Google Drive vs. Dropbox

In this review, we will be comparing two of the most popular Cloud storage services, Dropbox vs. Google Drive. You’re probably familiar with both cloud solutions and what they do. In this article, we are going to take each of their features and compare them systematically, to determine which is the best cloud solution. Read on to learn more about Google Drive vs. Dropbox pricing, security, privacy, speed, storage allotment, sync, file sharing, and more.

Dropbox Overview

Back in 2007, two college students, Arash Ferdowsi and Drew Houston had this great idea of creating software that allows users to quickly share and access files without having to access their email accounts.

Of course, their program became so popular at the time, that the whole University started to use it instead of e-mail accounts. Presently, more than 500 million users all over the world use Dropbox for sharing and storing their favorite files.

Dropbox gained so much popularity due to the fact that the software is easy to use, and deploy on any machine. Setting up a Dropbox account takes just a couple of minutes, and the video and photo tutorials are more than enough to get you started.

In addition, Dropbox offers 2GB of free cloud storage space, which can be used indefinitely. Upgrading is quite easy, and so is opting out of a Dropbox pricing plan.

Google Drive Overview

The idea of file hosting server isn’t entirely new to Google. In fact, the notion of a cloud-based storage service dates back to 2006, but the actual platform was launched in 2012. Once it was released, it was clear Google Drive was more than just a cloud storage solution.

Google Drive acts on multiple fronts: first, there’s the cloud storage front, where Google has strived to win more ground against its competitors, thus the unbeatable bargains. Security was also a major concern for Google Drive. Before users were actually able to upload their files, Drive needed a tight security protocol in order to prevent data theft or data loss.

There’s also the whole accessibility front, where Google actually manages to transform the whole rudimentary cloud interface into a full-fledged virtual work environment, where users can share folders, access them, commit changes and create documents online.

Dropbox vs. Google Drive In-Depth Reviews

At a glance, it’s difficult to say which is better in the Google Drive vs. Dropbox debate. In the following sections, we will take a closer look at each service, and compare the finer details that set these two cloud solutions apart.

Dropbox In-depth Review

Dropbox is a great way to share your folders with friends, family, and coworkers if the amount of information is too big to be handled through common means (i.e. e-mails, FTPs, wetransfer). Users can simply choose the way they share information by creating groups or by sending invitations to various people.

File syncing is also one of Dropbox’s greatest perks. After you’re finished uploading a file on the cloud, the software will automatically detect the changes and synchronize with all affiliated devices. Presently, Dropbox is compatible with all major platforms including Microsoft Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, BlackBerry, Android, Kindle Fire, and with some versions of Linux like Fedora, Ubuntu, or Debian.

There are two ways to work with Dropbox: either by downloading and installing the desktop/mobile application or using your online account. Both methods are made to return good results, but it would seem that the desktop application is more popular than the online method, since the software offers all-out integration.

Recommended read: Dropbox Cloud Storage Service Review

As far as pricing is concerned, Dropbox has two different price tiers: one for individuals and for teams.

Google Drive In-depth Review

Google Drive is an immensely valuable productivity tool. While Dropbox focuses on ease of access, Google Drive is more concerned about rethinking the definition of the cloud.

If you’ve already read some articles about Google Drive, then you must have realized that Google Drive is actually an umbrella term, pooling various services under the same logo. With Google Drive, you can manage and edit Office-365 compatible documents, create and manage photo albums, backup your files, stream media files, and more thanks to Microsoft’s view on third-party vendors.

Setting up your first Google Drive account is pretty straightforward: just head on over to drive.google.com, create an account, choose your plan and start uploading files. If you’re already the lucky owner of a Google Plus account, you can start using Google Drive right away.

The most popular question asked around online cloud forums is how to use Google Drive like Dropbox. Technically speaking, Google Drive shares the same functions as Dropbox, so it is possible. However, Google Drive is more about storing files while Dropbox is all about sharing in real time.

The major difference between Dropbox and Google Drive is that Dropbox sacrifices more advanced functions for usability while the latter is all about productivity and team management.

Recommended read: Google Drive Cloud Storage Service Review

If you’re interested in using Drive as your cloud service, here is some more information about Google Drive pricing.

In addition, Google Drive also offers three types of business solutions, which include a host of productivity apps, as well as cloud storage space.

Dropbox vs. Google Drive Final Comparison

Now that we’ve seen what Dropbox and Google Drive have to offer, let’s take a look at how they compare. The aspects we used to compare Dropbox vs. Google Drive are:

1. Dropbox vs. Google Drive for Business
2. Dropbox vs. Google Drive Security
3. Dropbox vs. Google Drive Speed

We will also look at some additional features we believe are important when determining which cloud service is better: Google Drive or Dropbox.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, it’s very hard to settle the Dropbox vs. Google Drive debate. While both products fall into the category of cloud solutions, it’s plain to see they are two very different services.

If you’re looking for a cloud storage solution that allows you to store a large number of files and share them quickly, we would highly recommend Dropbox. Larger cloud storage plans are quite affordable, and Dropbox’s interface is likely going to be familiar to most.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a tool that helps you to edit documents on the fly, and allow teams to work on projects remotely, Google Drive is a better choice. It may take a little while before you get used to all the features Google Drive has to offer, but once you do, your productivity will increase dramatically.

Do you agree with our assessment? Which would you choose Dropbox vs. Google Drive?