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Dropbox vs OneDrive

D

Dropbox

Cloud storage platform emphasizing file syncing, collaboration, and granular sharing controls across devices.

Freelancers, creative teams, and users who work across multiple platforms and need robust file version control and sharing capabilities.

VS
OneDrive

OneDrive

Microsoft's cloud storage service integrated with Microsoft 365, offering tight Office application integration and Windows-first optimization.

Microsoft 365 subscribers, Windows-first users, organizations running Office-heavy workflows, and teams needing integrated business collaboration.

Short Answer

OneDrive offers better value for Microsoft 365 subscribers with 1TB included and deeper Office integration, while Dropbox excels in cross-platform collaboration and file syncing reliability with more granular sharing controls. OneDrive is cheaper for basic storage, but Dropbox's selective sync and version history extend further back.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose OneDrive if you use Microsoft Office heavily, need tight Microsoft 365 ecosystem integration, or want the lowest cost entry point with 5GB free storage. Choose Dropbox if you prioritize granular file control, need extended version history, work across multiple platforms with non-Microsoft tools, or require advanced sharing and file request capabilities on standard plans.

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Dropbox6.9
8.1OneDrive

Choose Dropbox if

Freelancers, creative teams, and users who work across multiple platforms and need robust file version control and sharing capabilities.

Choose OneDrive if

Microsoft 365 subscribers, Windows-first users, organizations running Office-heavy workflows, and teams needing integrated business collaboration.

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Key Differences at a Glance

πŸ’Ύ
Free Storage Included: OneDrive wins (5GB vs 2GB)
πŸ’°
Paid Plan Cost (1TB/month): OneDrive wins ($9.99 vs $11.99)
πŸ”Ή
Version History Retention: Dropbox wins (180 days (Dropbox Plus) vs 93 days (standard))
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

