Comparison · Gemini in Google Workspace
Gemini in Google Workspace vs Tessa: which one your company needs
Gemini is Google’s AI built into Gmail, Docs, Meet and the rest of Workspace. Tessa runs on Google Workspace too, but as an assistant who works on her own: she reads, prioritises, drafts replies and follows up.
You already have AI in Gmail, and things still slip
If your company uses Google Workspace, you probably already have Gemini at hand to summarise an email, draft a document or take notes in Meet. It is useful, but it works when you ask, inside whichever app you are in.
What tends to break in a small company is not the writing but the thread: which email has been waiting since Tuesday, what was agreed in the meeting and who owns it, which client never replied. And that is spread across Gmail, Slack and meetings. That is where an assistant like Tessa adds something different.
How it works with Tessa
- 1
Connect your Google account
Each person connects Google (Gmail, Calendar, Drive and Meet) in one click. It is the foundation Tessa is built and tested on.
- 2
Add Slack if you use it
With Slack connected, what people ask you in channels and direct messages also lands in your inbox as a task.
- 3
Reuse what Meet already produces
Tessa can read the transcripts or notes that Meet saves to your Drive, or join the call herself as a note-taker, and turn them into tasks per owner.
- 4
Give each tool its job
Keep using Gemini to write inside Docs or Gmail, and leave prioritisation, replies and follow-ups to Tessa.
What you get
- Built on Google WorkspaceGmail, Calendar, Drive and Meet are her home ground, tested with real accounts.
- Works without being askedEvery email or message that asks you for something becomes a task with priority and a date; notifications close themselves.
- Schedules meetings for youWhen someone asks to meet, she suggests free slots and, once you pick one, creates the event with Meet and sends the invite.
- Follow-ups she never forgetsIf a client has not replied after a few days, she drafts the reminder for you to send in one click.
- For the whole companySales without a CRM, a company wiki, a weekly pulse for whoever runs things and, in beta, invoices with Holded.
What Gemini in Google Workspace is
Gemini is Google’s AI model and assistant, built into the Google Workspace apps, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet. It can draft and summarise emails and documents, work with spreadsheets, take notes in Meet and answer questions about your files.
The advantage is obvious: it lives inside the tools your team already uses every day, managed from the same Google admin console.
Information about Gemini in Google Workspace is based on its public website as of October 2026; it may change.
How Tessa is different
Gemini is help inside each Google app. Tessa is a layer that works across all of them and Slack: she does not wait for you to open an email to summarise it; she reads what comes in, decides what matters and leaves the work ready for you.
So they compete less than it seems. Plenty of Workspace companies can use Gemini to write and Tessa to keep the thread. In fact, Tessa can use the transcripts or notes that Meet saves to Drive to pull out each person’s tasks.
- An inbox of tasks combining Gmail, Slack and, in beta, WhatsApp Business.
- A briefing ten minutes before every meeting.
- Routines in plain language: “when a lead comes in, add it and suggest a call”.
- Approval for anything leaving the company, and data stored in the EU.
When to choose Gemini
If you want to write, summarise and analyse faster inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets, Gemini is the most direct option: it is already built in and adds no new tool. It is also the better choice for spreadsheets and presentations, which Tessa does not do.
And if your team does not use Slack and only needs occasional help with email, you may not need anything else.
When to choose Tessa
Tessa fits when the problem is the invisible workload: deciding what to answer first, remembering follow-ups, handing out tasks after every meeting and knowing what is blocked. Especially in small companies and startups that combine Google Workspace with Slack.
Also if you want an assistant that is Spanish-first, with templates for your industry and clear privacy rules: what she reads for each person is for that person only, and there are no individual metrics for managers.
| Gemini in Workspace | Tessa | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | AI inside the Google apps | An assistant working across Google and Slack |
| Drafting help in Gmail and Docs | ✓ Its strength | ✓ Context-aware replies and documents |
| Tasks from email without asking | Check its website | ✓ |
| Slack as a source of work | Not its focus | ✓ |
| Google Meet notes | ✓ | ✓ With tasks per owner and recap sent |
| Automatic follow-ups | Check its website | ✓ |
| Data stored in the EU (Tessa) | Check its data policy | ✓ |
What Tessa reads for each person stays private, your data is stored in the EU and nothing goes out without your approval.
Frequently asked questions
If I already have Gemini, why would I need Tessa?
Gemini helps when you ask, inside each app. Tessa works on her own: she turns email and Slack into prioritised tasks, drafts replies, hands out meeting tasks and follows up. Many companies can use both.
Does Tessa work with Google Workspace?
Yes, it is her foundation. Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive and Meet are the integrations tested with real accounts, and each person connects them in one click.
Can Tessa use Gemini’s notes from Meet?
Yes. Tessa can read the transcripts or notes that Meet saves to your Drive after the call and turn them into minutes with tasks per owner.
Does Tessa read all my email?
She reads the email of whoever connects her, to know what needs a reply or an action. What she reads in your email is visible only to you and is stored encrypted on EU servers.
Is it free?
There is a Free plan for up to 3 people, no card needed. The Team and Business plans come with a 14-day trial.
Keep reading
- IntegrationsAn AI assistant for Gmail that turns your inbox into tasksConnect Gmail in one click. Tessa turns every email that asks you for something into a task and drafts the reply in your voice. You choose what gets sent.
- IntegrationsAI notes for Google Meet: minutes, tasks and recap without lifting a penTessa turns your Google Meet calls into minutes with decisions and tasks per owner, then sends the recap to attendees. No note-taking on your side.
- FeaturesEvery email that asks for something becomes a taskTessa reads your email and Slack, turns every request into a prioritized task with a due date and clears what's already done. Try it free.
- FeaturesIf they go quiet, Tessa remembers for youTell Tessa “follow up if they don't reply in 3 days” and she'll have the reminder drafted in the same thread, ready to send. Start for free.
- CompareMicrosoft 365 Copilot vs Tessa: help inside each app, or one assistant for everythingCopilot lives inside Word, Outlook and Teams. Tessa works across your email, Slack and meetings and does the follow-ups for you. Compare and try free.
- CompareChatGPT for business vs Tessa: a chat for everything, or an assistant who works on her ownChatGPT for business is a general-purpose assistant. Tessa works on her own across your email, Slack and meetings and follows up. Compare and try free.
What does your team look like?
Same AI for both. Where you start is what changes.
Startups
5 to 30 people
Grow without losing the thread
Tasks from email and Slack, follow-ups, sales and investors, without everything landing on the founders.
Companies
30 to 250 people
What gets decided gets done
Minutes and tasks from every meeting, commitments that get followed up and a pulse per team, without watching anyone.
Connect your Google account and see what is waiting for a reply in your inbox right now.
Start freeFree plan for teams of up to 3 people. Anything that leaves the company waits for your approval.