Every Google account comes with 15 GB of free storage, compared to 5 GB on OneDrive, but Gmail and Google Photos draw from the same 15 GB. In our November tests, the two uploaded a 2 GB file four seconds apart, and the larger differences showed up in syncing, sharing, and what each subscription includes. OneDrive won three of our seven rounds: desktop sync, sharing and recovery, and paid plans. Google Drive won collaboration and free storage, and speed and privacy were draws.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Google Drive | OneDrive | |
| Free storage | 15 GB, shared with Gmail and Google Photos | 5 GB, shared with Outlook.com attachments |
| Personal plans | 100 GB, 2 TB, and 5 TB | 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB for families |
| Office apps | Docs, Sheets, and Slides in the browser | Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with desktop versions on Microsoft 365 |
| Block-level sync | No | Yes |
| Password-protected links | No | On Microsoft 365 plans |
| Version history | 100 versions or 30 days | Last 25 versions |
| Largest single file | 5 TB | 250 GB |
| 2 GB upload / download | 15:27 / 1:46 | 15:31 / 1:51 |
| Linux app | No | No |
Desktop Apps and File Sync
OneDrive comes with Windows 10 and 11 and works as a folder in File Explorer, where files download only when opened. Choose folders limits which folders sync to a given PC. The app can also back up the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. OneDrive syncs at block level, so after an edit, only the changed part of a file uploads again. Google Drive for desktop adds a drive to File Explorer and a location in Finder.
Its streaming mode keeps files online until opened, and mirroring keeps a full copy on the computer. It backs up any folder you choose, including photo folders sent straight to Google Photos. Google Drive has no block-level sync, so an edited file uploads in full again. The phone apps cover file browsing and document scanning. Automatic photo upload is built into OneDrive’s app, while Google uses its separate Google Photos app for it. Neither service restores a whole computer, a job IDrive is built for.
Round result: OneDrive. Syncing only changed blocks and choosing folders per PC put it ahead on Windows.
Office Apps and Collaboration
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides open in the browser at no cost, and several people can edit the same file at once, with comments, suggested edits, and a full revision trail. Word and Excel files can be edited in Google’s apps without conversion. The Google Workspace Marketplace adds third-party tools to Drive, from e-signature services to diagram editors.
OneDrive opens files in the free web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with real-time co-authoring. The desktop Office apps require Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium, which also add Copilot features. OneDrive has no app marketplace comparable to Google’s.
Round result: Google Drive. Its browser apps make shared editing simpler, and the Marketplace connects tools OneDrive can’t. Users who work in desktop Word and Excel all day will still prefer OneDrive.
Sharing, File History, and the Recycle Bin
On every Microsoft 365 plan, including the 100 GB Basic plan, OneDrive links can have a password and an expiry date. Personal Vault keeps chosen files behind a second sign-in step, with a three-file limit on free accounts. OneDrive keeps the last 25 versions of a file in any format. Paid plans add ransomware detection and can return the entire OneDrive to a point in the last 30 days.
Google Drive shares files with named people or through a public link, with viewer, commenter, or editor access. Personal accounts can’t lock a link with a password or make it expire. Google Drive keeps up to 100 earlier versions of an uploaded file for 30 days, unless a version is marked to be kept.
Google Drive and OneDrive brought back our deleted test file. Each trash keeps items for 30 days, and OneDrive’s recycle bin removes the oldest items after three days once it’s full. Google Drive accepts single files of up to 5 TB, with a 750 GB daily upload limit, and OneDrive accepts up to 250 GB per file. For long 4K recordings, our guide to cloud storage for videos covers services built around large files.
Round result: OneDrive. Protected links and account-wide restore give it more ways to undo mistakes and limit access.
Upload and Download Speed
Upload speed on our test connection in Europe is 19.69 Mbps, so a 2 GB upload takes over 15 minutes on any service. Google Drive for desktop and the OneDrive app each moved the same file on a Windows 11 PC. Google Drive uploaded it in 15 minutes 27 seconds and OneDrive in 15 minutes 31 seconds. Downloads took 1 minute 46 seconds on Google Drive and 1 minute 51 seconds on OneDrive.
Google Drive’s 500 MB results were 3:33 up and 24 seconds down. pCloud and Dropbox finished the same 2 GB upload a few seconds sooner, as our fastest cloud storage results show.
Round result: draw. The difference was too small to favor either service.
