Microsoft Onedrive vs Google Drive: Which Cloud Storage is Better in 2022

The two most popular cloud storage services are Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive. Even though they provide the same service, their approaches are vastly different. While Google Drive focuses on consumers first, OneDrive’s user base comprises businesses. As a result, both Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive have advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s see them one by one and look at the differences between Google Drive and Microsoft Onedrive to help you decide which is best for your business and personal use.

What is Microsoft Onedrive?

Microsoft OneDrive is a web-based online storage and sharing platform similar to Dropbox. It combines with SharePoint to provide a more tailored experience for users who want to save files and documents online or collaborate with others.

You can create a folder to upload data. Once you’ve done that, the data is uploaded, and then everything is stored in the cloud, accessible on any gadget such as a laptop for business or a personal computer, or even a mobile. Furthermore, every Microsoft account is free up to 5GB of storage space on OneDrive.

Microsoft OneDrive allows users to use a host of Microsoft Office apps such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. In addition, it features web and desktop versions, enabling online and offline work effortlessly.

What are the benefits of using Onedrive?

The main benefit of using Microsoft’s cloud-based storage solution, OneDrive, is that it can back up your files online. Windows 10 comes with OneDrive already installed by default. It lets you transfer data across the Windows 10 PC and other Windows devices, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, and your Mac.

Anyone with a web connection can access folders or files within your OneDrive. The user and other users can work on a Microsoft Office file using web-based apps that work with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. 

These are just a few of the benefits of using OneDrive:

1. Availability: Microsoft claims that one drive provides 99.97 percent uptime. As a result, you can rest assured that anything stored on OneDrive will always be accessible to you. Onedrive going down is a rare event. OneDrive is a free Microsoft mobile app that allows businesses to upload documents, edit them and share them without connecting to the desktop. This real-time collaboration will enable enterprises to increase productivity without adding costly expenses.
2. Accessibility: You can access files stored on one drive from any location and device, including a Windows computer, an Android smartphone, an iOS device, or a Mac. Furthermore, Microsoft data centers are located worldwide, ensuring that you can access them from any continent. 
3. Security: One drive has a robust security environment, like any other Microsoft product. Any malicious attacks on your content are prevented.

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive also gives you access to free web-based document and spreadsheet creation tools (Docs and Sheets). Gmail and Google Docs use Google Drive as their default storage. Google Drive has a storage limit of 15 GB with a free plan, which you can increase by purchasing a higher plan.

Google Drive is an online service launched through Google in 2014 that provides cloud drive space for storing documents for Google Accounts users. It allows you to edit and save more than 100 types of data in the cloud drive space, including PDF, CAD, and more. It also works with Android as well as iOS systems. Anyone who signs up for an account with Google Account can get 15GB of cloud storage space.

Google Drive is a popular, free cloud storage service for storing and transferring files.  It uses cloud technology to give you the power and convenience of storing and accessing data from anywhere and at any time. In addition, users can access their files from anywhere and share them with other Google Drive users easily.

Google Drive’s many valuable tools take it above cloud storage. Clean apps and seamless connections to Workspace’s services help you integrate it into workflows. In addition, the seamless integration with third-party applications and fast performance make it a direct sell to businesses.

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage service that is the core of Google Workspace, the company’s online productivity suite designed for business. It includes sharing files, synchronizing them, and creating, managing, storing, and transferring various files within Google Workspace.

What are the benefits of using Google Drive?

1. Access files from anywhere: One of the biggest advantages of using Google Drive to store your data is accessing it anywhere. You can access your data by logging in with your Gmail account on Google servers. Then, all you need is a device that can connect to the internet and an internet connection.
2. Compatibility: You don’t have to limit yourself to using Google Drive on a single device. You can access your stored data anytime and from any location using any device, such as an Android phone, iPad, Mac, iPhone, or PC.
3. Sharing is simple: exchanging files and data with others takes only a few seconds. People can easily collaborate as a group as a result of this. However, you must set permissions to allow your collaborators to edit, view, or comment on specific files.
4. Free Storage: When you create a Google account, you get 15 GB of storage space for free. Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive all have access to it. If you have a lot of files and data to store, you can upgrade.

Similarities between Microsoft OneDrive vs Google Drive

The main similarity between Microsoft Onedrive and Google Drive is that both are cloud-based cloud storage platforms. As a result, they are compatible with various operating systems. Anyone with an account can use cloud storage at no cost. In addition, both of them can collaborate on files with other users.

