OneDrive vs Google Drive: Which Cloud Storage Option Is Better in 2022?

If you're looking for cloud storage services to easily and affordably manage your company's data, then you'll probably check out these two great options: OneDrive and Google Drive. When you compare them, there is no option that is clearly better than the other. Rather, it depends on the needs of your specific company.

If it is important to use only cloud storage, then Google Drive is the way to go. However, if your organization plans to use cloud storage that also integrates with Windows and Microsoft 365, then OneDrive is the right choice.

Read on to learn the advantages and disadvantages of both so you can determine which storage is right for your business.

OneDrive vs Google Drive

OneDrive is a premium cloud storage service that offers easy integration with Windows and Microsoft 365, allowing you to quickly and easily store, sync, and share data with others. This platform was created for Microsoft users to allow them to use storage that can be easily accessed over the Internet. 

Google Drive is another reliable cloud storage solution. Anyone who has created a Google account can access Google Drive. One account works with all Google apps. Like OneDrive, Google Drive can be used for both business and personal accounts to access information in the cloud.

Pros of OneDrive

1. Synchronization: You will easily notice that OneDrive is faster than Google Drive. This happens thanks to a file synchronization technology called block-level copying. The technology is that it takes large files and essentially breaks them down into smaller, more readable bits. Why does this approach affect speed? Because instead of trying to download one large file, OneDrive downloads chunks that take a short period of time to sync.

2. Privacy: Although Microsoft technically has the right to scan your data to ensure security, OneDrive still has the highest level of privacy for data and information. Google in general is known to use your data to create targeted ads, and there's a good chance that if privacy is of the utmost importance to you, the browsing of your data that Google Drive does isn't something you want. I will love too much.

3. File sharing. The main part of using cloud services is the ability to share files quickly and easily. This is where OneDrive really shines. All you have to do to share files here is highlight what you want and click Share. You will then be prompted with a link for which you will create a password and expiration date. This allows others to easily access the files.

Google Drive, on the other hand, allows you to create links to share folders and files and allow other people to edit them, but does not provide the ability to define a password, expiration date, etc.

4. Integration with Word and Excel. Unsurprisingly, the storage integrates better with other Microsoft products than Google Drive. This plus is especially important to note, since many companies use Word and Excel and employees, as a rule, are better familiar with the interface of these programs.

Cons of OneDrive

1. Paid storage: The 5GB of free storage that OneDrive offers is a nice little bonus, but it's not much. This amount of storage is quickly consumed by a company, so you will have to look for paid storage options for your needs.

One Drive offers four different tiers for businesses, which can cause some confusion.

• OneDrive for Business (1): offers 1 TB of cloud storage for $5 per user per month.
• One Drive for Business (2): offers unlimited storage for $10 per user per month.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: offers 1 TB of cloud storage for $5 per user per month if you choose the annual plan, or $6 per month per user if you choose the monthly plan. This also applies to web and Mobile Office applications.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: offers 1 TB of storage for $12.50 per user per month with an annual plan or $15 per user per month with a monthly plan, and also comes with Web and Mobile Office apps.

2. Collaboration: OneDrive is a collaborative cloud storage service that lets you update files more frequently than many other storage options, but Google Drive is still faster. Google Drive can update in real time, while many OneDrive users experience delays.

Pros of Google Drive

1. Customer support: Google Drive is known for its excellent support system, which allows you to get answers to questions via phone, chat, or email. You also have access to guides and instructions that can help you find the answers. Additionally, Google Drive has a community forum where other Google Drive users as well as Google employees contribute.

2. Free storage. If you're looking for the most bang for your buck when it comes to free storage, look no further than Google Drive. This gives you 15GB of free storage, whereas with OneDrive you only get 5GB of free storage. This means Google Drive gives you more space to store all the data you need in the cloud, including files, media, and more.

3. Paid storage. While free storage is an important factor when choosing the right cloud storage for your business, it's likely that you'll have to turn to additional paid storage to get the capacity you need. The free 15GB storage that comes with Google Drive is more suitable for personal use than professional use, and you'll find that the free storage gets used up quickly.

So, when it comes time to buy more cloud space, Google Drive offers simple plans.

• After 15GB of free storage, Google Drive will cost you $20 per user per year for 100GB, $30 per user per year for 200GB, and $100 per user per year for 2TB.

4. Collaboration. Google Drive allows you to work in real time. Numerous tests have shown that OneDrive is slower to update with collaborators than Google Drive.

5. Integration: Google Drive is great for working with third-party apps, which opens up a world of additional possibilities.

Cons of Google Drive 

1. Synchronization. Unlike the advanced sync that OneDrive offers, Google Drive does basic sync, which tends to be slower. If speed isn't an important factor for you, then you may find that Google Drive's ease of use is more important than its shortcomings when it comes to sync speed.

2. Privacy: It's no secret that Google looks at your data to target ads. If you only use Gmail for personal purposes, this may not be too much of a negative. However, if you want to store sensitive data that needs to be protected, Google Drive may not be the right choice for you.

3. File sharing: While Google Drive wins at real-time collaboration, it loses at file sharing. You have the ability to share files and folders through Google Drive, but you can't set passwords, expiration dates, and more like you can with OneDrive. Additionally, Google Drive lets you see which files and folders have been shared with you, but you can't see which ones you've shared with others.

4. Formatted for Google Drive: Any documents created in Google Drive are formatted specifically to work with Google Drive. While you can convert them to Microsoft Word documents and send them to other users who don't have Google Drive, you have to make sure the formatting is preserved, which requires extra time and attention.

Microsoft OneDrive vs Google Drive: verdict

Not only does each cloud storage platform have different offerings, but every business's needs are also different, so we can't say which platform is right for you. However, in most scenarios, we think OneDrive is the clear favorite for companies using Microsoft 365.