MetricDropboxOneDriveDiff
Lowest Individual Plan Price(USD/month)$11.99/monthβ€”β€”
Business Plan Storage (Starting)(TB)9 TBβ€”β€”
Maximum File Delivery Size(GB)250 GB (Business Plus)β€”β€”
File Recovery Window(days)30-365 days (plan dependent)β€”β€”
Business Plan Cost (Per User/Month)(USD)$24/user/monthβ€”β€”
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$11.99β€”β€”
Free Storage Tier(GB)2 GBβ€”β€”
Maximum Storage per User(TB)3 TBβ€”β€”
Third-party Integrations(integrations)600+β€”β€”
User Adoption Rate in SMBs(Percentage)42%β€”β€”
File Version History(Days)180β€”β€”
User Satisfaction Score(Out of 10)8.7β€”β€”
Monthly Cost (2TB Plan)(USD)$11.99/monthβ€”β€”
Third-Party Integrations(count)2,500+β€”β€”
File Version History Retention(days)180 days30 days+500%
Maximum File Upload Size(GB)Unlimited250 GBβ€”
Free Storage(GB)2 GB (base)β€”β€”
Pro Plan Cost (Annual, 2TB)(USD)$120/yearβ€”β€”
Mobile App Rating (iOS)(out of 5 stars)4.5/5 (2.2M reviews)β€”β€”
Version History Retention(days)180 days93 days (standard)+94%
Active Users(millions)700M+β€”β€”
Free Storage Capacity(GB)2GB5GB-60%
2TB Monthly Subscription Cost(USD/month)$11.99β€”β€”
Mobile App Downloads(millions)500+ millionβ€”β€”
Daily Files Stored (Peak)(billions)2.5 billionβ€”β€”
Free Storage Tier(GB)2GB5GB-60%
100GB Plan Annual Cost(USD)$119.88$23.88+402%
Microsoft 365 Personal Bundle Storage(GB)No inclusion1000GB (included)β€”
Uptime Service Level Agreement(%)99.99%99.9%β€”
Maximum Concurrent Real-Time Users(users)Unlimited300 (Office docs)β€”
Global Data Center Regions(regions)4 regions14 regions-71%
2TB Annual Plan Cost(USD)$199.99$99.99+100%
Free Storage Included(GB)2 GBβ€”β€”
Cheapest Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)$11.99β€”β€”
Cheapest Paid Plan Storage(GB)2000 GBβ€”β€”
Storage (Entry Plan)(GB)2 GB (free)β€”β€”
Monthly Cost (Per User, Annual Commitment)(USD)$11.99/month (Plus plan with 2 TB)β€”β€”
Maximum Team Size (Free/Trial Plan)(users)1 user (free plan, 30-day trial for paid)β€”β€”
File Versioning History(days)180 days (on Plus plan)β€”β€”
Third-Party App Integrations(integrations)1,400+ integrationsβ€”β€”
200GB Plan Annual Cost(USD)$119.88β€”β€”
File Version History Duration(days)180 days (standard)β€”β€”
Free Storage Capacity(GB)1TB (1000GB)1TB (1000GB)β€”
Collaboration Score(Rating)8.5/108.5/10β€”
File Sync Speed(Rating)8.9/108.9/10β€”
AI Features Count(Features)4+ (search, workspace, photo intelligence, security)4+ (search, workspace, photo intelligence, security)β€”
Free Trial Duration(Days)30 days30 daysβ€”
Platform Reliability(Rating)8.8/108.8/10β€”
Monthly Cost (100GB Plan)(USD)$1.99$1.99β€”
Desktop App Sync Speed (relative)(index)Baseline (1.0x)Baseline (1.0x)β€”
Data Center Location Options(count)2 regions (US, EU for enterprise)2 regions (US, EU for enterprise)β€”
Monthly Subscription Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)$1.99$1.99β€”
Storage Capacity (Starter Plan)(GB)100GB100GBβ€”
Maximum Single File Upload(GB)100GB100GBβ€”
Free Tier Storage(GB)5GB5GBβ€”
Lowest Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)$1.99 (100GB standard) or $6.99 (1TB with M365)$1.99 (100GB standard) or $6.99 (1TB with M365)β€”
File Version History(days)93 days (standard)93 days (standard)β€”
Maximum Family Members(people)6 (via Microsoft 365 Family)6 (via Microsoft 365 Family)β€”
100GB Plan Monthly Cost(USD/month)$1.99/month$1.99/monthβ€”
1TB Plan Cost with Productivity Suite(USD/month)$6.67/month (Microsoft 365 Personal bundle)$6.67/month (Microsoft 365 Personal bundle)β€”
Real-Time Sync Speed(seconds)2-5 seconds2-5 secondsβ€”
Platform Support Count(platforms)5 major platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web)5 major platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web)β€”
Maximum Storage Tier(TB)2TB (via Microsoft 365 Family or standalone)2TB (via Microsoft 365 Family or standalone)β€”
Standalone 1TB Plan Monthly Cost(USD)$9.99$9.99β€”
Maximum File Size Upload(GB)100GB100GBβ€”
Business Plan Annual Cost (1 user/1TB)(USD)$119.88 (OneDrive standalone) or $99.99 (with M365 Basic)$119.88 (OneDrive standalone) or $99.99 (with M365 Basic)β€”

All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.

Key Differences

Free Storage Included

Dropbox

2GB

OneDrive

5GBπŸ†

Paid Plan Cost (1TB/month)

Dropbox

$11.99

OneDrive

$9.99πŸ†

Version History Retention

Dropbox

180 days (Dropbox Plus)πŸ†

OneDrive

93 days (standard)

Office Integration Level

Dropbox

Basic (view/edit online)

OneDrive

Native (Microsoft 365 suite native editing)πŸ†

Selective Sync (Desktop)

Dropbox

Yes (granular folder level)πŸ†

OneDrive

Yes (but less granular)

Team Collaboration Features

Dropbox

Dropbox Sign, Passwords, Vault

OneDrive

Teams integration, SharePoint, OneDrive for BusinessπŸ†

File Request Feature

Dropbox

Yes (unlimited)πŸ†

OneDrive

Yes (but limited to business plans)

