SharePoint vs OneDrive: Cloud Storage Options for Businesses

SharePoint and OneDrive are two popular cloud storage options for businesses, but they serve different purposes and have distinct features.

SharePoint is designed for team collaboration and document management, with features like version history and check-out/check-in functionality.

OneDrive, on the other hand, is geared towards individual file storage and synchronization, making it ideal for users who need to access their files across multiple devices.

SharePoint offers more advanced security features, including data loss prevention and encryption, making it a better choice for businesses with sensitive information.

SharePoint and OneDrive are cloud-based services developed by Microsoft that allow you to store, share, and sync files across different devices. Both products are part of the Office 365 suite and designed to help businesses excel at their work.

SharePoint has been on the market for almost 19 years, released in 2001, and reportedly has over 190 million users. OneDrive, on the other hand, was launched 12 years ago and has roughly around 250 million users.

OneDrive offers 5GB per user as standard, whereas SharePoint Online offers 1TB per organisation, which is a significant difference in storage capacity. This makes SharePoint Online a suitable option for SME companies that don't need to store large amounts of data.

Both OneDrive and SharePoint provide users with a large amount of storage, but OneDrive's 5GB limit can catch users off guard if they're not careful.

OneDrive is marketed mainly as a personal storage system, available for users with a Microsoft online account, whereas SharePoint is marketed as a document management and storage system.

SharePoint can be configured to provide more than just document management, making it a versatile tool for users.

OneDrive is part of the Office suite of online services, and there's also a business version called OneDrive for Business available for Office 365 subscribers.

Microsoft cares deeply about user experience and designs its products to offer maximum convenience to those who need them.

Regular users might find it hard to look beyond the overlapping functionalities of OneDrive and SharePoint, making it a challenge to determine their pros and fortes.

SharePoint connects with Active Directory, allowing for centralised management of user credentials and access rights. This extensive level of control makes SharePoint perfect for businesses with complex security needs.

OneDrive provides a much more simplified sharing model where users can easily share files with others whether they’re part of the company or not. Permission settings in OneDrive are straightforward, typically offering options like "View" or "Edit."

You have more robust security when sharing and accessing resources with SharePoint thanks to its functions such as setting auditing policies. Unlike OneDrive, there are options for SharePoint to be made accessible offline, which gives you greater peace of mind about single-server security.

SharePoint also comes with a greater level of version control and user access that simply isn't available with OneDrive. Particular permissions can be modified at intricate levels, enabling you to fully manage your access requirements to protect sensitive data.

Here are some key differences in security and permissions between SharePoint and OneDrive:

Collaboration and document access are crucial aspects of any project or team effort. SharePoint makes it easy for employees to view and edit all stored files that they can see, with changes being tracked and visible to those with higher-access accounts.

With SharePoint, employees can work together seamlessly on specific projects, creating collaborative hubs for shared workspaces and setting up intranet websites to enable teamwork. This platform removes the pain points associated with online collaboration, making it easy for everyone to stay up-to-date and productive.

Hyperlinks can be a problem when moving files from OneDrive to a shared library, as they will stop working if the original file is deleted. To avoid this issue, it's recommended to share the document you moved to the team site to give people on the site an updated, working link.

SharePoint allows offices to create collaborative hubs for shared workspaces, enabling teams to work together on specific projects and run entire projects with ease. This includes using embedded calendars to keep track of tasks and deadlines, as well as messaging each other with the help of Yammer.

Here's a comparison of the collaboration features of SharePoint and OneDrive:

In contrast to OneDrive, SharePoint allows multiple employees with the appropriate permissions to access and edit a document, eliminating the need for the original user to grant access. This makes it easier for teams to work together and stay productive.

OneDrive offers 5GB of storage per user as standard, but SharePoint Online provides 1TB of storage per organisation, making it a better option for large-scale organisational data management.

SharePoint Online can function as a file server in terms of storage, which is ideal for many SME companies. In contrast, OneDrive's storage limit can catch organisations off guard.

