OneDrive vs iCloud vs Google Drive: A Comprehensive Comparison

Cloud storage services have become an essential tool for managing files and data across devices. OneDrive offers 5GB of free storage, while iCloud provides 5GB for free, but both services offer more storage with a paid subscription.

If you're looking for a more affordable option, Google Drive starts with 15GB of free storage, which is a significant advantage over its competitors. Google Drive's free storage is also shared with Google Photos, making it a great choice for those who need to store a large number of photos.

Microsoft OneDrive integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services, such as Office Online, making it a great choice for those who use Microsoft products.

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Google Drive offers the largest free storage of 15GB, which is three times more than what iCloud and OneDrive offer.

OneDrive provides 1TB of storage for $6.99/month, making it the best option if you need a large amount of paid storage.

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If you want 50 GB of paid storage, iCloud is the best option at $0.99/month.

Google Drive and OneDrive both offer 100 GB of paid storage for $1.99/month, while iCloud doesn't offer this plan.

If your demand is higher than 2TB, OneDrive provides 6TB at only $9.99/month, making it a great option for those who need a lot of storage.

Google Drive offers up to 30 TB of storage for $299.99/month, making it the best option for those who need an extremely large amount of storage.

Here's a comparison of the pricing plans for Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud:

Storage and capacity are crucial factors to consider when choosing between OneDrive, iCloud, and Google Drive. OneDrive offers 5 GB of free storage, while Google Drive provides 15 GB of complimentary storage for registered users.

If you need more storage, Google Drive is the way to go, with a maximum of 30 TB of charged storage. OneDrive also offers a range of paid storage plans, including 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB.

Here's a quick comparison of the storage options:

If you need even more storage, Google Drive is the clear winner, offering a massive 30 TB of charged storage.

Storage is a crucial factor to consider when choosing between OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud. Each individual has unique storage needs, and the available storage options vary across these platforms.

OneDrive offers a maximum paid storage of 6 TB, while Google Drive provides a maximum of 30 TB. iCloud falls in between, offering up to 2 TB of paid storage.

Some users are satisfied with free cloud storage of 5 GB, while others prefer 15 GB. Google Drive is the only platform that offers 15 GB of free storage, making it a good option for those who need a bit more space.

OneDrive and iCloud offer 5 GB of free storage to registered customers, which may not be enough for everyone. If you need more storage, you can opt for paid plans, which vary across the three platforms.

Here's a comparison of the storage options across OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud:

Google Drive has a transfer limit of 750 GB a day, which is relatively generous. However, if you cross this limit, you'll need to wait 24 hours before uploading again.

Apple iCloud, on the other hand, has a much more restrictive file size limit of 15 GB. This can be a major obstacle, especially when dealing with large files like high-quality videos.

The 15 GB limit in iCloud is indeed ridiculously small, especially considering the increasing size of photos and videos. This can make it difficult to upload files in one go.

Google Drive's 750 GB daily transfer limit is unlikely to be a problem for most users, but it's still worth noting.

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File sharing is a breeze on all three platforms, but Google Drive stands out for its generous 5 TB file size limit, a far cry from OneDrive and iCloud's 15 GB limit. Google Drive also offers more flexibility when it comes to file sharing.

A different take: Google Drive Limits

OneDrive and Google Drive make it easy to share files between Windows, Android, and iOS apps, but iCloud doesn't support sharing for Android apps. This is a significant limitation for Android users.

Here's a quick comparison of file sharing features:

OneDrive also offers a useful feature that allows you to keep track of files and folders you've shared, a feature that's not available on Google Drive or iCloud.

File sharing is a crucial aspect of cloud storage, and all three platforms - Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud - offer this feature. Both Google Drive and OneDrive provide almost the same options for sharing files between windows apps, Android apps, and iOS apps.

iCloud, however, doesn't allow sharing options for Android apps. This is a significant limitation, especially for Android users who want to share files with others.

