Dropbox vs Google Drive? Which Way of Online Cloud Storage Is Better?

The two most popular solutions for cloud storage and backup are Google’s disk, i.e. Google Drive, and Dropbox, which makes sense given that the two platforms fight fiercely. However, which one is right for you? This is a complex issue and boils down to several factors: your budget, your overall backup needs, and on which platforms you want to use them.

Not surprisingly, Google Drive works best if you’re fully submerged in other Google systems: Android, Chrome OS, and the Google Workspace web app suite. It’s also a better option in general, comparing the advantages and disadvantages. If you’re more concerned with speed and performance and are ready to pay for it, Dropbox is a superior option.

Prices of Services

As you can see, Google Drive (also known as Google One) provides greater initial, free storage as well as more and more affordable storage alternatives at various storage levels. Dropbox users can increase their free storage by ‘forcing’ friends to sign up with referral codes, up to 16 GB. But getting users to basically do your marketing for you to get what’s free elsewhere is never a good value or option.

Both companies offer discounts for annual payments instead of monthly. But when it comes to your money, Dropbox really only makes sense for individual users who want up to 2 TB of storage, or for teams of users who need an absolutely large amount: more than a maximum of 30 TB of Google Drive.

Also, while Google allows users to access the Drive from anywhere and on unlimited devices for free, Dropbox pushes users to pay for more than 3 devices to have easy access through dedicated apps. You can work around this limitation with the Dropbox tool, but it’s a pretty big hurdle for free users.

Possibilities of Integration

Google is also winning in integration with different platforms. Google Drive is built into most Android phones and tablets and all Chrome devices, and it’s the default way to save files to Google Docs and other Google Workspace tools. In addition, Google Drive/One apps are available on iOS and Windows, making it easy to transfer and download.

Dropbox is also available almost everywhere, but its integration is less seamless on mobile and Chrome OS. While it’s possible to upload and download to Dropbox on almost any platform (via a browser if it’s not a dedicated application), it can take a few more steps. The limit of 3 devices on a free Dropbox account is also a big limitation.

Google Drive and Dropbox integrate with a range of other frequently used services, such as Microsoft Office, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Zoom, etc. Dropbox even lets you sign in with a Google or Apple account if you want.

Usability

While Google is the clear winner in value and makes it easier for you to access your files across multiple platforms, we think Dropbox still has a usability advantage. Google Drive typically treats its storage as one large set of data, and while it has support for the basic map directory system that most computer users are accustomed to, the platform would rather use its built-in search tools.

Dropbox, on the other hand, assumes you generally know where you put your stuff and makes it easier to navigate through folders and subfolders either in the app or in a directory on your desktop. It’s not intuitive effortlessly, but it’s familiar to everyone who uses desktops and laptops most of their adult lives. It’s a computer-based approach, not a (perhaps understandably) mobile-style Drive interface.

Performance Options

While Google Drive is by no means slow, Dropbox also gets a performance advantage. When we tried to transfer huge amounts of big and small data, Dropbox gave us consistently higher transfer speeds. This is an important consideration if you plan to consume storage space heavily and often.

Dropbox also has a feature that speeds up file uploads over your local network (LAN sync). This tool allows files added to your Dropbox account to start copying over local Ethernet or Wi-Fi connections even before they are fully transferred to the cloud. In practice, this makes the file added to your phone (say, a new photo you took of your pet) almost instantly appear in the Dropbox directory on your Windows or macOS computer, as long as both devices are connected to the local network. It’s small, but a key advantage if what you’re really looking for is some synchronized storage that’s quick and easy to access.

Ability to Share Storage and Create Backup Storage on Computers

As you might expect, Google is at the forefront of sharing storage space between family members. While Google One plans can be shared with up to 5 additional family members (for a total of 6 users) at the cheapest subscription of 2 USD per month, Dropbox only unlocks this option when you start paying 20 USD per month for 2 TB of storage.

Individual files can be easily shared across both platforms, and there’s not much difference between Google Drive and Dropbox if you share accounts. But unless you need a really large amount of storage space on Dropbox, Google Drive is better in terms of value if you want to share that storage between two or more users.

Both systems, in a way, offer tools to back up your cloud files to the cloud in a way that covers the entire system. While Google Drive or Dropbox can certainly be treated as cloud backup systems, these platforms aren’t really designed for regular emergency backup. Their slow transfer speeds and bulky backup tools put them far behind dedicated services like Carbonite or Backblaze. We wouldn’t give a single extra point for this feature either to Drive or Dropbox.

Additional Features

Aside from the above-mentioned tools, both systems offer fewer actual advantages. Purchasing additional storage on Google’s disk through Google One provides you with the following benefits:

• Gmail messages and attachments, as well as Google Photos, are stored in one place.

• On Android, you may use Google One VPN for free.

• Purchases in the Google Store are discounted.

• Offers on travel and other products from time to time.

What about Dropbox? It’s more stingy with its tools, allowing some of its premium features only under more expensive user or business accounts. Even full-text search, a simple function that can be used on local files in practically any OS, isn’t free.

Overall, Google Drive Seems to Be the Winner in This ‘Duel’

While Dropbox has a superior interface and user experience (at least for users who prefer conventional file systems), and its performance and LAN sync tools can leave the competition in the dust, Google offers a better product and better value at almost every other point of comparisons. From the price of premium storage, through integration with desktop and mobile operating systems, to less tangible bonuses within the Google One system, Drive is the clear winner. This is very true if you want to stick to free tools.

All of this by no means implies that Dropbox is necessarily a bad choice. That extra performance and better interface could pay off, especially for users who don’t necessarily need the huge amount of storage that Google offers. Just be aware of the compromise you have to make. This platform, however, had security issues a few years ago when users from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom complained on the official Dropbox forum about receiving online casino and gambling spam through Dropbox-associated email accounts. Their user accounts were hacked, and a spam campaign was launched using employee documents revealing user emails. Dropbox performed an investigation and discovered that a limited number of Dropbox accounts were truly accessed using usernames and passwords recently obtained from other websites. The company assisted them in safeguarding their accounts, and this has never happened again. And if it happens again, casino spams certainly wouldn’t be coming from Booongo casinos at TopCasinoExpert.com or other casinos on this platform as only safe and secure gambling sites can be found on it.