Full Comparison

Dropbox
OneDrive
Lowest Individual Plan Price(USD/month)
$11.99/month
β€”
Business Plan Cost (Per User/Month)(USD)
$24/user/month
β€”
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$11.99
β€”
Pro Plan Cost (Annual, 2TB)(USD)
$120/year
β€”
2TB Monthly Subscription Cost(USD/month)
$11.99
β€”
Show 13 more attributes
100GB Plan Annual Cost(USD)
$119.88
$23.88
2TB Annual Plan Cost(USD)
$199.99
$99.99
Cheapest Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)
$11.99
β€”
Monthly Cost (Per User, Annual Commitment)(USD)
$11.99/month (Plus plan with 2 TB)
β€”
200GB Plan Annual Cost(USD)
$119.88
β€”
Monthly Cost (100GB Plan)(USD)
$1.99
β€”
Lifetime 500GB Plan Cost(USD)
Not available
β€”
Monthly Subscription Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)
$1.99
β€”
Lowest Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)
$1.99 (100GB standard) or $6.99 (1TB with M365)
β€”
100GB Plan Monthly Cost(USD/month)
$1.99/month
β€”
1TB Plan Cost with Productivity Suite(USD/month)
$6.67/month (Microsoft 365 Personal bundle)
β€”
Standalone 1TB Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$9.99
β€”
Business Plan Annual Cost (1 user/1TB)(USD)
$119.88 (OneDrive standalone) or $99.99 (with M365 Basic)
β€”
Business Plan Storage (Starting)(TB)
9 TB
β€”
Free Storage Tier(GB)
2 GB
β€”
Maximum Storage per User(TB)
3 TB
β€”
Free Storage Capacity(GB)
2GB
5GB
Free Storage Tier(GB)
2GB
5GB
Show 6 more attributes
Free Storage Included(GB)
2 GB
β€”
Cheapest Paid Plan Storage(GB)
2000 GB
β€”
Free Storage Capacity(GB)
1TB (1000GB)
β€”
Storage Capacity (Starter Plan)(GB)
100GB
β€”
Maximum Storage Tier(TB)
2TB (via Microsoft 365 Family or standalone)
β€”
Maximum File Size Upload(GB)
100GB
β€”
Maximum File Delivery Size(GB)
250 GB (Business Plus)
β€”
File Recovery Window(days)
30-365 days (plan dependent)
β€”
Password-Protected Sharing
Yes, with expiry dates
β€”
Enterprise Compliance Certifications
SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR
β€”
File Encryption Type
In-transit AES-256 + optional client-side encryption
β€”
Encryption Type
Server-side (TLS 1.2+)
Standard encryption (TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest)
Show 4 more attributes
Admin Controls & Compliance Features(null)
Robust (SSO, DLP, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001)
β€”
Sharing Permission Granularity
Advanced (view-only, download blocks, expiring links, password protection)
β€”
End-to-End Encryption Standard
No
β€”
End-to-End Encryption
No (standard tier); selective E2E on SharePoint
β€”
Real-Time Document Collaboration
Basic (file-level comments)
β€”
Maximum Concurrent Real-Time Users(users)
Unlimited
300 (Office docs)
Advanced Collaboration Features
Dropbox Sign, Paper docs, access logs, permission roles
β€”
Maximum Team Size (Free/Trial Plan)(users)
1 user (free plan, 30-day trial for paid)
β€”
Real-Time Co-Authoring Support
Yes (advanced with Office)
β€”
Third-party Integrations(integrations)
600+
β€”
User Adoption Rate in SMBs(Percentage)
42%
β€”
File Version History(Days)
180
β€”
Maximum File Upload Size(GB)
Unlimited
250 GB
Version History Retention(days)
180 days
93 days (standard)
Real-Time Collaboration Features
Yesβ€”Spaces, @mentions, threaded comments, co-editing
β€”
Photo Auto-Backup Integration
Optional via third-party or manual import
β€”
Show 7 more attributes
File Version History Duration(days)
180 days (standard)
β€”
Automatic Photo Backup Limit(GB)
No automatic photo backup
β€”
Collaboration Score(Rating)
8.5/10
β€”
Maximum Single File Upload(GB)
100GB
β€”
Free Tier Storage(GB)
5GB
β€”
Microsoft Office Native Integration
Native editing with Microsoft 365 apps
β€”
File Request Feature Availability
Limited to Business plans
β€”
User Satisfaction Score(Out of 10)
8.7
β€”
Monthly Cost (2TB Plan)(USD)
$11.99/month
β€”
Lifetime Plan Cost (2TB)(USD)
Not available
β€”
Third-Party Integrations(count)
2,500+
β€”
Third-Party App Integrations(integrations)
1,400+ integrations
β€”
File Version History Retention(days)
180 days
30 days
Default Encryption Type
Zero-knowledge optional (paid add-on)
β€”
Team Collaboration Workspaces
Yes (Dropbox Spaces, Team Spaces)
β€”
Free Storage(GB)
2 GB (base)
β€”
Storage (Entry Plan)(GB)
2 GB (free)
β€”
Mobile App Rating (iOS)(out of 5 stars)
4.5/5 (2.2M reviews)
β€”
Android Optimization(Level)
Good - universal support
β€”
Active Users(millions)
700M+
β€”
Mobile App Downloads(millions)
500+ million
β€”
Data Center Location(null)
United States
β€”
Data Center Location Options(count)
2 regions (US, EU for enterprise)
β€”
Daily Files Stored (Peak)(billions)
2.5 billion
β€”
Microsoft 365 Personal Bundle Storage(GB)
No inclusion
1000GB (included)
Microsoft 365 Integration(Level)
Native - deeply integrated
β€”
Microsoft 365 Integration Level
Native (included)
β€”
Windows 11 Native Integration
Full File Explorer integration with cloud-only pinning
β€”
Uptime Service Level Agreement(%)
99.99%
99.9%
Platform Reliability(Rating)
8.8/10
β€”
Global Data Center Regions(regions)
4 regions
14 regions
Team/Business Plans Available
Dropbox Business (3TB+ per user, admin console)
β€”
Document Editing Capability(null)
Third-party integration only (Microsoft Office, Google Docs)
β€”
Microsoft 365 Integration
1TB storage + Office apps included with M365 subscription
β€”
Video Conferencing Built-In(null)
No (integrate Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams)
β€”
File Versioning History(days)
180 days (on Plus plan)
β€”
Supported Operating Systems
6 platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web)
β€”
Platform Support Count(platforms)
5 major platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web)
β€”
Supported Platforms
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web (5 platforms)
β€”
Team Collaboration Tools
Dropbox Sign, Spaces, Paper, task management
β€”
File Sync Speed(Rating)
8.9/10
β€”
Desktop App Sync Speed (relative)(index)
Baseline (1.0x)
β€”
Real-Time Sync Speed(seconds)
2-5 seconds
β€”
AI Features Count(Features)
4+ (search, workspace, photo intelligence, security)
β€”
Free Trial Duration(Days)
30 days
β€”
FedRAMP Authorization
No
β€”
Concurrent Admin Users(users)
Limited by license
β€”
Android Support
Full native app with sync and offline access
β€”
Windows Native Support
Full native app with file sync and Explorer integration
β€”
File Version History(days)
93 days (standard)
β€”
Maximum Family Members(people)
6 (via Microsoft 365 Family)
β€”

