Apple iCloud vs. OneDrive

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple iCloud
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Apple iCloud is a document management software offering from Apple. It includes features such as access to music, photos, calendars, contacts, and documents, and it is built into every new iOS device.
$0.99
per month
OneDrive
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
OneDrive from Microsoft is a cloud storage and file syncing service.
$5
per month
Pricing
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Editions & Modules
50GB
$0.99
per month
200GB
$2.99
per month
2TB
$9.99
per month
OneDrive for Business Plan 1
$5.00
Per Month (Annual Commitment)
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$5.00
Per Month (Annual Commitment)
OneDrive for Business Plan 2
$10.00
Per Month (Annual Commitment)
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$12.50
Per Month (Annual Commitment)
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details—OneDrive can be purchased as a standalone tool, or as part of a Microsoft 365's business suite.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Considered Both Products
Apple iCloud
Chose Apple iCloud
I enjoy using OneDrive way more than Apple iCloud. Granted they are not exact competitors. I mainly enjoy the manual process of backing up files with OneDrive. The rules for storage are way more well-rounded and detailed. I have a greater control of what files I choose and thus …
Chose Apple iCloud
Dropbox is a fine product. The thing that makes iCloud shine is its deep integration with Apple and Apple's legendary support. Finally, we are confident that Apple will be fully committed to privacy and our data remains safe. But, none of this is to denigrate Dropbox in any …
Chose Apple iCloud
As I have mentioned in this review, Apple iCloud shines while it is used with Apple products such as iPhones, iPads and Macs. Microsoft OneDrive serves a similar function when working with Windows operating systems. Both are excellent cloud storage programs that work better in …
Chose Apple iCloud
Overall, iCloud performs quite well against some of its larger competitors. In my opinion, iCloud may be better suited for personal and social sharing compared to business cloud platforms like OneDrive and Google Drive. iCloud is incredibly strong if your organization is fully …
Chose Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud works as well or almost as well as OneDrive. I also use OneDrive fairly extensively because I have free storage and it came along with my other Microsoft software. I only pay for additional storage on iCloud. I suppose it's because I operate in both Windows and …
Chose Apple iCloud
Already a part of the Apple ecosystem, so if it suits our needs, we will use it. We have a Department shared Dropbox account specifically for sharing large projects with vendors, so Apple iCloud is for lighter internal projects such as shared spreadsheets for project …
Chose Apple iCloud
iCloud is probably the best option for someone who uses primarily Apple devices and services. If you are multi-platform in your technology use I would make sure you test out the free version of iCloud before you make the switch, Apple likes to play nice with Apple, which means …
Chose Apple iCloud
One Drive can allow users to collaborate in realtime and rare crashes on documents. The storage is very generous, and pricing for business, especially non-profits, is fair. One Drive also allows for better photo storage for us as a school. We can keep yearbook items and also …
Chose Apple iCloud
While I have to use Dropbox on occasion, I greatly prefer to use iCloud for file sharing. I also have used Google's Apps, and because I'm a Mac/iPhone user, iCloud has more easily fit into the normal routine of what I'm already doing and using. Dropbox has some minor features …
Chose Apple iCloud
The basic premise among these is the same. Where Apple iCloud stands apart for our team is that there is not a separate app to be downloaded to access these features on most phones or tablets (most of our staff has iPhones, and we provide iPads). This allows everyone to obtain …
Chose Apple iCloud
While the others are superior for file sharing with other people or teams, they aren't part of the Apple ecosystem and as such don't provide the core functionally that iCloud provides of in-app integration.
Chose Apple iCloud
I selected Apple icloud mainly because it is the best for using with pesky apple file types, but overall it does a pretty poor job against competitors. It is more expensive, offers less storage, and is much more difficult to use. I'd stick to an alternative program if it were …
Chose Apple iCloud
I prefer Google Drive to Apple iCloud. That being said, iCloud does have a huge and very loyal fanbase, and as I have seen in my career it is not going anywhere. If you need a cloud platform just for filesharing, I would pick Dropbox or Google Drive over iCloud. If you need a …
Chose Apple iCloud
This really just depends on the device you are using. If you use a lot of Apple devices then this of course is the way to go. But, if you use multi-platform devices, issues do occur. As always, Apple needs to learn to "play better with others", because in corporate environments …
Chose Apple iCloud
Microsoft is incomplete and does not offer the all the features that iCloud does.
Google offers a multiple alternatives where some are better and some are not, but they do not interact well together and you never know when Google is just going to kill off one of their services.
Ul…
Chose Apple iCloud
I think Apple iCloud needs a paradigm shift. I have seen this problem back in 1992, where Apple was King.
Chose Apple iCloud
It is easier to configure and run than the other ones. In the company everyone has at least one Apple product so we decide to try it and it works really well for us. The price is quite affordable for four people using at the same time.
