ShieldBox vs Google Workspace
for Australian Businesses
Google Workspace stores your Australian business email on US-jurisdiction servers — creating APP 8 Privacy Act exposure and CLOUD Act vulnerability. ShieldBox is 100% Australian.
APP 8 alert: Using Google Workspace for client emails is an ongoing cross-border disclosure under APP 8 of the Privacy Act 1988. Your business — not Google — is the accountable APP entity if a breach occurs.
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | ShieldBox | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
Data Sovereignty | ||
Servers physically in Australia | Yes | No |
Australian Privacy Act 1988 compliant | Yes | Partial — scans email content |
APP 8 cross-border disclosure risk | No | Yes |
CLOUD Act foreign subpoena immunity | Yes | No |
Email scanned for advertising | No | Workspace — no. Gmail — yes |
Security | ||
AES-256 encryption at rest | Yes | Yes |
End-to-end zero-knowledge encryption | Yes | No |
IRAP assessed (Australian Government) | Yes | No |
Compliance | ||
APRA CPS 234 documentation | Yes | No |
7-year WORM email archiving | Yes | Vault add-on required |
NDB breach notification workflow | Yes | No |
Pricing | ||
Free plan available | Yes | No |
Price per user per month | From $9 AUD | From $14.40 AUD (Business Starter) |
Archiving included | Yes | Extra — Vault add-on |
Migration | ||
Free migration service | Yes | No |
Who should switch from Google Workspace?
Google Workspace creates CLOUD Act exposure for privileged client communications — real privilege waiver risk under Australian law.
APRA CPS 234 third-party assessments cannot be satisfied with Google Workspace without significant additional compliance work.
Patient health information routed through US-jurisdiction servers creates APP 8 and My Health Records Act exposure.
ATO TFN Guidelines require Australian data residency that Google Workspace cannot guarantee for Australian businesses.
IRAP assessment is required for government panel work — Google Workspace holds no current Australian IRAP certification.
Student data under the Australian Student Identifiers Act and Privacy Act cannot be stored on US-jurisdiction servers.
Switch from Google Workspace today
Free migration, free 30-day trial, no credit card. Our team migrates your entire Google Workspace history overnight with zero downtime.