Google Drive offers 15GB free storage and seamless Google Workspace integration, while Dropbox provides superior file syncing, version history up to 180 days, and better collaboration tools for creative teams. Google Drive wins for most casual users seeking free storage; Dropbox excels for professionals needing advanced file management.
Dropbox vs Google Drive — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage platform with advanced file syncing and version control for teams and professionals.
Cloud storage service integrated with Google Workspace for real-time document collaboration.
Free Storage. File Version History. Synced Folders Limit. Offline File Access. Family Plan Price (annual). Real-time Collaboration Users. API Rate Limits
Choose Google Drive if you're a casual user who values free storage, tight Google Workspace integration, and native document editing at no cost. Choose Dropbox if you're a creative professional, small business, or power user who needs advanced file syncing, extended version history, selective sync for bandwidth control, and superior team collaboration features beyond basic document editing.
Dropbox: $11.99/month | Google Drive: $1.99/month
Dropbox: 9 TB | Google Drive: 1 TB (100 GB × 10 users shared)
Dropbox: 250 GB (Business Plus) | Google Drive: 5 GB
Dropbox: 30-365 days (plan dependent) | Google Drive: 30 days
Dropbox: Yes, with expiry dates | Google Drive: No
Dropbox: Basic comments only; requires integrations | Google Drive: Advanced (simultaneous editing in Docs/Sheets)
Dropbox: $24/user/month | Google Drive: $6-12/user/month (Google Workspace)
Dropbox: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: $11.99 (Dropbox Plus) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Not available | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 180 days (Plus plan) | Google Drive: 100 versions or 30 days (free)
Dropbox: AES-256 (free tier unencrypted) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Yes (Dropbox Spaces, Team Spaces) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 4.7/5 (380K reviews) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: In-transit AES-256 + optional client-side encryption | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Advanced (@mentions, comments, Paper documents, 300+ integrations) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Server-side (TLS 1.2+) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 500+ million | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: United States | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2.5 billion | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: No inclusion | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Dropbox Business (3TB+ per user, admin console) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Optional via third-party or manual import | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2 GB (free) | Google Drive: N/A
Monthly Cost per User (Annual Commitment)
Dropbox: $11.99/month (Plus plan with 2 TB) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 1 user (free plan, 30-day trial for paid) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Third-party integration only (Microsoft Office, Google Docs) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: No (integrate Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 180 days (on Plus plan) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Robust (SSO, DLP, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 6 platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Advanced (view-only, download blocks, expiring links, password protection) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: No automatic photo backup | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Dropbox Sign, Spaces, Paper, task management | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Not applicable | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 700 million (2024) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2 TB ($11.99/month) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: No (storage-focused) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: All file types (universal) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Not optimized | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: $17.99 + seat fees (~$120 estimated) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: All file types via sync | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Yes, in Dropbox Spaces | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2000GB (2TB) | Google Drive: 5 TB
Dropbox: $179.88/year | Google Drive: N/A
Microsoft Office Co-authoring Integration
Dropbox: Limited (basic sharing, no native co-editing) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 180 days (Plus), 1800 days (Professional) | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2-5 MB/s average | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Role-based access, expiring links, password protection, IP restrictions | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Third-party add-ons and basic integration | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 3000GB (3TB) Dropbox Professional | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Yes (comments, @mentions, file requests, Dropbox Transfer) | Google Drive: N/A
Business Plan Starting Price (Annual per User)
Dropbox: No native conferencing | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: Windows, Mac, Linux | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: 2000GB | Google Drive: 5TB (individual files)
Dropbox: Full Dropbox Business suite | Google Drive: N/A
Dropbox: $119.88/year | Google Drive: $99.99/year
Dropbox: 300 (Business plan) | Google Drive: Unlimited
Dropbox: 30 days | Google Drive: 25 days
Dropbox: 400+ | Google Drive: 500+ via Workspace Marketplace
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: 3 (OCR, translation, image processing)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Limited - through export/import
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Excellent - Android-optimized
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Extensive marketplace
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Full offline with sync
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Server-side encryption
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Meet, Sheets, Docs, Forms integrated
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Image & PDF to text conversion
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: $9.99 (100 GB plan)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Full offline editing with sync
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Under 1 hour
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Full REST API with webhooks
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: $1.99/month (100GB)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Unlimited (Workspace)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: No (Workspace only)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Native (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Basic (Zapier required)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: All paid plans
Real-time Collaborative Editors (Simultaneous Users)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: 30 days permanently
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: $9.99 (100GB)
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: 5 GB per file
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Full editing offline
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: 5 minutes to productive use
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: None - spreadsheets only
Dropbox: N/A | Google Drive: Unlimited simultaneous editors
How to choose between Dropbox and Google Drive
Dropbox vs Google Drive — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Dropbox vs Google Drive. Contains 143 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Dropbox vs Google Drive — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Dropbox vs Google Drive.
Google Drive provides 15GB of free storage, while Dropbox offers only 2GB. Google Drive's free tier is 7.5 times larger, making it better for casual users. However, Dropbox's free tier includes unlimited synced folders, whereas Google Drive limits free users to 3 synced folders.
Google Drive allows offline access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for seamless editing without internet. Dropbox does not natively support offline document editing—you must manually sync files to your device beforehand. For offline collaboration, Google Drive has a significant advantage.
Dropbox retains deleted files in Trash for 30 days on free/Plus plans, and 180 days on Business plans. Google Drive keeps deleted files for 25 days in the trash before permanent deletion. Both services are roughly equivalent, though Dropbox's business tier offers longer retention.
Google Drive excels for document collaboration with unlimited simultaneous editors and native real-time editing in Google Docs/Sheets. Dropbox supports up to 300 collaborators on Business plans but lacks native document editing (requires separate subscriptions to Dropbox Sign or Paper). For team workflows, Google Drive is superior for document work; Dropbox is better for file management and version control.
Dropbox offers superior file syncing with selective sync, LAN sync (for faster transfers between local devices), and unlimited synced folders. Google Drive's syncing is limited to 3 folders on free plans and lacks selective sync capability. Professional users and those with large file libraries prefer Dropbox's syncing features.
How to Choose Between Dropbox and Google Drive
Free Storage: Dropbox has 2GB, while Google Drive has 15GB.
File Version History: Dropbox has 180 days (Dropbox Plus), unlimited (Rewind add-on), while Google Drive has 30 days free, 100 versions on paid plans.
Synced Folders Limit: Dropbox has Unlimited, while Google Drive has 3 folders (free), unlimited (paid).
Offline File Access: Dropbox has Requires manual sync, while Google Drive has Full offline access via Google Workspace.
Family Plan Price (annual): Dropbox has $19.99/month (2TB per person), while Google Drive has $99.99/year (100GB shared).
Real-time Collaboration Users: Dropbox has Up to 300 (Dropbox Business), while Google Drive has Unlimited simultaneous editors.
API Rate Limits: Dropbox has 1,000 requests/min (standard), while Google Drive has 1,000 queries/100 sec (read), lower for writes.