Google Drive and One Drive: Features

Both OneDrive and Google Drive support files on-demand on Windows and Mac. You can download the files and keep others on the cloud.

1. Organization

Google Drive offers aesthetic document organization with different color-coded folders which makes finding required files easy. You can also mark files as favorites and check your recently opened ones at the top. On the other hand, OneDrive’s organization is basic with default folders, it comes with a handy Photos tab to check your media files in a single place. Moreover, it supports different views, albums, and categories, and the ability to filter photos by location.

2. Handling Media

OneDrive offers basic editing tools to make adjustments on the go. In comparison, Google Drive relies on Google Photos to handle your media files, a dedicated tool to take care of your media needs.

3. Integration

Google Drive works well with company apps like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, JamBoard, Keep, and more. Comparatively, OneDrive integrates well with the Start menu on Windows 11 to quickly access your frequently used files. OneDrive nails basic and minute details. For instance, something as small as showing the folder size (something that’s unavailable on Google Drive), assists users in monitoring storage.

4. Backup

When using Google Drive, you can back up your contact list, calendar events, and media files with a single toggle button. Compared to Google Drive, OneDrive has some limitations as you can only back up media files on your local phones, such as videos and photos.

5. Speed

When it comes to speed, both OneDrive and Google Drive perform the same. The difference comes when you deal with Microsoft native files that support block-level copying, where a file is broken into smaller packages. The smart algorithm only works the changes and uploads them to the cloud document as opposed to the entire file. As a result, data transfers take less time.

However, if you use Google productivity apps, block-level copying technology has no real benefit to offer in either of the two products as they perform at par with each other.

When it comes to cloud storage, it is impossible not to think about Google Drive and One Drive. These are two of the most popular cloud storage and file-sharing platforms out there. While both of them provide useful features for storing and accessing your documents, photos, videos, and other files from any device with an internet connection, there are some key differences between Google Drive and One Drive.

Key factors to consider when choosing between these two options include their pricing structure, available storage space, sharing and collaboration features, integration with other productivity apps, and supported platforms and devices.

In this article, we will look at the key differences between Google Drive and One Drive. This will help you determine which one best fits your storage and sharing needs.