OneDrive vs Google Drive: which cloud drive wins for your document workflow?
Both are cloud drives with document editing built in. OneDrive is Microsoft’s, integrated with Word and Excel. Google Drive is Google’s, integrated with Docs and Sheets. The choice is really about which suite you already use. Prices checked August 27, 2026.
The short answer
✓ Prices checked August 27, 2026
| Provider | Free | Entry paid | 2 TB class | Family | Encryption | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OneDrive (Microsoft 365 Basic) | 5 GB | $1.99/mo (100 GB) | 6 TB via Family $129.99/yr | 6 users x 1 TB each | Provider-side (Personal Vault adds E2E for 3 files free) | Family plan bundles Office; SKUs are confusing |
| Google Drive (Google One) | 15 GB (shared w/ Gmail + Photos) | 100 GB Basic (see current price) | 2 TB Premium (see current price) | Up to 5 members | Provider-side (Google can access) | Free tier fills fast with email + photo uploads |
When OneDrive wins
Microsoft 365 Family at $129.99/year gives 6 TB total (1 TB per user across up to 6 users) PLUS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook desktop apps for every user. That’s the best value in the whole cloud-drive category if you actually use the Office apps. OneDrive Personal at $1.99/month for 100 GB is also the cheapest paid entry tier of any major cloud drive.
When Google Drive wins
You want the biggest free tier (15 GB vs OneDrive’s 5 GB) and you already live in Gmail and Google Docs. Google’s web-based document editing is faster and more capable than the OneDrive/Office web experience, and real-time collaboration in Google Docs is still the category leader. Google Drive integrates natively with Android backup.
Where they tie
Both do the core job: cloud drive, sync client, sharing, real-time document collaboration, and mobile apps. Both are legitimately reliable and mature. Both integrate with hundreds of third-party apps.
The bottom line
Use Office already: OneDrive via Microsoft 365 Family is the cheapest bundle in the category. Use Google Docs already: Google Drive. If neither pulls you in strongly, Microsoft 365 Family’s per-TB math is unbeatable for a household of 3+ users.
Common questions
Is Microsoft 365 Family really cheaper?
For a household of 4+ users who use Office apps: yes, dramatically. $129.99/year works out to about $10.83/month for 6 TB and the full Office suite for the whole household. Nothing else in the category matches that if you have multiple users.
Does OneDrive work on Mac?
Yes. The OneDrive Mac client is decent though not as polished as it is on Windows. Files integrate into macOS Finder like iCloud Drive does. If you’re a Mac user considering OneDrive because of the Family + Office bundle, the client is fine, just not native-Apple-quality.
Which has better real-time collaboration?
Google Docs is still the category leader for real-time multi-user document editing. Microsoft’s Office Web Apps have closed most of the gap in recent years, especially in Word online, but Google Docs still wins for the smoothness of simultaneous cursor tracking and comment threads.
Get the updated storage table monthly.
One email when prices change. No spam, no daily deals, unsubscribe any time.