/ac/billing/legacytransition and opt out of the transition to the paid Workspace subscription to keep free G Suite legacy "for personal use," account. It's just mistery to me how you ended up with free Business account
That was the mail I got:
This is what I (and most people) got:
This is what you have:
So, in case Google doesn't screw you over at some point (but they could screw over all non-paid G Suite users anyway), you somehow ended up with a free "Workspace Business" deal that's better than the old G Suite legacy for personal use.
That's the migration path google offered?
I also went from a free 10 user gsuite to a free 300 user "Google Workspace Business Starter".
https://lowendspirit.com/discussion/3715/g-suite-free-edition-no-longer-available-starting-july-1-2022/
It seems like mistery is solved
You both missed the deadline for converting your account to "G Suite legacy for personal use" and somehow ended up with a usually paid Business account for free.
https://www.reddit.com/r/gsuitelegacymigration/comments/wgo40d/google_workspace_business_starter_no_cost_free/
Now keep your fingers crossed that they won't start charging you or cancel it as unpaid one day.
@Fritz this could be the case, yeah.
@bikegremlin sorry for hijacking your thread. It's partially connected to the CF as proof of how corporations can change their stance on free services over time, but then we went too much into detail.
If I recall correctly, I just did what their support told me in order to keep a free account.
Seems like that was the right decision, I rather wonder that they keep carrying on gsuite accounts until today.
Did you add billing details to your account back then? That's what I intended to avoid, successfully.
No, I didn't miss, I converted before the deadline.
I followed extractly what Google said in the email, converted from Gsuite legacy to Google Workspace, I also remember they required to input billing information (But in the process, they said they wouldn't charge, just for verification).
I just asked few IT friends, they got the same account with me. (Google Business Starter 300 accounts for free). The account said it's free and I don't think they would charge a free service, but I hope they won't discontinue it somedays.
There was no glitch I think. This was what Google offered at the time?
No, of course not as it's not Workspace Business account.
Exactly, that's what I have been trying to tell you from the beginning.
Publicly announced ways to keep a free "personal G Suite account" did not include an upgrade to Google Workspace. Quite the opposite, they gave us two options:
You upgraded to Workspace Business, but for some strange reason, they allowed you to keep it for free. At least for now.
They said they would convert to free Google Workspace, that's why I did follow them and converted, and it is still free as they said in the email and notification.
There is no magic or glitch here. They gave me what they offered when I converted.
My friends got same free Google Workspace too.
I remember that I also opted out to keep Gsuite Legacy free, but after the deadline, Google sent email and also showed a small notification at the top that they would convert / upgrade to Google Workspace for free, then I followed their instructions and got it.
Alright then.
I wish you good luck with your account, and the same for me with mine. I would really hate to start paying for Google Workspace just so I can keep the Google Play apps I’ve already paid for.
It's annoying enough that Android offers to backup some of my phone stuff, like contact numbers, to Google One (https://one.google.com/), and then doesn't let me sign in. I assume you don't have access to that either?
There are really two options
a) You upgraded to
paid
Workspace (but there was X months free first) and then later Google changed theirs mind and you ended withfree
Workspace, because "downgrading (more like rollback?)" toFree Legacy Edition of G Suite for personal use
wasn't possible (or costed a lot of money/resources for G)b) This is region specific, local laws?
EDIT, there is one more?
c) You had more than 10 users[1] [I remember deleting some to be < 10] in your admin account (limit in
Free Legacy Edition of G Suite for personal use
) so Google gave youfree
Workspace so you wouldn't break theirs system?[1] However seems like Google docs lie - the limit seems to be 100 rather than 10 for Legacy https://i.imgur.com/d5AR2Wz.png
@Mumbly this thing that some of Google new and older services does not work with
G Suite
is fucking funny - do they really think I will upgrade just to log into YT or something? :-DHaven't bought a single service in VirMach Great Ryzen 2022 - 2023 Flash Sale.
https://lowendspirit.com/uploads/editor/gi/ippw0lcmqowk.png
No dawg in this fight, I just want to challenge @System to a boxing match!!!
Free Hosting at YetiNode | Cryptid Security | URL Shortener | LaunchVPS | ExtraVM | Host-C | In the Node, or Out of the Loop?
I didn't buy Google One so I can't access to it. I'm good with free 15 gb for email, now 30gb free is more than enough.
I got Google Workspace free when it first came out 15+ years ago. At the time I requested (when signing up they asked you how many you need), and was granted, license for 750 users. I still have 750 available licenses for users with the free legacy edition today.
Regular Google accounts (i.e., "Gmail accounts") have Google One access enabled by default. 15GB storage you mentioned is now managed through Google One.
Therefore, if I use a legacy G suite account instead of regular Google account as my main android phone account, some features (as example backing up phone, managing storage...) that work with an ordinary Google account will not function with old free G suite account. I can't backup my device via Google One https://support.google.com/googleone/answer/9149304 because I have no access.
Unlike with a ordinary google account, I am not able to log in to the Google One interface. Or at least that's how it is with my legacy G Suite account, so I asked if your Workspace account that is a bit different than mine can log into google one or also doesn't have access to the https://one.google.com/
I don’t have access to one.google.com from Workspace account, although I got 30gb free for Gmail.
Is their a difference in how storage is shared between all mailboxes in the same Workspace account between the free version and the paid version?