Google Drive stands out in terms of file-sharing limits, offering a massive 5 TB at a time. In contrast, OneDrive and iCloud have a 15 GB size limit for sharing files. This makes Google Drive a clear winner in this aspect.

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Here's a comparison of the three platforms in terms of file sharing:

As you can see, Google Drive offers significantly more storage space for sharing files. However, OneDrive has an advantage in terms of keeping track of files and folders that have been shared.

Both OneDrive and Google Drive allow you to share files, manage permissions, and make edits. This makes it easy to collaborate with others on projects and share files securely.

File versioning is a crucial feature that allows you to keep track of changes made to your files over time. pCloud offers 30 days of file versioning with an extended version of 180 days for its paid plan.

Google Drive, on the other hand, limits you to 30 days but can keep up to 100 versions of the file. This feature is especially useful for important documents and spreadsheets.

iCloud only stores previous versions of your documents and relies on the File Recovery option to keep all versions of particular files within the last 30 days. Unfortunately, iCloud doesn't offer the option to keep particular file versions forever like OneDrive does.

Google Drive's file versioning feature is far from the best, but it's still better than iCloud's bare-bones solution. If file versioning is a top priority for you, pCloud is definitely worth considering.

All three platforms, OneDrive, iCloud, and Google Drive, have robust security features to protect your data.

OneDrive provides special protection with 256-bit AES encryption at rest, which is a significant improvement over the 128-bit AES encryption used by Google Drive and iCloud.

iCloud offers SSL encryption and security tokens for enhanced authentication when accessing other apps, but it still uses 128-bit AES encryption for data at rest.

Google Drive, on the other hand, uses HTTPS for all services, two-factor authentication, and SSL encryption, but its data at rest is encrypted with 128-bit AES.

Here's a comparison of the security features of the three platforms:

OneDrive's use of 256-bit AES encryption and TLS (2048 bit) encryption during transit provides an additional layer of security compared to the other two platforms.

On a similar theme: Encrypt Folder Google Drive

OneDrive provides the ability to share information with registered Microsoft users, but collaboration is limited to those users.

Google Drive offers seamless collaboration for registered Google users, allowing them to work together on Google Spreadsheet and other innovative apps.

Google Drive boasts a wide array of G Suite applications, including Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Keep, and others, making it simple to edit documents and save changes in real-time.

iCloud's integration with Apple products is unmatched, but it falls short when it comes to third-party app integration.

Here's a comparison of the three platforms' collaboration features:

Collaboration is key to getting things done efficiently, and both OneDrive and Google Drive make it easy to share files with others.

You can share a range of information with other registered Microsoft users through the OneDrive app. Non-registered users are left out of the collaboration process.

Google Drive also limits collaboration to registered Google users, who can easily work together on Google Spreadsheet and other innovative apps.

Collaboration within Google Drive is exclusive to Google users, so non-users can't participate.

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Integrations are a crucial aspect of collaboration and integration in cloud storage. Google Drive stands out with its ability to integrate with a multitude of third-party apps.

Google Drive integrates seamlessly with Google Docs, Gmail, and other Google products, making it a go-to choice for those invested in the Google ecosystem. This integration is unmatched, even by OneDrive and iCloud.

OneDrive, on the other hand, excels in integrating with Microsoft Office apps, but falls short in third-party app integration. iCloud, as expected, integrates best with Apple products like iTunes and other Apple devices.

Here's a comparison of the three cloud storage services' integration capabilities:

In conclusion, Google Drive's extensive third-party app integration capabilities make it a top choice for collaboration and integration.

iCloud is generally easy to use for iPhone and Apple users, but it can be unreliable and glitchy for non-Apple users.

Google Drive offers 24/7 live chat support for customers who purchase priority support, which can be a game-changer for those who need help quickly.

Email support is the standard option for both Google Drive and iCloud, but it can be slow due to the high volume of requests.