Visual Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes

Pros & Cons

Dropbox

5 pros3 cons

Pros

  • 180-day version history on Plus plans (vs 93 days for OneDrive)
  • Granular selective sync at folder level to optimize local storage
  • Unlimited file requests on all paid plans
  • Superior cross-platform consistency (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
  • Dropbox Sign built-in for document signing without third-party tools

Cons

  • Free tier only offers 2GB storage (half of OneDrive's 5GB)
  • Standalone plans cost $11.99/month for 1TB (vs OneDrive's $9.99/month or included with Microsoft 365)
  • Weaker native integration with productivity suites compared to Microsoft Office ecosystem

OneDrive

5 pros3 cons

Pros

  • Included in Microsoft 365 (1TB per user or 1TB shared for families)
  • Native editing of Word, Excel, PowerPoint files directly in browser
  • Lowest standalone cost at $9.99/month for 1TB
  • Seamless Windows 11 integration with deep OS-level syncing
  • SharePoint and Teams integration for enterprise collaboration

Cons

  • Only 5GB free storage (but more than Dropbox's 2GB)
  • Shorter version history at 93 days standard (requires backup to extend)
  • Less granular selective sync options compared to Dropbox

Frequently Asked Questions

OneDrive is significantly better for Microsoft Office users. Office 365 subscribers get 1TB of OneDrive storage included, and files open natively in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without external tools. Dropbox requires viewing/editing through Office Online, adding an extra step. If you're already paying for Microsoft 365, OneDrive is the clear choice.

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