The main reason was that we are completely …
Chose Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud has less document sharing features than the competition, but does a much better job in two key areas; backing up documents and photos natively on the iOS platform, and assisting in the seamless transition when working between mobile devices and laptops.
Chose Apple iCloud
The integration is second to none. If you have many Apple devices then you will be glad to use iCloud.
OneDrive
Chose OneDrive
OneDrive is included in our Microsoft suite of products so there was no additional cost for us to use it. We use OneDrive for that reason mainly. For the most part, it does what you expect a cloud storage system to do, and it does it fairly well. For a larger group (10 or more …
Chose OneDrive
OneDrive was a perfect fit for our use case. Sharepoint was too robust and complicated, Dropbox too simple. Not an Apple shop fo iCloud was out. Not a Google shop, so less appealing. OneDrive fit the bill perfectly.
Chose OneDrive
We selected OneDrive because it's a very well known name in the industry. We probably could have chosen another company but decided to go with the name brand option.
Chose OneDrive
While other cloud storage services exist, some with better compatibility to other Operating Systems, the integration of OneDrive has proven to be its winning feature. Organizations that use Microsoft products heavily would find it a valuable asset, with its familiar interface …
Chose OneDrive
Since Microsoft's operating systems are the most used in business, the fact that it already comes installed with Windows 8 and 10 and that it has almost no flaws while working with said operative systems makes it more streamlined for file sharing in a company than it's …
Chose OneDrive
Like I said we have the network drive. We have also used Google Drive which seems to have similar issues like OneDrive. We have not done too much in the could but that could be something to explore for the future. For now, the network drive is the most simplistic for the users …
Chose OneDrive
I would say OneDrive is better than Amazon and Dropbox and about on par with iCloud and Google. OneDrive was best for us since we are a Microsoft shop. Its storage, collaboration, and office integration made it the best option for us. Google Drive is also used by us when …
Chose OneDrive
Though I would say that iCloud is more reliable, it is only compatible with Apple products. I use iCloud personally, but we do not own any Apple products as a business. I find that Dropbox can be confusing and not consistent with storage management. OneDrive solves the problem …
Chose OneDrive
They are both amazing products and give you great options to cloud storage. icloud is obviously aimed more at ios and osx where i feel OneDrive is a little more diverse as in you are able to use it with OSX, PC, and linux. As an added plus I have never dealt with issues with …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Apple iCloudOneDrive
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
9.1
74 Ratings
8% above category average
OneDrive
7.6
113 Ratings
10% below category average
Versioning8.750 Ratings8.189 Ratings
Video files9.270 Ratings6.4100 Ratings
Audio files9.267 Ratings7.094 Ratings
Document collaboration8.963 Ratings7.8107 Ratings
Access control8.461 Ratings7.8108 Ratings
File search9.766 Ratings7.9113 Ratings
Device sync9.473 Ratings7.9111 Ratings
Cloud Storage Security & Administration
Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
8.7
70 Ratings
1% above category average
OneDrive
7.4
108 Ratings
16% below category average
User and role management8.654 Ratings7.396 Ratings
File organization8.266 Ratings7.6108 Ratings
Device management9.367 Ratings7.291 Ratings
Cloud Storage Platform
Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Product A and Product B
Apple iCloud
9.4
74 Ratings
10% above category average
OneDrive
7.3
112 Ratings
15% below category average
Performance9.674 Ratings7.9111 Ratings
Reliability9.674 Ratings7.1112 Ratings
Storage Reports9.158 Ratings6.986 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Small Businesses
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 10.0 out of 10
SugarSync
SugarSync
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Druva Data Resiliency Cloud
Score 9.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(74 ratings)
7.6
(113 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(4 ratings)
9.0
(5 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(21 ratings)
8.0
(12 ratings)
Performance
8.2
(12 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.5
(20 ratings)
8.0
(36 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple iCloudOneDrive
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
iCloud is also great to keep access to photos synced across devices. Ex: I can snap a photo at a job site and have access to that photo on my desktop when I return to my office. I can then drop the photo into a document that is stored in iCloud and have instant access to that document on my iPad at a client's office later in the day. Seamless transitions make life much easier.
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Microsoft
I'll start with what I would not use OneDrive for! I would not use it as a primary source for code repository, there are other more robust tools out there that can help you with storing and making available code repos. Where I would use OneDrive is in a platform for managing files, and with that I mean any file that can be saved offline and access a OneDrive access point, share, or mount. This could be personal, business, or data from a system that is saved in a standard file format. The OneDrive platform is great for documents collaboration as well, with the ability to allow for share and links to be provided to for easy access and collaboration. I would also recommend if you are someone who likes to use cloud services and rely less and less on offline storage. OneDrive excels in this area!