Google Drive's live chat support is only available with the Enterprise plan, which is likely unneeded for most users.

iCloud doesn't offer any upgrade options for support, so you're stuck with slow email support.

A different take: Google Drive Slow

iCloud is known for being easy to use for iPhone and Apple users, but for non-Apple users, their service can be unreliable and glitchy.

Using iCloud can be a great option for customers who use Apple products, as their information from all devices is stored in one place.

Non-iPhone users are limited to the web-based version of iCloud, which can be glitchy on mobile-based search engines.

If you stick to the same brand, you get to utilize more features with iCloud, making it a more seamless experience for users who own Apple devices.

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Customer service is crucial, especially when you're stuck with an issue you can't fix. Google Drive and iCloud have email support, but it's slow, especially for large companies.

Email support can take a while to respond, and it's not always prompt. Google Drive offers priority support, which includes 24/7 live chat support for administrators with an Enterprise plan.

This option is only available for plans other than the Standard plan, but it's expensive. iCloud doesn't offer any similar options, so you're stuck with email support.

Google Drive wins this round because of its priority support option, which is a big plus.

Cloud storage is a crucial aspect to consider when choosing between OneDrive, iCloud, and Google Drive. OneDrive offers a maximum paid storage of 6 TB, while Google Drive tops out at 30 TB.

Google Drive provides the largest free storage of 15 GB, which is more than both OneDrive's 5 GB and iCloud's 5 GB.

For those who need more storage, Google Drive is the best option, offering a range of paid plans including 100 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, and 10 TB. OneDrive also offers paid plans, including 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB, but its maximum storage capacity is lower than Google Drive's.

iCloud is a cloud storage service that seamlessly integrates with Apple devices, allowing users to access their files from anywhere. You don't need to do anything to access it, as it's activated once you create your Apple account.

The phone will automatically back up your files to the cloud until the storage is full, giving you peace of mind. You can disable automatic backups if you prefer, but that means your files will only be stored on the phone.

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The desktop app for iCloud looks great, and it's easy to set up. You'll need to download the setup file, install it, and then set your syncing options once you sign in. The iCloud Drive folder will be created on your PC, and you can drag and drop your files to sync them with the cloud.

The web application for iCloud is also a step in the right direction, with a user-friendly interface that lets you access your notes, photos, and other files. You can even edit your notes and add new contacts while you're there.

Here's a comparison of the free storage offered by Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud:

If you demand storage of more than 2TB but less than 6 TB, OneDrive might be the best choice for you.

Cloud storage is an essential factor to consider when choosing between OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud. Google Drive offers the largest free storage of 15GB, while OneDrive provides 5GB and iCloud also offers 5GB of complimentary storage.

OneDrive stands out for its paid storage options, offering up to 6 TB of additional storage. Google Drive, on the other hand, provides a maximum of 30 TB of paid storage.

The amount of paid storage you need will depend on your individual needs. If you demand storage of more than 2 TB but less than 6 TB, OneDrive can be the best choice for you.

Here's a comparison of the free and maximum storage options for each service:

The table clearly shows the free and maximum storage options for each service. Google Drive offers the largest free storage, while OneDrive provides the largest maximum storage.

In our tests, internet speed was a significant factor in determining cloud storage speed. Our internet speeds were about 335 Mbps for downloads and 19 Mbps for uploads.

pCloud consistently outperformed both Google Drive and iCloud in terms of transfer speeds. We tested both providers by uploading and downloading a 3 GB file.

Google Drive uploaded our file in 31 minutes and downloaded it in 1.4 minutes. iCloud uploaded the file in 34 minutes and downloaded it in 2 minutes.

The results show that Google Drive is slightly faster than iCloud, with a 10% difference in upload and download times. This difference is more noticeable for larger files.

Here's a comparison of the upload and download times for both Google Drive and iCloud:

It's worth noting that pCloud was significantly faster than both Google Drive and iCloud, uploading and downloading the same file in 20 and 1.5 minutes respectively.