Privacy and Security
Google and Microsoft encrypt files in transit and on their servers, but the companies keep the keys, so neither encrypts personal files end to end. Each service offers two-step sign-in, and Personal Vault adds a second check for OneDrive’s most sensitive files.
As US companies, Google and Microsoft answer US legal requests for stored data, including under the CLOUD Act. NordLocker and Sync.com encrypt every file before upload, so neither company can open them. Their security records are compared in our most secure cloud storage ranking.
Round result: draw. Account protection is strong on each service, and neither keeps files private from the company itself.
Free Storage
Google’s free 15 GB covers email, photos, and files together, so a busy inbox reduces the space left for documents. OneDrive starts at 5 GB, and Outlook.com attachments use part of it. On a new Windows 11 PC signed in with a Microsoft account, folder backup can fill that 5 GB during setup. Larger free allowances are compared in our free cloud storage guide.
Round result: Google Drive. Its free tier leaves room for documents and a modest photo library, even with Gmail on the same account.
Paid Plans and Prices
Google sells storage through Google One, and OneDrive storage beyond the free 5 GB comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription:
- Google One Basic, 100 GB: about $20 a year
- Google AI Plus, 2 TB: about $100 a year, shareable with five other people, with Gemini features
- Google AI Pro, 5 TB: about $200 a year, with higher Gemini limits
- Microsoft 365 Basic, 100 GB: about $20 a year, with protected links and ransomware recovery but no desktop Office apps
- Microsoft 365 Personal, 1 TB: about $100 a year, with desktop Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Microsoft 365 Family, 6 TB: about $130 a year, 1 TB each for six people
- Microsoft 365 Premium, 6 TB: about $200 a year, the Family storage with more Copilot use
For one person who doesn’t use Office, 2 TB at Google is priced like 1 TB on Microsoft 365 Personal. Microsoft 365 Family puts 6 TB and the desktop Office apps on one bill for about $30 more. Google closed the Google One VPN in 2024, so the plans no longer include one. Lower prices per terabyte appear in our cheapest cloud storage ranking.
Round result: OneDrive. Microsoft 365 Family offers a household more storage and Office for little more than Google’s 2 TB plan.
Google Drive and OneDrive for Small Teams
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: about $7 per user a month, billed annually, with 1 TB each, web Office apps, and Teams.
- Google Workspace Business Starter: about $7 per user a month with 30 GB each, while 2 TB per user requires Business Standard at about $14.
A Third Option: pCloud
pCloud has apps for Linux, Windows, Mac, and phones, and it sells storage for a single payment, $499 for 2 TB. Its 2 GB upload took 15:14 and its download 1:45, the quickest pair in our tests. The Swiss company stores files in the US or the EU, chosen at signup, and its $150 Encryption add-on protects one folder end to end.
For more detail, see our pCloud review and our look at whether pCloud is safe. Other options are listed in our guides to Google Drive alternatives and OneDrive alternatives.
Conclusion
Choose by the account you already use every day. With Gmail and an Android phone, Google Drive is the natural home: its free tier is larger, its browser apps make shared editing easy, and its 2 TB plan costs less per terabyte than Microsoft 365 Personal. On a Windows PC with Office, OneDrive syncs more efficiently, protects links with passwords, and covers a household of six through Microsoft 365 Family.
The speed round was a draw. Microsoft’s apps are tested further in our OneDrive review. For private files or a one-time payment, pCloud and the encrypted services in our best cloud storage ranking are the better choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OneDrive a Google product?
No. OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service, built into Windows and Microsoft 365. Google's equivalent is Google Drive, with paid storage sold under the Google One name.
What is the difference between Google Drive and Google One?
Google Drive is the file storage service and app. Google One is the subscription that adds space to a Google account, from 100 GB up, for email, photos, and files alike.
Which is better for photos, Google Photos or OneDrive?
Google Photos, for most phone libraries. It searches pictures by faces, places, and objects in them. OneDrive makes sense for Windows users who already pay for Microsoft 365.
Can Google Drive or OneDrive move files to a new computer?
Yes. After signing in on the new PC, synced folders appear automatically. Streaming mode and Files On-Demand list every file and download each one only when it's opened.
Is Google Drive more secure than OneDrive?
No, the protection is similar. Google and Microsoft manage the encryption keys, so they can read stored personal files. Each account can add two-step sign-in to block stolen passwords.
