Google Drive offers superior integration with Google Workspace and lower pricing ($20/100GB annually), while Box excels in enterprise security, compliance certifications, and advanced content management with dedicated admin controls. Google Drive suits individuals and small teams; Box targets large enterprises with strict regulatory requirements.
Box vs Google Drive — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-native content management and file collaboration platform
Cloud storage and file synchronization service integrated with Google Workspace productivity tools.
Monthly Pricing (100GB). Security Certifications. Google Workspace Integration. Free Storage Tier. Advanced Admin Controls. File Versioning History. Offline Access Quality
Choose Box if your organization requires enterprise-grade security, HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance, advanced content governance, and serves regulated industries like healthcare or finance. Choose Google Drive if you prioritize affordability, seamless Google Workspace integration, generous free storage, and need a straightforward solution for teams of under 500 users.
Box: Unlimited (enterprise) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Unlimited (configurable) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Advanced (native Box Skills) | Google Drive: Basic (Zapier required)
Box: Business and Enterprise plans only | Google Drive: All paid plans
Real-time Collaborative Editors (Simultaneous Users)
Box: Unlimited | Google Drive: Unlimited
Box: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, FINRA, ISO 27001 | Google Drive: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001
Box: 30 days (free), unlimited (paid) | Google Drive: 30 days permanently
Box: Third-party connectors only | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Advanced AI classification included | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Standard feature | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Limited (via integrations only) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: FedRAMP, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001 | Google Drive: N/A
Box: 15GB | Google Drive: 5TB (individual files)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Starter Plan)
Box: API-based (limited) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: $12 (Individual Pro) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Full editing (Word, Excel, Sheets, PDF) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Basic download/expiry controls | Google Drive: N/A
Box: HIPAA-eligible with BAA | Google Drive: N/A
Box: 3 (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP) | Google Drive: N/A
Box: Yes (Moderate level) | Google Drive: No
Box: Third-party addon | Google Drive: Native/seamless
Box: Advanced with DLP policies | Google Drive: Basic
Box: Full offline with auto-replication | Google Drive: Desktop sync only
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 1 TB (100 GB × 10 users shared)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Advanced (simultaneous editing in Docs/Sheets)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: $6-12/user/month (Google Workspace)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 3 (OCR, translation, image processing)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Limited - through export/import
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Excellent - Android-optimized
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Extensive marketplace
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Full offline with sync
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Server-side encryption
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Meet, Sheets, Docs, Forms integrated
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Image & PDF to text conversion
Box: N/A | Google Drive: $9.99 (100 GB plan)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Full offline editing with sync
Box: N/A | Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Full REST API with webhooks
Box: N/A | Google Drive: $1.99/month (100GB)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Unlimited (Workspace)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: No (Workspace only)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Native (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: No (standard encryption only)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Yes (Docs, Sheets, Slides, co-editing)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: Full editing offline
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 5 minutes to productive use
Box: N/A | Google Drive: None - spreadsheets only
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 500+ via Workspace Marketplace
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 500M+ downloads
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 30 days (unlimited for Workspace Business+)
Box: N/A | Google Drive: 4.6/5 (2.1M reviews)
How to choose between Box and Google Drive
Box vs Google Drive — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Box vs Google Drive. Contains 119 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Box vs Google Drive — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Box vs Google Drive.
Which is better for healthcare organizations?
Box is substantially better for healthcare due to its HIPAA compliance certification, FedRAMP authorization, and advanced Data Loss Prevention (DLP) features. Google Drive lacks HIPAA certification and is not approved for storing Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA regulations. Box also provides audit trails and legal hold capabilities required for healthcare compliance.
Yes, Box offers third-party integrations with Google Workspace through the Box for Google Workspace add-on. However, Google Drive integrates natively only with Google products (Docs, Sheets, Slides). For seamless collaboration, Google Drive is superior if your team primarily uses Google Workspace; Box is better if you need enterprise-grade tools beyond Google's ecosystem.
What happens to my files if I delete them?
Box retains unlimited versions of all files indefinitely, allowing recovery of any previous version. Google Drive retains deleted files in Trash for 30 days and file versions for 30 days on paid plans. Box's unlimited versioning is a significant advantage for organizations requiring long-term compliance and audit trails, while Google Drive's 30-day window suits most small teams.
Which platform is easier for non-technical users?
Google Drive is significantly easier for non-technical users with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, instant real-time collaboration, and zero learning curve. Box requires understanding complex permission hierarchies, content governance policies, and admin settings, making it better suited for IT-managed enterprise environments rather than self-service users.
How do pricing models compare for a 100-person team?
For 100 users with 100GB storage each: Google Drive costs $2,000/year total ($20/user/year), while Box costs $12,000/year ($10/user/month). Google Drive is 6x cheaper for basic needs. However, Box's pricing is justified for organizations requiring compliance—the cost of a single HIPAA violation ($100K-$1.5M fines) far exceeds Box's premium.
How to Choose Between Box and Google Drive
Monthly Pricing (100GB): Box has $10/month, while Google Drive has $20/year.
Security Certifications: Box has SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, while Google Drive has SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001.
Google Workspace Integration: Box has Native seamless integration, while Google Drive has Third-party add-ons required.
Free Storage Tier: Box has 15GB free, while Google Drive has 10GB free.
Advanced Admin Controls: Box has Content governance, retention policies, advanced audit logs, while Google Drive has Basic team management.
File Versioning History: Box has Unlimited versions, while Google Drive has 30-day rollback (100GB plan).
Offline Access Quality: Box has Full offline sync with auto-replication, while Google Drive has Limited offline, sync-only via desktop.