I’ve spent a lot of time utilizing OneDrive and Google Drive to better understand their subtle distinctions, and I’ve outlined all of the main (and minor) differences between them to get you started.

To put it briefly, independent individuals who keep a typical quantity of data are better off using Google Drive. For companies and groups who use a lot of syncing or rely on the Microsoft Office suite, OneDrive makes more sense.

In all likelihood, the majority of users will fall in the middle, with either platform being able to satisfy their demands. Therefore, the majority of the time, it will come down to personal taste; those who use Google Drive will probably like it, and those who use Microsoft OneDrive will probably prefer it.

None of these will be the decisive factor between OneDrive and Google Drive if you’re seeking for one.

Security: Two-factor authentication, layered file access, and encryption of both in-transit and at-rest files are among the security features that both Google’s and Microsoft’s cloud platforms offer.

Privacy: Since neither method employs zero-knowledge encryption, your saved data may theoretically be accessed by them.

Business features: You may access collaborative capabilities like shared team drives, increased web calling capacity, and administrative security controls by purchasing a corporate membership to either platform. Apart from variations in cost and storage, the tools provided by both platforms are essentially equivalent in terms of functionality.

Equal features for file sharing and real-time collaboration are provided by both platforms.

File histories: To make it simple to go back to previous versions, both maintain 30-day file history. (This is similarly limited to 100 versions on Google Drive.)

Mobile syncing: To access, arrange, and add files to your storage while on the road, both systems offer mobile apps.

Google Drive is still a good choice for casual users because its 15 GB free plan is more than sufficient for most people’s needs for storage over time. (I’ve only recently exceeded the 90% storage utilization threshold; I’ve had the same Google Drive account for roughly seven years.) In contrast, OneDrive’s free plan only provides 5 GB of storage.

It’s also important to remember that starting in 2023, Google includes Gmail and Google Photos in your total storage limit, but Outlook emails now contribute towards your OneDrive storage utilization. As a result, users who store a large number of emails with attachments or embedded images may discover that they use up their free OneDrive storage more quickly than they would with Google Drive. 

For the same $2 monthly fee, users who require more than 15 GB can select a 100 GB plan from either platform. From there, OneDrive charges $7/month for 1 TB, whereas Google Drive starts at just $3/month for 200 GB and goes up to $10/month for 2 TB.

OneDrive’s pricing model is significantly more accommodating for business users, starting at $5/month for 1 TB, while Google Drive charges $1 more each month for a meagre 30 GB. Sadly, OneDrive discontinued its $10/month unlimited storage plan, thus Google Drive surpasses the entry-level option as well. Google Drive provides extra 2 TB and 5 TB of storage, however the two higher OneDrive tiers add nothing to the 1 TB of storage. Therefore, OneDrive offers you enough of storage for around $5/month if preserving space is your top priority. However, if storage capacity is your top priority, Google Drive is unquestionably a better choice for your group.

Block-level copying, also known as delta or differential sync, is a technology used by OneDrive that essentially enables it to recognise changes made since the last sync and update only those items instead of re-uploading the most recent copy of every file. Auto-syncs function more swiftly and seamlessly as a result.

Local file syncing may not be a top concern, though, as many Google Drive users choose to produce their files on cloud platforms like Docs, Slides, and Sheets. In all honesty, regular users on free plans are unlikely to notice a change. But OneDrive ought to get closer to reflecting real-time changes for business users who frequently communicate in real-time within the same documents.

But in terms of file discovery, Google Drive is unquestionably quicker and easier to use. Given that Google’s primary function is search, it’s not surprising that its file search functions better than OneDrive’s. You may also use Boolean operators like “and,” “or,” “from,” and other search capabilities you’re used to using for ordinary search. Search results auto-populate as you write, making it quicker to retrieve the file you’re looking for straight away. In the event that you are unsure of the precise file name but are aware of some key phrases in the copy, results can even be programmed to automatically appear based on words identified within documents.

Although OneDrive’s search feature is somewhat basic, it has improved recently. OneDrive also offers tag searching, which is helpful if you’re trying to find images with places marked or identifiable subjects (such “people,” “food,” and “dogs,” for example). Although OneDrive now offers search results that appear automatically and change as you enter, the results are only available for file names and not for entire files.

Additionally, since Boolean operators are not supported, you may need to search for the file on OneDrive for a while if you don’t know its name. One of those things that, until you’re attempting to locate a crucial file two minutes before a client meeting, doesn’t seem like a drawback. (Not that my experience has taught me.)

Once more, there won’t be much of a change for people with simple search and sorting needs. That being said, Google Drive provides a far superior file browsing and search experience if you truly value organization or even if your file structure is quite complicated.

Even though Microsoft’s integration skills have greatly improved recently, Google still leads by a large amount in this field. It makes sense: Microsoft wasn’t initially a “cloud” platform, whereas Google was practically always one. Google was always going to be quick to adjust and agile.

OneDrive and Google Drive both function well with their own toolkits; OneDrive is compatible with Microsoft programs, while Google Drive is compatible with Google Workspace products. However, Google also offers a vast marketplace of third-party apps that you may incorporate, including hundreds of productivity-boosting apps like Lucidchart, DocuSign, Slack, and others. You can search for new connections you hadn’t considered by going to the “Apps to discover” tab, browsing by compatibility or category, and finding everything from marketing and AI solutions to ERP and HR software.

The integration options offered by OneDrive are significantly less extensive. A few well-known platforms, like Trello, Vimeo, Salesforce, and Smartsheet, are compatible with it. However, OneDrive’s integrations are mostly targeted at educators and business-to-business users. Interestingly, OneDrive doesn’t have native connections with;

• Most popular project management platforms
• Numerous platforms for marketing, HR, financial, and personal productivity
• Microsoft offers external versions of its products; for instance, OneDrive can only be connected to Outlook and not to Google Calendar or iCal.
• Alternative platforms for storage.

Which drive should you use to save your files—Google Drive or OneDrive?

Most Frequent asked questions

Is Google Drive and OneDrive the same?

What distinguishes Google Drive from OneDrive?

What drawbacks are there to OneDrive use?