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Pros
Apple
  • Syncing files, appointments, Notes and contacts. If I'm away from home, and set an appointment using my phone, that appointment automatically updates real time to my home laptop and vice-versa.
  • It stores files (e.g photos) nicely
  • Once it's set up, it's fairly easy to use.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Sync functions allow to access work virtually anywhere
  • Collaboration options make working with others easier, increasing productivity
  • It works seamlessly in different devices
  • The one drive online functions allows to use office programs like work and excel without having them installed in a device
Read full review
Cons
Apple
  • Customization - iCloud is great at the stuff it does well. But it lacks features that some competitors (in Google Drive or Dropbox) do really well. API support for third-party apps is really great for some other people.
  • Remote use - Managing or accessing information from iCloud while not on one of your logged-in apple devices can sometimes be an issue. From a work computer for example. It doable, but the experience is much less user-friendly.
  • Ability to edit documents on the cloud similar to google docs or some other competitors
Read full review
Microsoft
  • I wish OneDrive would allow you to sync multiple personal/individual accounts to your computer. At this time, you can only sync one account at a time. That means that my personal OneDrive and individual corporate OneDrive can't be synced to my computer at the same time.
  • OneDrive has a file size limitation of 15 GB. I know that that is a very large amount, but I have several files that are larger than 15 GB that I wish I could get to sync. I'm hoping that file size limitation changes in the future.
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Likelihood to Renew
Apple
It's so seamless that I can't imagine another product doing a better job synchronizing all of my devices. I simply do not think about it at all. Everything happens behind the scenes and I'm confident that Apple keeps my data safe and secure. I'm a happy customer as far as this is concerned. I have not had a bad experience with this service.
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Microsoft
Due to its tight integration into the Microsoft ecosystem and its bundling into the Office 365 service, continued use of the product is all but guaranteed. Unless there's a shift away from Microsoft, I can see no competing product offering the same ease of use and integrations taking the place of OneDrive
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Usability
Apple
While it may be great to use with other Apple products, I find it's an absolutist-style workflow to be debilitating and to lead to many problems. When you sign into the cloud, it completely takes over your device in many ways that you don't notice at first until there is a problem.
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Microsoft
Using OneDrive is very intuitive and has been improved over the years. It's just like using native file management on either your Mac or PC. It's drag and drop functionality is easy and it clearly shows when files are uploaded to the cloud or if there are errors
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Performance
Apple
Occasionally, large files that haven't yet been synced require a few minutes to pull down but I've rarely noticed delays. It does a good job of keeping data cached on my local machines while updating them with changes from other machines transparently.
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Microsoft
It has a good performance, the pages load normally, access to the files, management, reports, everything is working well. With regard to integration with other systems, we have not done so yet.
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Support Rating
Apple
Apple customer service is fantastic. iCloud is built with Apple in mind and its design is extremely intuitive and user-friendly. Additionally, whenever our team has encountered issues, the speed of Apple support has been more than timely in addressing our issues and solving our request. We have encountered relatively few issues in my time with the platform and this only improves our overall score for those who keep the platform stable.
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Microsoft
It's a Microsoft product so there is a wealth of information online both from Microsoft directly and from millions of users but as a corporate user we also have access to direct Microsoft support through a variety of avenues (phone, email, etc.). This makes finding answers to issues more accessible, however, it does also mean that any new feature requests will get buried.
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Alternatives Considered
Apple
Apple does offer an alternative to Office & the Google Docs family but trusting to use it with both internal and external parties is tough. Google is more universal and easier for 3rd parties to collaborate with. Apple works well for a closed internal group that is native to Apple's ecosystem. Google offers more storage space than Apple
Read full review
Microsoft
Box is another file-sharing application that is very similar to OneDrive. Box falls short of OneDrive in its syncing capabilities. OneDrive is very quick with syncing so you never have to be concerned that you are not using the most up-to-date materials. Box was always a bit delayed and did not always accurately sync across systems. OneDrive benefits from being backed by Microsoft, so you expect the connection across applications that it allows. OneDrive also provides consistency for use and intuitive understanding because of that Microsoft consistency. I'd prefer OneDrive over Box.
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Return on Investment
Apple
  • If I lose track of my credentials or my continuing education documentation, I could end up not being able to renew my certification. This would lead to a major loss in revenue.
  • Time is money and having all of my required documents easily accessible in iCloud saves me time and allows me to work more efficiently.
  • My Apple devices were certainly not cheap purchases. iCloud has allowed me to maximize my productivity through synchronizing my work no matter which device I'm working on.
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Microsoft
  • OneDrive allows us to save much time on creating and archiving backup copies of our data. Microsoft gives a guarantee on the possibility of recovery of files or folders even from 30 days ago. It provides a great comfort of work.
Read full review
ScreenShots