- Does Google confuse you? I mean, I know Google confuses us all, but specifically, are you confused about the difference between a Gmail, a Google and G Suite Account? That's why you're here right? That's why you clicked on this video. Well, stick around and let me explain to you the difference between a Gmail Account, a Google Account and a G Suite Account today on Dotto Tech. Steve Dotto here, how the heck ya doing this fine day? And Google does a pretty good job of a lot of things, including confusing the heck out of us on a fairly regular basis, if the truth be told. And one of the things you think that they would a little better job of communicating, is what our relationship, what our accounts with Google are. But no, that's not the case. I, almost everybody I know is confused about the difference between a Gmail, a Google or a G Suite Account. So today, let's see if I can explain things to you, and this has been a good exercise for me because I think I have a better understanding now myself, because if the truth be told, I was probably as confused as the rest of you when I started on this journey. Now, a Gmail Account, Gmail was established, what, 2004 it started, you used to have to be invited into Gmail, do you remember that? There was a time when you had to be invited. Now the Gmail Account is typically what most of us start our relationship with Google at. All of the Gmail Accounts have @gmail.com in the email address name. Now they are free accounts, or actually I should say, they're sort of free accounts. They're supported through advertising and of course, Google is also collecting information from us, so we're giving up a certain percentage of our privacy in order to have access to all of these services. We won't get into what that quid pro quo looks like, but recognize that there is no free lunch, and Google is getting plenty of value out of giving us a "free" Gmail Account. Now that Gmail address, we also use to then login to other free services that Google gives us access to, such as Google Drive, Google Docs, which has word processing, spreadsheet, Google Calendar, all of the different Google services that are part of your Google Account you can then access through that Gmail Account. Now the Google Account itself is similar to the Gmail Account, but slightly different, or it's an augmentation of the Gmail Account. You can also sign in to get all of those other services, to get Google Calendar, to get Google Docs and Google Drive, to have access to all of those services, if you sign up for not a Gmail Account, but a Google Account. It's just a slightly different login, and then you can use your own address, your own email address. So I could use my @dottotech address to sign up for a Google Account. It's also mostly free, but it gives me access to all of the other services through that login, through that, my own personal email address's login. Here's another way of looking at it. All Gmail Accounts are Google Accounts, but, not all Google Accounts are Gmail Accounts. You can have other email addresses, other login's that can allow you to access your Google Account. Now, the other type of service that Google offers us is the G Suite Account, and that is an entirely different beast. That is a paid for service that's designed for businesses. So it's not just a single personal login, but instead you have an administrator who can then designate different email addresses and different accounts and control all of those, and you pay by the user and by the services that are offered. And they can range from about $5 a user and on up, but there are all sorts of additional functionality that's attached. Now essentially you get access to most of the same things, to Google Drive, Google Docs, you get a little bit more storage and that sort of stuff. You get a few extra features like Google Hangouts, you get some video conferencing tools etcetera added to a G Suite Account, but for the most part they're gonna look very similar to the end users as does a regular Google Account. The difference is there's an administrative consol and they can be administered as a business, plus you could also create a unique email address based on your business using a G Suite Account. Now there are a few other differences but that kind of shows the main difference between a Google Account, a Gmail Account and a G Suite Account. So, for most of us, if you're happy with your Gmail Account, don't sweat it, don't worry about anything else, your Gmail Account will access your Google Account and it does everything you need. If you have a business and you want a custom email address and you need to control multiple users, then look at upgrading to a Google Suite, or a G Suite Account and take a look at what the different price points are and the different features that are offered in G Suite. If you have an email address that you're really attached to, that is not a Gmail address, that you want to use to access Google Services, then sign up for a Google Account with that account information, with that email address. I think that explains it all. I'd love to see your comments. If I've missed anything, or you can explain it better, please, do so in the comments below, I look forward to what you have to add. Every week here at Dotto Tech we host a free Webinar called "Webinar Wednesday", where we teach productivity and content creation. Check it out, there'll be sign up link below. If you found today's video to be useful, please give us a thumbs up, and if you've not yet subscribed to Dotto Tech, then subscribe and make sure you ring the notification bell so you hear about any new videos that we post. Also, if you found this video useful and you think somebody else needs to be disabused of their confusion about Gmail Accounts, Google Accounts and G Suite, then by all means, feel free to share this video with them. Till next time, I am Steve Dotto. Have fun storming the castle.
