Currently, there are many cloud storage apps available on Android, each with slightly differing storage capacity and other additional features. Google Drive and Microsoft's OneDrive are the most notable two in this space.
Google Drive vs. OneDrive: Which Is the Best Cloud Storage
App for Android?
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Google Drive vs. OneDrive: Which Is the Best Cloud Storage App for Android?
Both Google Drive and OneDrive come preinstalled on some Android devices—the latter usually comes bundled in Samsung Galaxy devices. So how do the two cloud storage solutions compare against each other on Android? Let’s find out.
Automatic Backups
One thing that Google Drive has a clear advantage over OneDrive on Android is the ability to back up a device’s configuration and data.
Google Drive lets you back up your apps, account details,
device settings, SMS, and call history in a few simple steps if you want to do
it manually. Alternatively, Google Drive will automatically back up your device
when you’re on Wi-Fi after it’s been idle and charging for two hours. You can
access the backed-up data on a new device when setting it up for the first time
or if you’ve reset your phone.
OneDrive doesn’t have this seamless automatic backup option available. You have to manually upload the files you want to back up and sort them accordingly. Moreover, you’ll have to find other ways of backing up your SMS, call logs, and general device settings.
If backing up your settings and apps is something you need,
then Google Drive would be the better of the two. The same is true if you want
your data to be backed-up without you having to remember to do it.
File Manager Integration
Most native and third-party file manager apps work seamlessly with Google Drive for obvious reasons—Google is the company behind Android. You can directly access your backed-up files from within your file manager by entering your Google account credentials.
On OneDrive, file manager integration isn’t always a
guarantee unless you own a Samsung Galaxy device. OneDrive became the default
cloud storage solution on Galaxy devices after Samsung discontinued
photo-syncing on Samsung Cloud in 2022.
If your file manager offers integration with one or both of
these cloud storage options, access is usually similar. You’ll enter your
Google or Microsoft login credentials and immediately gain access to all your
files and folders on Google Drive and OneDrive respectively.
Google Drive is the more reliable option in regard to file
manager integration. In instances where a file manager supports OneDrive, it’s
usually available alongside Google Drive.
Photo Gallery Integration
You can manually back up photos on both Google Drive and
OneDrive, but you’ll need an additional app to automatically sync your gallery.
For Google Drive, you'll need Google Photos to manage your gallery. OneDrive
has this capability available for Samsung Galaxy devices through Samsung Cloud.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device, you can consider using
OneDrive to sync your photo gallery. Google Drive would also serve you well if
you install Google Photos. It’s also worth noting that Google Drive’s free plan
comes with three times as much storage as OneDrive’s—15 GB compared to 5 GB.
App Size
OneDrive will take up significantly more space on your device than Google Drive. If you’re keen on minimizing storage usage by apps, you’d be better off with Google Drive. If you’re on a Samsung Galaxy device, you may be stuck with OneDrive since it comes preinstalled whether you want to use it or not.
File Sharing
File sharing works in the same way on both apps. On Google
Drive, you can share a link to specific files or folders with editing or
viewing permissions. OneDrive lets you do the same but with an additional
security feature. You can password-protect links before sharing them with other
people in case they land in the wrong hands.
Integration With Office Apps
Any files you work on in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides will automatically save in Google Drive. On the other hand, if you use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online, your files will sync in OneDrive.
You can easily access any of your documents in one place on
any platform with either Google Drive or OneDrive. In this case, if you use
Google's office apps Google Drive would be the best cloud storage option for
you on your phone. If Microsoft Office apps are your daily driver, you’d want
to use OneDrive to keep all your files in the same place.
Available Storage
The free plan on Google Drive comes with 15GB worth of
storage. OneDrive offers only 5GB. You can upgrade the available cloud storage
on both apps with a monthly or annual subscription. OneDrive plans start at
$0.99 per month for 50 GB and Google Drive plans start at $1.99 per month for
100 GB storage at the time of this writing. If you’re willing to pay for
additional storage, there isn't much difference in their pricing.
Additional Features
The two apps have similar additional features which are quite useful—document scanning and a PDF reader.
Scanning documents using Google Drive is easy and may save
you the need of downloading dedicated scanner apps. OneDrive’s scanning tool is
also easy to use: simply launch the app and tap the camera icon to start
scanning your documents, then play around with the available scan settings.
The inbuilt PDF reader on both OneDrive and Google Drive
will be automatically triggered whenever you open a PDF document. The PDF
readers are almost identical, but OneDrive has a slight edge with its ability
to annotate PDF files.
OneDrive has one extra feature that is absent from Google
Drive: a personal vault to secure sensitive files. You’ll need a password or
biometrics to access files in this folder. Setting up OneDrive’s Personal Vault
is quick and is available on all platforms.
Which Cloud Storage App Should You Use?
Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are both great options,
but the former has clear advantages over the latter. OneDrive falls short in
the automatic device backup department and the fact that the free plan only
offers a third of the storage capacity Google Drive offers.
Also, Google Drive would ensure you get everything in order
including your apps and call history when you get a new device.
OneDrive only has an edge over Google Drive with the ability to annotate PDF files, and the personal vault to secure sensitive files. Both apps work across all other major platforms, including iOS, Windows, and the web.
Story by Brian Abuga: Visit Source
