OneDrive vs Google Drive: Which Cloud Storage Fits You in 2026?
Both start at $1.99 a month for 100 GB. OneDrive comes with Microsoft 365 and its Office apps; Google Drive comes with a Google Account and, for business, Google Workspace. Here is what each costs for one person, a family and a team, and how files move between them.
By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 25, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Microsoft 365 Basic $1.99/mo (100 GB); business from $7/user/mo
Bottom line up front: OneDrive or Google Drive: which gives you more for the money?
At 100 GB they're identical at $1.99 a month, so the answer turns on how much space you'll need and which office apps you already live in.
Google fits small needs, with 15 GB free (shared with Gmail and Photos) and a 200 GB step at $2.99 you can share with 5 others. OneDrive fits once you want 1 TB: Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month with desktop Office apps, and on business plans both start at $7 a user, but Microsoft includes 1 TB each where Workspace Business Starter pools 30 GB per person. Past that, pick by the apps your team already works in, because the storage is a commodity and the document format is what makes a later move painful. For any business, keep work files on company accounts rather than someone's personal plan, since files in a personal drive leave with the person.
Microsoft 365 Basic $1.99/mo (100 GB); business from $7/user/mo
From $1.99/mo
Free plan
5 GB
15 GB (shared across Drive, Gmail, Photos)
Is OneDrive cheaper than Google Drive?
Neither at the entry tier: both charge $1.99 a month for 100 GB. Google Drive is cheaper for 200 GB ($2.99, and it can be shared with up to 5 others). OneDrive is cheaper per terabyte: Microsoft 365 Family is $129.99 a year for up to six people with 1 TB each. For a 10-person business, both start at $70 a month ($7 a user on annual billing); Microsoft includes 1 TB each, Google 30 GB pooled each, and Google’s next tier with 2 TB pooled is $14.
Microsoft 365 Basic: 100 GB, $1.99/mo or $19.99/yr
Google One Basic: 100 GB, $1.99/mo
Next step up
Microsoft 365 Personal: 1 TB + desktop Office apps, $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr
Google One Standard: 200 GB, $2.99/mo, shareable with 5 others
Family plan
Microsoft 365 Family: up to 6 people, 1 TB each, $12.99/mo or $129.99/yr
Plans from 200 GB can be shared with up to 5 others; 2 TB is $9.99/mo
Business entry
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $7/user/mo (yearly), 1 TB each
Workspace Business Starter: $7/user/mo (annual), 30 GB pooled each
Office apps
Word, Excel, PowerPoint on web and mobile; desktop from Personal or Apps for business
Docs, Sheets and Slides in the browser; edits Office files
Personal Vault
Yes, on personal plans
Not listed
Offline files
Offline files and folders, advanced PC and Mac sync
See Google’s offline settings
Move from the other (business)
Microsoft Migration Manager copies Google Drive files, metadata and permissions
Google’s data import copies OneDrive files and permissions into My Drive
Verified September 25, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources
US prices from microsoft.com (OneDrive personal and business plan pages), one.google.com/about/plans and workspace.google.com/pricing, checked September 25, 2026. Google One prices were read on a signed-in account and exclude introductory discounts.
The storage itself is similar; what differs is what comes with it. OneDrive is part of a Microsoft 365 subscription, Google Drive part of a Google Account or Google Workspace.
Free and entry plans
Google gives every account 15 GB free, but Gmail and Google Photos draw on the same allowance. OneDrive gives 5 GB free. Both charge $1.99 a month for 100 GB; Microsoft also offers that plan at $19.99 a year and includes ad-free Outlook with it.
Where the prices split
Google has a small, cheap step at 200 GB ($2.99) that can be shared with up to 5 others. Microsoft jumps from 100 GB to 1 TB: Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month adds desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, and Family ($12.99) gives up to six people 1 TB each. Microsoft lists expandable storage up to 10 TB on those plans.
For a business
Both start at $7 a user a month on annual billing. Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes 1 TB of OneDrive per user plus email and web Office apps; Google Workspace Business Starter includes 30 GB pooled per person, and Business Standard ($14) raises that to 2 TB pooled. Microsoft no longer lists a standalone OneDrive business plan on its US pricing page.
Moving between them
For business accounts both vendors run free admin tools. Google’s data import (Admin console, Data import) copies OneDrive files, folders and permissions into each person’s My Drive, up to 500 users per default import. Microsoft’s Migration Manager (Microsoft 365 admin center, Setup, Migration and imports) copies Google Drive files, metadata and permissions to OneDrive and SharePoint; tenants under 300 licences get the simpler Migration Manager Lite. Personal accounts have no importer in either direction: download the files and upload them.
Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?
OneDrive
$0/mo
Google Drive
$0/mo
Business list prices on annual billing, checked September 25, 2026. Both bill per user. Microsoft includes 1 TB of OneDrive per user; Google pools 30 GB (Starter) or 2 TB (Standard) per person across the organisation. Personal plans are not per-seat and are listed in the table above. Taxes and promotions are not included.
Choose OneDrive if…
You want 1 TB or more, want desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint in the same subscription, share storage with family, or your business runs on Microsoft 365.