Google Drive and OneDrive are well-known cloud-based storage solutions compatible with various platforms.

Difference between Microsoft Onedrive vs Google Drive 

The main difference between Microsoft Onedrive vs Google Drive is pricing.  You get 15GB free with Google Drive, and later you can upgrade your Google Drive free plan by purchasing a Google One or Google Workspace membership. Microsoft OneDrive offers a lot more possibilities with pricing. OneDrive Basic, which includes 5GB of free storage, is available for free. 

Google One is a membership service for individual customers that expands your storage capacity with Gmail, Photos, and Drive. It costs $2.99 per month for 200GB of storage, $9.99 per month for 2TB, etc.

In Microsoft Onedrive, 100GB of storage is available for $1.99 per user every month. Later you can buy a subscription to Microsoft 365, which comes with productivity tools or a simple one drive for business without any special tools.

Other differences are:

1. Performance: Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive leave the same impact on your system’s performance and speed. Both include downloaded clients/software to sync a specific folder on your system to the cloud and downloadable applications for smartphones and tablets. In addition, these clients and apps are incredibly light, with minimal storage or processing needs.
2. File Backup: Google Drive allows you to back up the content on your phone (photographs and videos) and your calendar and contacts. Each option can be turned on or off, and the photo and video backup allow you to select the image quality, which is essential for managing your cloud storage capacity. Microsoft OneDrive’s backup options are relatively limited, with just photo and video backup available.
3. Security: Because your files are stored in the cloud, you may now access them from anywhere, at any time. As a result, data security is a critical concern in the cloud. Hackers use every potential weakness to assault data protection systems. For example, Dropbox suffered a massive data breach in 2012, compromising 68 million credentials. Google has had numerous security breaches: once in 2014, when a Russian hacker compromised 4.93 million Google accounts, and again in 2016, when around 24 million Gmail accounts were exposed. Microsoft is well-known for its dedication to data security.
4. Since Microsoft has not been linked to any data breach incidents, OneDrive may be seen as a more secure option. Further, Google Drive uses AES 128-bit encryption to secure data in transit or motion, while AES 256-bit encryption protects information at rest. OneDrive provides AES 256-bit encryption for data in transit. However, files at rest are not encrypted unless a OneDrive for Business membership is purchased.
5. Speed: Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive perform at the same level in terms of speed. The difference comes when you work using Microsoft native files, which support block-level copying. In this case, a file is split into smaller pieces. Only the changes made to the file will be uploaded to the cloud, not to the complete file. This means that transfers of data take less time. If you’re using Google productivity applications, block-level copying technology offers nothing to offer when the two Google Drive and OneDrive function similarly.
6. File-Sharing: OneDrive or Google Drive is utilized to store files and transfer, share, and retrieve them. The ease of sharing files is a major factor to consider when choosing cloud storage as it illustrates the potential of collaboration among teams. In general, there are two ways to share your files with the help of OneDrive and Google Drive. First, share files via sharing links or enter someone’s email address to grant access. Google users can grant three levels of permissions, including view, comment, and edit. However, OneDrive, with the assistance of SharePoint servers, gives users more access possibilities.
7. File Sync: To connect files across every device, OneDrive and Google Drive users should install the following applications: OneDrive desktop and Backup and Sync. After installing these applications, they will require you to create an account on your device using the account you have with OneDrive and your Google Drive account. Then, users will be able to access the files in that folder from any location anytime.
8. Privacy: If there’s something Google Drive fans or OneDrive lovers can be sure of, the privacy of data. Google has been accused of capturing user data for targeted ads. However, Microsoft has the right to search users’ data for any objectionable content. This doesn’t mean that these strategies are detrimental, but the thought of someone else sifting through your personal data isn’t comfortable.

OneDrive Vs. Google Drive: Which Cloud Storage Is Better?

Google Drive Storage is better if you want to use it for personal use, and Onedrive Cloud Storage is better if you are using it for business purposes. It all boils down to the requirements you have. If most of your team members utilize Gmail, then it is logical to choose Google Drive as the team is already an integral part of the Google ecosystem.

If most of your team members utilize Outlook or Microsoft Teams, then it is logical to choose OneDrive as the team is already an integral part of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Conclusion

Both Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive solutions are suitable and best for respected use cases, and which one you choose will depend on your needs and job. For example, suppose the majority of your team uses Gmail; in that case, it makes sense to utilize Google Drive because your team is already a part of the Google ecosystem, and the same logic applies to OneDrive.

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