As the two most popular cloud storage systems, Google Drive and drop box Everything you need to store documents, photos, videos and more. Both have their advantages and both can get the job done, depending on what you’re looking for in storage.
If you’re looking for speed and ease of use, Dropbox has you covered. Meanwhile, Google Drive offers you more free features and many features. We’ve compared their most important parts to help you choose.
Dropbox vs Google Drive
drop boxUser-friendly navigation and fast upload speed make it shine in cloud storage systems. It has the best security to protect your files, and its sync feature lets you choose where to store your files. However, it offers a hefty price tag, and you pay a lot more than buying Google Drive. Find the right Dropbox plan for you.
Google Drive Affordable plans, seamless integrations, and free features make it a leader in cloud storage. It’s easy to share your plans with teams of any size. At the same time, its security is not as stringent as Dropbox’s, and its customer service leaves room for improvement. Explore Google Drive’s plans for your business.
You should also check out our listings and reviews Top 5 Cloud Storage Providers And compare these two companies to the ones on our list.
Highlights of Dropbox
Dropbox has been building successful cloud storage systems for years, and its platform, features, and support reflect that. Here, you can expect Dropbox to stand out in your business.
Easy Navigation: With Dropbox, you can create folders and subfolders and find them easily no matter what device you’re using. Its platform has a desktop look that makes it familiar to most people, especially PC-friendly. The system has a slight learning curve in how and where it stores files. Still, it’s easy to pick up, and you don’t have to figure out new information or navigation details.
Fast performance: Dropbox lets you quickly upload files of any size. Its LAN sync system makes sending local files faster, and it instantly adds your files to the Dropbox folder on all shared devices. This solution makes everything easily accessible, so you don’t have to wait for everything to appear where you need it.
Smart Sync: Dropbox’s sync feature lets you choose which files to store locally and which files to store online. It gives you more space where you need it, while leaving room for others you need. It also uses block-level synchronization, making your synchronization faster.
Accessible Customer Support: Customer support will get back to you in just a few seconds, depending on how you contact them. Dropbox gives you 24/7 access to support via email and chat. When you have an urgent problem, you can rest assured that their knowledgeable representatives will help you resolve it quickly.
Strong security: Dropbox uses 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). According to the NSA, this advanced encryption is as strong as protecting top-secret information. Dropbox also uses two-factor authentication to ensure that only you and your team can access your stored files.
Where Dropbox falls short
No cloud storage system is perfect, although Dropbox, with its years of experience, is no exception. Here’s what to keep in mind before you join.
High prices and fewer options: The free version of Dropbox has only 2GB of storage. After that, you have to pay at least $12 per month for one person, or $20 per month for 6 people and 2TB of storage. It has plans with more storage space, but they are also more expensive. If you have a small team, or just don’t need more storage than the free 2GB, then Dropbox might not be the right fit for your business.
Device Restrictions: You can only use Dropbox on three devices before you pay to add more. The smaller device limit is inconvenient for larger teams, and it’s not as extensive as Google Drive’s unlimited access plans. Instead, Dropbox asks you to specify which devices you’ll use to access your files.
Too many advanced tools: The free tools offered by Dropbox are not as good as some other cloud storage software. Some basic tools, like text search, file locking, history, and even phone support, are only available on paid plans — not all. It makes the platform harder to access, especially with free or cheaper plans.
Highlights of Google Drive
Google Suite is one of the most widely used platforms, making Google Drive a popular cloud storage system. It offers a range of features and tools for convenient storage for you and your team. That’s what sets it apart.
Convenient plans and affordable prices: Google Drive’s free plan starts with 15GB of storage, and you can get the next 200GB plan for just a few dollars. It doesn’t have an unlimited plan, but you can get up to 30TB, and overall it has several cheaper options than Dropbox. Its free and low-cost plans make it more accessible to more businesses and individuals.
Seamless integration: Google Drive is built into most Android devices and works with all browsers and operating systems. It has no device limitations and integrates with other Google tools as well as Slack, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Atlassian, Adobe, and more.
Shared storage: Use Google Drive to share storage among six people for just $2. Both Dropbox and Google Drive make it easy to share files using their platforms, but Google Drive’s plans allow you to give more people more choice. It also allows you to purchase plans as needed to provide proper storage space for all involved.
Many additional tools: In addition to the storage space in Drive, you can also use Google One to expand the features available to you. With Google Drive, you can access Google One VPN for free using the Android app. You also get 10% back on some Google Store purchases, more storage, backups, and experts who are always there to answer your questions.