Choose Google Drive if…
You need under 200 GB, want the biggest free allowance, work in Docs and Sheets in the browser, or your business runs on Google Workspace.
Total cost over time
Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.
Ready to pick your cloud storage?
Start with the free tier of each (5 GB and 15 GB). The deciding question is usually which office apps you already use, not the storage price.
OneDrive vs Google Drive: security, offline & remote work
How OneDrive and Google Drive compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.
BitLocker and per-file encryption at rest; TLS and IPsec in transitsource
All customer data encrypted in transit; stored data encrypted at restsource
Self-hosting option
Not published
Not published
Offline access
Offline mode
Works offlineWith Files On-Demand, files marked "Always keep on this device" are stored on the computer and open without internet; files created on the device are available offline by default. On mobile, files marked offline can be read anywhere and Office files edited, with changes syncing on reconnect.source
Works offlineDocs, Sheets and Slides files you've made available offline can be viewed and edited in Chrome or Edge with the Docs Offline extension, or in the Docs, Sheets and Slides mobile apps. Drive for desktop keeps mirrored and offline-marked files on the computer. Offline edits are applied once you're back online.source
Online-only files need a connection to open. On iPhone and iPad, taking whole folders offline needs a Microsoft 365 subscription.source
Offline use in the browser needs Chrome or Edge with the Google Docs Offline extension and doesn't work in private browsing. On iPhone and iPad, offline editing happens in the Docs, Sheets and Slides apps.source
YesEnterprise Standard (Context-Aware Access)source
Device & session controls
YesBusiness PremiumBusiness Premium adds Intune Plan 1 endpoint management, Defender for Business device protection and Windows 11 Pro upgrade; Basic and Standard do not include Intune.source
YesEnterprise Standard (Context-Aware Access)Context-Aware Access can limit app access by device security status, company-owned devices, encrypted storage and network location.source
Audit reports: both publish a SOC 2 report, and OneDrive and Google Drive also hold ISO/IEC 27001. Ask each vendor for the report under NDA before you sign; security reviews usually want the latest one.
Single sign-on: OneDrive includes it on Business Basic; Google Drive includes it. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
Health data: OneDrive and Google Drive will sign a HIPAA business associate agreement.
Working offline: OneDrive and Google Drive let you keep working without a connection. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
Office-only access: OneDrive can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Business Premium; Google Drive can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Enterprise Standard (Context-Aware Access). That suits an office network or a company VPN; fully remote teams need a VPN for it to work.
Where your data lives: Google Drive lets you choose US, EU on Business Standard. This matters for teams hiring across the EU, UK or Australia.
OneDrive: worth knowing
OfflineOffline edits made on iPhone or iPad sync the next time the device connects, so the file stays current. source
OfflineOn Windows, files created on the device are available offline by default. source
RemoteBusiness plans let you share files inside and outside the organisation with password-protected or expiring links. source
Google Drive: worth knowing
OfflineEdits made offline are applied when you reconnect. Newer changes overwrite older ones, and earlier versions stay in version history. source
OfflineIf a Drive for desktop account is disconnected, streamed files that were saved offline are removed; mirrored files stay on the computer. source
OfficeOn Enterprise Standard and above, Context-Aware Access can block app access from outside the corporate network. source
RemoteWith a work account, the organization may block Drive for desktop or need to install it for users. source
Checked September 25, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OneDrive or Google Drive cheaper?
Tied at the entry tier: 100 GB is $1.99 a month on both. Google is cheaper for 200 GB ($2.99); Microsoft is cheaper per terabyte, with 1 TB plus Office apps at $9.99 a month and six people at $12.99. Prices checked September 25, 2026.
Which gives more free storage?
Google Drive: 15 GB free against OneDrive’s 5 GB, but Google’s 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos.
Can I move OneDrive to Google Drive?
For business accounts, yes: Google’s data import tool copies OneDrive files, folders and permissions into each person’s My Drive. For a personal OneDrive, download the files and upload them to Google Drive.
Can I move Google Drive to OneDrive?
For business accounts, yes: Microsoft’s Migration Manager copies Google Drive files, metadata and permissions to OneDrive and SharePoint. For a personal account, download the files and upload them to OneDrive.
Migration Guides
Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.
Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.
Every “best cloud storage service” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which OneDrive or Google Drive is the wrong purchase for your team.
OneDrive
✓
Buy OneDrive if:
You want 1 TB or more for one person or a family
You use desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Your business runs on Microsoft 365
✕
Do NOT buy OneDrive if:
You only need a little storage for free
You want a cheap 200 GB step
You work mostly in Google Docs and Sheets
Google Drive
✓
Buy Google Drive if:
You want the largest free allowance
You need 100 to 200 GB at the lowest price
Your business runs on Google Workspace
✕
Do NOT buy Google Drive if:
You need desktop Office apps
You want 1 TB per person at the $7 business tier
Your email and photos already fill the free 15 GB
Canonical data for the tools on this page
Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.
Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.
Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.
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Verified prices costed for your team size, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, or paste it into an email to whoever approves the spend.
Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.
Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent nine years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.
“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”
Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 25, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.
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