Google Drive offers superior collaboration tools and 15GB free storage with seamless Google Workspace integration, while OneDrive provides better Microsoft Office integration, 5GB free storage, and stronger enterprise security features. The choice depends on your ecosystem: choose Drive for Google services, OneDrive for Microsoft 365.
Google Drive vs OneDrive — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud storage and file synchronization service integrated with Google Workspace productivity tools.
Microsoft's cloud storage service with native Windows integration and Microsoft 365 bundling.
Free Storage. Real-time Collaboration Users. Native Office Integration. Search Capabilities. Offline Access on Web. Mobile App Rating (iOS). Enterprise Compliance
Choose Google Drive if you rely on Google Workspace, need superior search capabilities, want more free storage, or prioritize real-time collaboration with non-technical users. Choose OneDrive if you use Microsoft 365, need native Office file support, require robust offline access, or need enterprise-grade compliance certifications for regulated industries.
Google Drive: $1.99/month | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 1 TB (100 GB × 10 users shared) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Advanced (simultaneous editing in Docs/Sheets) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: $6-12/user/month (Google Workspace) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 15GB | OneDrive: 1TB (1000GB)
Google Drive: 3 (OCR, translation, image processing) | OneDrive: 4+ (search, workspace, photo intelligence, security)
Google Drive: Limited - through export/import | OneDrive: Native - deeply integrated
Google Drive: 14 days | OneDrive: 30 days
Google Drive: Excellent - Android-optimized | OneDrive: Good - universal support
Google Drive: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Extensive marketplace | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Full offline with sync | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Server-side encryption | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Meet, Sheets, Docs, Forms integrated | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Image & PDF to text conversion | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100 GB plan) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Full offline editing with sync | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: None (Sheets only for spreadsheets) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Under 1 hour | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Full REST API with webhooks | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: $1.99/month (100GB) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Unlimited (Workspace) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: No (Workspace only) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Native (Docs, Sheets, Slides) | OneDrive: Full Office 365 co-editing (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Google Drive: $99.88/year ($9.99/month 2TB) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Not available | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: No (standard encryption only) | OneDrive: No (standard tier); selective E2E on SharePoint
Google Drive: Yes (Docs, Sheets, Slides, co-editing) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 1,800 million | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Basic (Zapier required) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: All paid plans | OneDrive: N/A
Real-time Collaborative Editors (Simultaneous Users)
Google Drive: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 30 days permanently | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: $9.99 (100GB) | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 5 GB per file | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Full editing offline | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 5 minutes to productive use | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: None - spreadsheets only | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Native/seamless | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: Desktop sync only | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: $99.99/year | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 30 days | OneDrive: 30 days
Google Drive: 5TB (individual files) | OneDrive: 100GB
Google Drive: 500+ via Workspace Marketplace | OneDrive: N/A
Google Drive: 5GB per file | OneDrive: 250GB per file (Sharepoint), 15GB (OneDrive)
Google Drive: 385+ languages | OneDrive: 40 languages
Google Drive: 500M+ downloads | OneDrive: 180M+ downloads
Google Drive: 100+ editors | OneDrive: 100+ editors
Google Drive: 30 days (unlimited for Workspace Business+) | OneDrive: 93 days
Google Drive: 4.6/5 (2.1M reviews) | OneDrive: 4.7/5 (1.8M reviews)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Not available
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Baseline (1.0x)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 2 regions (US, EU for enterprise)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Starter Plan)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Native (included)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Limited by license
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Yes (advanced with Office)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: $1.99 (100GB standard) or $6.99 (1TB with M365)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Full native app with sync and offline access
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 93 days (standard)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Full native app with file sync and Explorer integration
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 6 (via Microsoft 365 Family)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 1TB storage + Office apps included with M365 subscription
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 1000GB (included)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 300 (Office docs)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 14 regions
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: $1.99/month
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: $6.67/month (Microsoft 365 Personal bundle)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 2-5 seconds
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 5 major platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Full File Explorer integration with cloud-only pinning
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Standard encryption (TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 2TB (via Microsoft 365 Family or standalone)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Native editing with Microsoft 365 apps
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Limited to Business plans
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: $119.88 (OneDrive standalone) or $99.99 (with M365 Basic)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: $119.99 (with Office 365, includes 1TB)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: File Explorer sync, automatic background sync
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: App-based (OneDrive app required)
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: Manual setup required on iOS
Google Drive: N/A | OneDrive: 5TB (via Microsoft 365 subscriptions)
How to choose between Google Drive and OneDrive
Google Drive vs OneDrive — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Google Drive vs OneDrive. Contains 119 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Google Drive vs OneDrive — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Google Drive vs OneDrive.
Which cloud storage is better for Microsoft Office documents?
OneDrive is significantly better for Microsoft Office users. It provides native support for .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files with full editing capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without conversion. Google Drive requires you to open Office files in Google's native format or use compatibility mode, which can cause formatting issues. OneDrive also allows full offline editing of Office documents.
Does Google Drive or OneDrive offer more free storage?
Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage, which is three times more than OneDrive's 5GB. However, Google Drive's free tier includes shared storage across Gmail and Google Photos. For paid plans, both offer 100GB for $1.99/month, making the pricing competitive after the free tier.
Which has better search and file discovery?
Google Drive has superior search capabilities powered by Google's AI technology. It includes optical character recognition (OCR) that searches text within images and PDFs across 385+ languages, making it exceptional for users with large document libraries. OneDrive's search is competent but more limited, supporting only 40 languages and lacking advanced AI-powered discovery.
Is OneDrive better for businesses and enterprises?
Yes, OneDrive has stronger enterprise credentials. It holds FedRAMP certification, HIPAA compliance, and GDPR certification, making it ideal for regulated industries like healthcare and finance. Google Drive is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified but lacks some enterprise-specific certifications. OneDrive also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and enterprise governance tools.
Can I use either service without internet connection?
OneDrive offers better offline access. You can sync Office files to your computer and work offline seamlessly, with automatic syncing when reconnected. Google Drive has limited offline capability—you can only work offline with Google Docs/Sheets/Slides using a browser extension, and other file types require the Files app or desktop sync client. For offline productivity, OneDrive is superior.
How to Choose Between Google Drive and OneDrive
Free Storage: Google Drive has 15GB, while OneDrive has 5GB.
Real-time Collaboration Users: Google Drive has Up to 100+ simultaneous editors, while OneDrive has Up to 100+ simultaneous editors.
Native Office Integration: Google Drive has Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (limited compatibility with .docx), while OneDrive has Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint (native support for all formats).
Search Capabilities: Google Drive has Google AI-powered search with OCR, recognizes 385+ languages, while OneDrive has Microsoft Search with graph-based indexing, 40 languages.
Offline Access on Web: Google Drive has Limited (Google Docs only, requires extension), while OneDrive has Full offline access for Office files (native).
Mobile App Rating (iOS): Google Drive has 4.6/5 stars (2.1M reviews), while OneDrive has 4.7/5 stars (1.8M reviews).
Enterprise Compliance: Google Drive has SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA (conditional), while OneDrive has SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, GDPR-certified.