The downsides of Google Drive
Even the best cloud storage systems have their flaws, and Google Drive is no exception. Consider these potential issues before submitting this solution for your team.
Customer Support Options: With the free version of Google Drive, you don’t get any support other than self-service and community forums. With the paid version, you get 24/7 online support, but even then you may have to wait a while to get an answer – we’re talking for hours. Slow support can be even more frustrating when you have issues that need to be resolved quickly.
Weak security: Google Drive uses 128-bit encryption for security. This level of security is still strong and is considered the standard for most technologies today. However, it’s not the best option if you want your files to remain exceptionally safe.
Final verdict on Dropbox vs Google Drive
drop box Plans offer a lot of space, but not everyone needs that much. Its free plan only offers 2GB of storage, which might be enough if you’re only using it for personal files. However, for business teams, that much storage space can run out quickly.
In addition to the free plan, Dropbox offers the following plans:
With the free plan, you get 2GB of storage that can be accessed with up to three devices. It can only hold one user, but you can buy some extra features, as well as share your files and back up your storage.
The Plus plan again bumps up to 2TB of storage for one user. It provides you with integrated cloud content that you can access anywhere on multiple devices through secure sharing.
Plus comes with backup, remote device wipe, and 30 days of file recovery and history in case you accidentally delete something you want to keep. Its two-factor authentication, password and safe help keep your files more secure.
This package gives you Dropbox Paper, including the ability to send up to 2GB of files per month and three documents for electronic signatures. Its file requests and full-text search make it easy to find anything you need in storage. Plus, with priority email and live chat support, you can resolve any issues right away.
The family plan lets you have up to 6 users and 2TB of storage, with all the Plus features included. This is the only plan with a family room, so everyone can access all your content in one place. It also features centralized billing for faster payments while tracking payments.
The Professional plan is Dropbox’s cheapest business plan. For one user, it has the same features as the family plan, but does not include the family room.
The Professional tier also includes 180 days of file recovery and history, as well as document watermarking and share link controls. With file locking, brand sharing and viewer history, you can protect your files even more securely. Also, you can now transfer up to 100GB of files instead of two.
The Standard plan is for small teams, and you need at least three users to buy it. It comes with 5TB of storage and the same features as the pro package, minus the viewing history. It also shrinks you to a maximum of 2GB to transfer files.
However, it adds account transfer tools and HIPAA compliance. It brings you more options when it comes to team management, including its admin console, multi-team admin login, centralized billing, company-managed groups, and unlimited API access to secure platform partners. It also offers phone support during business hours, although you don’t have Dropbox Passwords or Vault.
For larger teams, the premium plan has unlimited space and all the same features as the standard. It adds device approval and viewing history, as well as up to 100GB of file transfer space. With hierarchical administrator roles, audit logs, SSO integration and invitation enforcement, this package improves security and gives you ultimate control over cloud storage.
Google DriveThe pricing and plans are more accessible for those who don’t need as much space. Its free plan offers more storage, and its paid plans offer more options, so you don’t have to make such a big jump from minimal space to a lot of space.
In addition to the four pictured above, Google Drive offers many more storage options:
- 5 TB: $24.99 per month
- 10TB: $49.99 per month
- 20 TB: $99.99 per month
- 30 TB: $149.99 per month
The free version of Google Drive only offers 15GB of storage space and no extra features. However, you can buy extras if needed.
With the Basic plan, you can share additional storage with up to 5 people. It also gives you membership benefits and access to Google experts when you need them.
The Standard Edition includes all the basic features, plus 200GB of storage and 3% back on the Google Store.
With the Premium plan, you get 2TB of storage, all standard features, and 10% back on the Google Store. It also comes with a VPN for Android and iOS.
Once you get past the premium version, the only extra feature you get is the option to add a family with a 5TB package. After that, the 10TB, 20TB, and 30TB plans just give you extra storage.
It’s a little disappointing that when you’re raising so much price for more storage, all you get is extra storage. At the same time, this means that all of Google Drive’s most important features are on its cheaper plans, while some Dropbox features are missing even on more expensive plans.
Google Drive has better plan options than Dropbox, and many of the features you have to pay for with Dropbox are either free or available through Google Drive for a much lower price.
Overall, Google Drive is ahead of Dropbox for most users in terms of price, availability, and features. However, Dropbox is still an excellent choice for cloud storage. What’s right for you depends on the specific tools and capabilities your business storage solution requires.
