The 'R$15 Email' Fallacy: When Cheap Gets Expensive
You think you're saving money with a local provider. But when you add VPN, extra antispam, and downtime hours, Google Workspace is actually cheaper.
Fabiano Brito
CEO & Founder
The R$15 email fallacy is the misconception that cheap corporate mailboxes save money when they actually hide substantial costs in standalone software required to match a unified suite. For enterprises, this decision matters because choosing fragmented tools over a consolidated solution drives the real total cost of ownership up to R$158 per collaborator while hurting aggregate productivity.
I love spreadsheets. But spreadsheets accept anything if you hide the right rows. When comparing "Locaweb/KingHost Provider" (R$15) vs "Google Workspace" (R$30+), the choice seems obvious.
But that comparison is like comparing the price of a "bicycle" with a "moving truck." Both have wheels, but the delivery is different.
The real TCO per collaborator/month
For cheap email to get close to Google's functionality, you need to buy extras. The honest accounting:
| Item | Cheap email + add-ons | Google Workspace Business |
|---|---|---|
| Mailbox | R$ 15 | R$ 30–40 all inclusive |
| Collaborative storage (Dropbox) | +R$ 15 | |
| Antispam gateway | +R$ 8 | |
| Video conferencing (Zoom) | +R$ 70 | |
| Office suite + collaboration | +R$ 50 | |
| Monthly total | R$ 158 | R$ 30–40 |
Suddenly your "R$15" turned into R$158 in fragmented software that doesn't talk to each other — five contracts, five vendors, five support tickets to open.
Consolidation is Efficiency
Google Workspace replaces this whole fruit salad. Financially, it's vendor consolidation. Operationally, it's peace of mind.
Don't buy software by price line. Buy by aggregate productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions sobre The ‘R$15 Email’ Fallacy: When Cheap Gets Expensive
What is the real total cost of a cheap corporate email when we consider all the necessary add-ons? The total cost of a cheap email, when adding services such as collaborative storage, antispam, video conferencing, and office suite, can reach R$ 158 per employee/month.
What is included in the cost of Google Workspace? Google Workspace includes mailbox, collaborative storage, antispam, video conferencing, and office suite, all in a single package.
Why is Google Workspace more efficient than a cheap email with add-ons? Google Workspace consolidates multiple vendors into one, which simplifies management and reduces software fragmentation, promoting greater operational efficiency.
What is the main fallacy of the ‘R$ 15 email’? The fallacy is that the cost of R$ 15 hides the need to acquire additional software, raising the total cost to match the functionalities of a solution like Google Workspace.
How much do you really spend on your collaboration stack?
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