Here are some key differences in storage and functionalities between OneDrive and SharePoint:

This makes SharePoint a more suitable choice for collaborative working and large-scale data management.

SharePoint and OneDrive both offer a large amount of storage, with OneDrive providing 5GB per user as standard and SharePoint Online offering 1TB per organisation.

Traditional folder-based storage systems are suitable for individual or smaller-scale usage scenarios, but they can become cumbersome as the amount of data grows.

SharePoint, on the other hand, provides a structured environment with lists, libraries, and sites, making it a more organised and customisable repository for large-scale organisational data management.

Here are some key differences in data storage and access between SharePoint and OneDrive:

This means that SharePoint is better suited for large-scale organisational data management, while OneDrive is more suitable for individual or smaller-scale usage scenarios.

SharePoint has an easy-to-use interface straight out of the box, but it can also be customised to your organisation's needs. Users can modify which apps appear and change the layout and content structure.

Customisation is key to making SharePoint work for you, not against you. It's like tailoring a suit to fit your body - it makes all the difference.

SharePoint uses an open architecture that is highly scalable, facilitating easy integration with not just Office 365 but a number of other web-based services. This makes it perfect for growing businesses that need to adapt quickly.

Integration with multiple services is a game-changer, allowing you to streamline your workflow and get things done more efficiently.

OneDrive is tied to your M365 account, so files stored there become unavailable when you leave the organization, creating extra work for your IT staff.

SharePoint or a Teams channel is the best place for files used by a large group of people for a long time, like shared spreadsheets or project files.

Files related to short-term tasks and that only a few other people need to access can be shared through OneDrive or Teams chats.

Your organization may want to consider a data access governance solution to keep track of shared files and prevent unwanted access to sensitive documents.

The key differences between SharePoint and OneDrive lie in their core purpose. SharePoint is a team-based collaboration system, ideal for large-scale business use, whereas OneDrive is geared towards file storage and basic sharing functionalities, making it suitable for personal storage and small team projects.

OneDrive is designed for streamlined personal cloud storage and sharing, with a clean and user-friendly interface for managing files. It's perfect for storing your personal files securely and accessing them from anywhere.

SharePoint, on the other hand, offers enhanced features for business use, including detailed permissions settings and advanced document versioning. This makes it an ideal platform for managing project-related documents and tasks.

Here's a comparison of the two platforms in terms of their capabilities:

Overall, SharePoint is a more robust platform, designed for collaborative teamwork and business use, while OneDrive is better suited for personal file storage and small team projects.

SharePoint and OneDrive for Business are two powerful tools from Microsoft, but they serve different purposes. SharePoint is designed for collaboration, while OneDrive is primarily used for file storing and sharing.

One of the key differences between the two is data sharing. SharePoint makes data available to all users, while OneDrive allows you to store individual files that can be shared with specific users or groups.

If you're looking for a tool that integrates with multiple applications, SharePoint is the way to go. It's a hub for various Microsoft tools, making it easy to access and share information across your organization.

OneDrive, on the other hand, integrates specifically with Microsoft Teams, allowing for seamless video conferencing, audio calls, chats, and more.

If you need to publish content on an intranet site, SharePoint is the better choice. It offers features like publishing on intranet sites, whereas OneDrive is limited to sharing data only.

Here's a quick comparison of the features offered by each tool:

If you need a centralised platform for managing projects, team collaboration, and complex workflows, SharePoint is the one to go for.

SharePoint is great for creating team sites and integrating various tools, making it ideal for businesses with multiple teams and projects.

Many companies use both SharePoint and OneDrive, with OneDrive for personal storage and SharePoint for shared team spaces.

If your business primarily needs individual storage and basic file sharing, OneDrive is simpler and ensures access to files from anywhere without extensive collaboration tools.

Organizations with content sharing needs only might be enough with OneDrive for Business, but if they're looking for advanced collaborative features, SharePoint is definitely what they need.

It's worth noting that having both SharePoint and OneDrive for Business can be beneficial if your budget permits, as they have complementary features.