Google Drive vs. OneDrive: Which one is better for your business?

This article will explain the key differences between Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive in order to choose the right storage solution for consumers and enterprises. Google Drive has a consumer-first focus approach. Microsoft OneDrive’s consumer base is focused on enterprises. Google follows a cloud-only model, and Microsoft has one foot in the cloud and one on the desktop.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a new norm in most industries to cut down on IT operating expenses. If an organization is making such a decision, it needs to choose the right cloud storage to meet its business needs. If your organization is planning to stick only to using cloud-based storage, then Google Drive might be the right fit. However, if your organization plans to use cloud-based storage that integrates with Windows operating systems and Office 365, then OneDrive is the right option.

Organizations also consider the following key areas before taking a decision.

1. File Syncing Speed
2. Security
3. Files-sharing capabilities
4. Pricing & flexible plans
5. Integration with existing software

The following table will give you a quick glimpse of both Google Drive and OneDrive.

Where does OneDrive Shine?

MS Office File Syncing:

If your requirement is for regular MS Office file sync and speed is important to you, then you’ll likely find OneDrive better suited than Google Drive. Thanks to the file syncing technology that OneDrive uses called Block Level Copying, It breaks down the big files into smaller, easier-to-read bits. Kindly note that only Microsoft application files support block-level syncing. Other files will still remain as file-level copying.

Integration with Word and Excel:

Obliviously, Microsoft products integrate better with other Microsoft products than Google Drive. The OneDrive mobile application helps customers upload, edit, and share files without having to be on their desktops. It really helps customers in real-time collaboration to boost productivity without adding to expensive overheads.

File-Sharing with controlled access:

Cloud storage is meant for file sharing with controlled access. One Drive interfaces help share files quickly and easily. You will be able to share the files by selecting them and clicking “share”. Then you will be prompted with a link to create a password and expiration date. This allows others to easily access the files. But Google Drive allows sharing of files with links but doesn’t provide any option to set passwords and expiration dates.

Where does Google Drive shine?

Search Capability & Speed

Due to its intuitive UI, Google Drive aces it when it comes to usability. Its built-in search engine allows users to search files quickly by type and owner. This key feature is missing in OneDrive. Comparatively, Google Drive is much faster than OneDrive for non-Microsoft files.

Collaboration

Shareability and real-time editing features offered by Google Drive have taken personal and professional collaboration to the next level. Share word documents, spreadsheets, and other content types with other colleagues and friends with ease.

Free plan & integration:

Google offers a free plan with 15GB of storage space, whereas one drive offers only 5GB. Google Drive also supports thousands of third-party application integrations to store your files in the cloud without any additional effort. For example, I am using a third-party application to draw architectural diagrams, which will be automatically stored in Google Drive without any manual work.

OneDrive and G-Drive Shares the same concerns

Data protection

Both Google and Microsoft have best-in-class security against infrastructure threats like hardware and software failure, power outages, and natural disasters. However, it doesn’t offer data protection from illegitimate deletion, program/sync errors, malicious insiders, malware, and ransomware. You must have data protection software and anti-virus software to secure your data.

Privacy

Another thing Google Drive or OneDrive enthusiasts can agree on is data privacy concerns. Google might collect user information for targeted advertising. Microsoft reserves the right to scan through users’ data for any sort of objectionable content. Of course, none of these strategies are harmful to the users’ data, but it makes it uncomfortable when a stranger is sifting through your data.

Support:

Both OneDrive and G-Drive don’t support the Linux operating system as of now. If you are looking for Linux support, then you need to look at Dropbox.

Pricing Tiers – OneDrive

Microsoft has a set of plans for both Home & Business segments. They also include Microsoft Office in their offerings based on the plan type that we choose. If you are looking for 1 TB of storage for personal use, OneDrive has “Microsoft 365 Personal,” which comes with office apps for 69 USD per year. This is much cheaper than Google Drive.

Microsoft OneDrive – Home Plans
https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/onedrive/compare-onedrive-plans?activetab=tab%3aprimaryr1

Microsoft OneDrive – Business Plans
https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/onedrive/compare-onedrive-plans?activetab=tab:primaryr2

Google Drive – Plans

Google’s plans are simple and straightforward. They offer cloud storage at a reasonable cost and it’s value for money. If anyone is looking for storage of less than 200 GB, then Google Drive is the right choice. If you opt for a 2TB plan, Google offers a VPN for Android mobile phones. For businesses, Google recommends using Google Workspace.

https://one.google.com/about/plans

Conclusion:

Both platforms integrate seamlessly with their own tools – OneDrive works with Microsoft office suites, and Google Drive integrates with Google Workspace tools. But Google also has a complete marketplace of third-party apps you’ll be able to integrate, like Trello, Slack, DocuSign, Lucidchart, appdiagrams, and many other programs that may help supercharge your productivity.

OneDrive’s integration offerings are much more limited compared to Google Drive. It works with a few popular platforms like Trello, Zoom, Salesforce, and DocuSign. Except for the foremost part, OneDrive’s integrations are geared toward enterprise B2B users.

Google offers larger free plans, which most casual users can get by using Google Drive gratis. For larger businesses and big-time file storers, OneDrive offers cheaper 1 TB and unlimited storage plans, plus faster local file sync together with office apps.

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